Zero tolerance on possession of nitrous oxide can be an effective policy

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Nitrous oxide cartridges lie empty on the ground in a rural area of the UK (Getty/iStock)

I see there is controversy about the home secretary’s proposals to criminalise the use of nitrous oxide as a recreational drug, with self-proclaimed “experts” saying “smart education”, not legislation, is needed.

When I was a student, in the drug-ridden 1970s, education certainly helped by pointing out the risks, often graphically, but what really prevented people like myself from falling into that world was the zero-tolerance policing of the time, coupled with the threat of a career-ending criminal conviction for even minor possession, as employers practised zero tolerance too.

Ian McNicholas

Ebbw Vale

Homes for Afghan refugees

According to the English Housing Survey 2018-19, in the UK 772,000 people own second homes, only 10 per cent of which are let out. Perhaps they could be persuaded or incentivised in some way to at least temporarily house Afghan refugees for a year or two until more housing can be made available or even built. It is obscene that so many people have more than one home when so many have nowhere to live.

Sarah Macrae

Petersfield, Hampshire

Right message, wrong man

I understand the prime minister has urged Fifa to take the strongest action against fans who subjected English players to racial abuse. Is it that they were using the wrong words and not phrases such as “watermelon smiles”, “letter boxes” and “bank robbers”?

As ever, the stench of hypocrisy hangs heavy around Boris Johnson.

Nigel Groom

Essex

America should take a look in the mirror

Hard-right Republicans dubbed the “Texas Taliban” have just passed a series of laws in their state that has made abortion virtually illegal, has restricted the voting rights of the poor and minorities, and has banned teachers in state schools from discussing institutional racism with their pupils.

I expect Tony Blair and other advocates of “liberal interventionism” will shortly be demanding that a “coalition of the willing” ready to pay a “blood price” invade Texas to restore democracy, freedom of speech and the rights of women with bombs and bullets.

Sasha Simic

London N16

Pet theft

Theft is theft whether it’s a pet or a Porsche and laws exist to cover all thefts, so why is a government that is failing on so many fronts finding time to prepare and implement laws to duplicate existing legislation with a law specifically for pet theft?

Distraction politics, get something other than their failures in the papers and on the news. They really have a low opinion of the electorate who have every right to ask: have you nothing better to do, and question who will enforce it. Certainly not the 20,000 officers culled from the police and yet to be recruited, trained and put back on the streets. More pointless gestures from a failing government led by “all talk and no action” Boris Johnson.

John Simpson

Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire

Scottish nationalism

I don’t believe the first minister of Scotland is prejudiced against the English, nor are the majority of SNP members. However, their party opened the Pandora’s box of nationalism in Scotland and have tended to leave the latch unhooked when convenient.

There have been marches in Scotland with “Tory Scum Out” as the lead banner. There have been protesters at transport hubs holding “England Get Out of Scotland” signs. Ian Blackford polices Twitter asking why an English photographer was in Scotland. The SNP’s National Women’s Convenor Rhiannon Spear tweeted “We hate the United Kingdom too” during Eurovision. “We are not England’s holiday park,” added Moira Shemilt, another SNP councillor.

Unfortunately, the SNP are so politically antagonistic to England that they already govern as if Scotland has seceded from the UK. Imagine if the “Tory” or “England” was replaced by a racial epithet? The furore would be rightly deafening.

It’s not difficult to see the obvious sentiment in such messages: you don’t really belong here.

David Bone

South Ayrshire