socialmedian: More drug advisers set to follow David Nutt and resign

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More drug advisers set to follow David Nutt and resign

Source: guardian.co.uk Society

Nov 08, 2009

Summary

Members of Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs to demand assurance of future independence from home secretary Alan Johnson

More members of the government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs are set to resign unless they receive reassurances on its future independence from the home secretary, Alan Johnson.

Johnson will meet members of the council on Tuesday, when he will attempt to placate them following the sacking of the council's chairman, Professor David Nutt.

Nutt was forced to resign after Johnson accused him of campaigning against ministers' decisions on the reclassification of cannabis and ecstasy. His dismissal prompted a furore among the scientific community and two members of the council resigned in protest. "It's hard to see how the remaining members of the council can continue to work under the current arrangements," Nutt said.

In an attempt to defuse the row, the science minister, Lord Drayson, has pledged that the government will issue new guidelines to ensure the independence of its scientific advisers.

Drayson acknowledged that there was "ser

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