Boris Johnson praised the Daily Record after our groundbreaking call for the decriminalisation of drug use.
But the man favourite to be the UK’s next Prime Minister insisted a “crackdown on gangs” was the best way to tackle the problem.
On a visit to Glasgow earlier today, he told the Record: “I congratulate your newspaper on the work you are doing on a heart-rending issue.
"My own view is existing laws are in place. What we should be doing is helping the police to crackdown on the drugs gangs. They are out of control.
“They are getting young kids to risk their lives for the sake of the drugs market and I want to see more law enforcement, if I’m going to be absolutely honest.
“And that’s why I’ve pledged to have another £1billion to go to frontline policing.
“What I would urge is that the SNP here in Scotland makes sure that there share of that does indeed go on frontline policing.
“I think it is probably about £80million that’s now extra for policing in Scotland. Lets get that out into frontline officers."
Jeremy Hunt, Johnson’s rival for the Tory leadership, said he was open to discussing the drug crisis with Nicola Sturgeon if he becomes Prime Minister.
But he ruled out devolving powers to the Scottish Parliament to tackle the spiralling deaths.
He said: “I think the answer to that is there is a shared crisis over drug use and I will be very open to discussing a shared solution.
“But if it was about legislation there is absolutely no reason why we couldn’t do it in the UK but it depends on what the legislation is and if it is the right way to tackle the drugs crisis.
“I think there are a number of things that we don’t get right and I saw that in my period with responsibility for the English NHS.
“I am very happy to have those discussions but I don’t think it will be about different legislation in different parts of the country.”
