Minister goes soft on club ecstasy

A major shift in policy on drugs was signalled today when the Government announced it would turn a blind eye to the use of ecstasy in nightclubs.

The Home Office issued a new set of safety guidelines on how club owners should best deal with drug taking - immediately sparking an attack from some campaigners who accused the Government of effectively encouraging clubbers to break the law.

Home Office Minister Bob Ainsworth said there was no point simply ignoring the drug culture surrounding the club scene, and that taking substances such as ecstasy was an "integral part" of a night out for many youngsters.

"We have to recognise that some clubbers will continue to ignore the risks and carry on taking dangerous drugs," he said. "If we cannot stop them, then we must be prepared to take steps to reduce the harm they may cause themselves."

Ministers are now effectively abandoning the hardline "just say no" approach in favour of a more liberal stance encouraging clubbers to cut down as a first step to giving up, and urging managers to deal with the problem more effectively.

The Home Office's new "Safer Clubbing Guide" is backed by police and by leading drugs specialists at London hospitals. It urges managers to provide "chill-out" rooms to allow clubbers to wind down from the effects of drug taking, among a range of other measures advocating coping with drug taking rather than stamping it out.

The move follows a decision by Home Secretary David Blunkett to " downgrade" cannabis from a class B to class C substance, seen as an important step towards full decriminalisation.

Club owners are also told to lay on "adequate supplies" of drinking water - one of the side-effects of ecstasy is potentially fatal dehydration. They are warned to prevent overcrowding, ensure proper ventilation and comply in full with health and safety laws.

Managers are urged to hire police-approved doormen to prevent gangsters using bouncers as drug dealers; to search clubbers to prevent substances being carried in, and to use metal detectors to find weapons.

Mr Ainsworth said drug use has stabilised nationally, but " of particular concern are those clubbers who use a cocktail of drugs and alcohol that is likely greatly to increase the risks to their health and safety".

Anti-drugs campaigners were split over the move. Janet Betts, whose daughter Leah died after taking ecstasy, said: "Free running cold water, a rest room and a first aider should be there anyway. The minute you put a fancy label on it, like chill-out room... that club is using that to advertise the fact that they tolerate drug use, and that's what I object to."

Alan and Liz Spinks, whose daughter Anna, 19, also died after taking ecstasy, said the new guide was "practical and pragmatic". An estimated four million people use illicit drugs in the UK each year.

Youth culture has changed attitudes