Hewitt admits to smoking cannabis | Vapor State

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Hewitt admits to smoking cannabis

Health Secretary admits to smoking dope.. but like every other politician who has come clean she 'didn't enjoy it'

Patricia Hewitt

HEALTH Secretary Patricia Hewitt has followed a long line of politicians by coming clean about smoking cannabis - then saying she hated it.

Asked if she had ever taken drugs, she said: "I tried cannabis once when I was a student. It didn't do anything for me and I never tried it again. I've not used any other illegal drug."

This crafty way of skirting round a tricky question was first deployed by former US President Bill Clinton.

Bill Clinton

He said: "When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and I didn't like it."

Memorably, he added: "I didn't inhale and never tried it again."

His response was to inspire many others. Just last year, drugs minister Vernon Coaker said: "I've never taken any hard drugs. When I was a student, I took one or two puffs of marijuana but that was it. I think it was once or twice."

Vernon Coaker

Hazel Blears

Quizzed about her drug-taking past Cabinet minister Hazel Blears toed the "just once" line when she said: "I had cannabis once from somebody that I knew and I never did it again because it didn't work. It had no effect on me."

Charles Clarke

Former Home Secretary Charles Clarke was another to play down the follies of his youth.

He said: "I did smoke cannabis two or three times in my late teens. I've never smoked tobacco at any time and that was one of the reasons no doubt that I didn't smoke more cannabis when I was younger."

Yvette Cooper

Housing Minister Yvette Cooper took the sensible approach when she said: "I did try cannabis at university. It's something I have left behind."

Peter Hain Oliver Lewtin

Deputy Labour leader hopeful Peter Hain came up with a novel excuse when he insisted someone once forced a spliff into his mouth. He said he did not inhale.

But Tory Oliver Letwin can trump even that. He claimed friends mixed cannabis in with his pipe tobacco. He added: "I was extremely cross about it."

About the only one to admit to liking it was Tory Tim Yeo. He said: "I was offered it on occasion and enjoyed it."