Linkage
drugs and alcohol
The effects of drugs and alcohol varies greatly and as i'm sure you all know they are classed in 3 catagories - A, B, and C.
Penalties
The penalties applicable to offences involving the different drugs are graded broadly according to the social harm attributable to a drug when it is misused, and for this purpose the drugs are defined in three classes: A, B and C.
Class A: Offences involving those in Class A attract the highest penalties – a maximum of seven years and/or unlimited fine for possession; life and/or unlimited fine for production or trafficking. A mandatory seven year sentence is now the penalty for a third conviction for trafficking.
Class B: Has lower penalties: a maximum of five years and/or unlimited fine for possession; fourteen years and/or unlimited fine for production or trafficking.
Class C: has the lowest penalties: a maximum of two years and/or unlimited fine for possession; five years and/or unlimited fine for trafficking.
Alcohol
This drug is in a class of its own. It's perfectly legal, it's available everywhere you look, including petrol stations, which is quite puzzling. It's a mainstream part of life and always has been, dam, there is even pressure to drink if you turn one down! Or the puzzled look one gets if they say "No thanks, I don't drink". The good news is that people are becoming more aware about the potential dangers caused by alcohol misuse