A former health minister claimed yesterday that "war on drugs" was the wrong approach to the issue.

Susan Deacon, recently appointed professor of social change at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, was health minister under Donald Dewar and has been involved in major studies of the drugs issue since she returned to the back benches.

Now that she has left parliament she is weighing in against a tough criminal justice approach to the problem which she says will never work as well as a social education and health approach.

She believes that an election produces an inappropriate bidding war. Only the Conservatives commented on her views, with both Labour and the SNP backing away from stressing the problem as an election issue.

"I think there is a very, very genuine commitment by a wide range of politicians and parties to try to do something meaningful about drugs," said Professor Deacon.

"The difficulty often translates into some pretty rough rhetoric and sometimes good ideas but not really a wide-ranging, informed and comprehensive policy approach to the issue.

"Looking and talking tough isn't necessarily about being effective."

A range of policies is needed to address the problem, she said. "The idea there is one type of treatment that works and one that doesn't is nonsensical.

"I think one of the big challenges that lies ahead is to ensure you have a range of treatment options, not just for opiates such as heroin but for the whole range of drug and substance misuse problems."

Calling for a review of the use of methadone and a wide-ranging debate on drugs, she said too many people are being criminalised and many who need treatment, are not receiving it. "There must be a more informed, measured approach to this debate to make progress," she added.

The co-convener of the socialist party Solidarity, Rosemary Byrne, welcomed Ms Deacon's "sensible" comments.

Annabel Goldie, Scottish Conservative leader, said: "I am delighted that a respected figure such as Susan Deacon has spoken up against the status quo. We need zero tolerance to those who deal in death, and effective rehabilitation to halt the spiral of crime by those who take drugs."