Sir Richard Branson urges drug policy change

Sir Richard Branson has urged the government to change its approach to drug abuse, from "trying to deal with it as a criminal problem rather than a health problem."

Sir Richard was speaking to a Home Affairs Select Committee in his role as a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

He said many of the former leaders who were on the commission "feel they made the wrong choices in trying to effectively do to drugs what was done to alcohol for 20 years in America."

He explained how 10 years ago, Portugal had "a massive drug problem", but after decriminalising drugs and making them a health issue, "the amount of people taking heroin has dropped by 50%".