The Pope Doesn't Smoke Dope
Pope Francis lashes out against drug use, branding all drugs as 'evil'.
In an uncharacteristically non-hip move, Pope Francis has lashed out at drug legislation reform and branded all drugs 'evil'.
The formerly 'down with the kids' pontiff, who is famed for his relaxed approach, has taken a hard line on substances, including Egyptian favourite hashish.
He said: "The scourge of drug use continues to spread inexorably, fed by a deplorable commerce, which transcends national and continental borders.
"Attempts, however limited, to legalize so-called 'recreational drugs', are not only highly questionable from a legislative standpoint, but they fail to produce the desired effects."
Meanwhile the pontiff called on young people to spend their time in other ways than getting high.
Instead Francis called for society to say "'yes' to life, 'yes' to love, 'yes' to others, 'yes' to education, 'yes' to greater job opportunities."
He added: "If we say 'yes' to all these things, there will be no room for illicit drugs, for alcohol abuse, for other forms of addiction.
"Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise.
"Here I would reaffirm what I have stated on another occasion: No to every type of drug use. It is as simple as that."
The remarks come a day before the pontiff is due to visit Italy's Calabria, home of the powerful 'Ndrangheta mafia, which controls a significant share of the global trade in illegal narcotics.
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