Allen defends using drugs on Channel 4 documentary

Keith Allen has defended a forthcoming Channel 4 programme in which he is seen under the influence of drugs and said it is “insane” to suggest it glamorises their use.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th Jul 2012, 21:09 BST

The actor has been filmed after taking an ecstasy-like Class A drug to examine the effects. The experiment has drawn some criticism, with one think-tank boss calling it “reckless and pointless”.

But Allen – father of singer Lily – said the programme was a “forensic analysis” investigating drugs. He was among a number of participants who underwent medical monitoring during the course of the trial, for which he took MDMA.

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Speaking on ITV1’s This Morning today, he said: “If you think that I’m glamorising the taking of drugs by spending an hour and 20 minutes for two consecutive Mondays in an MRI scanning machine then you’re insane.

“There were policemen taking part. There were definitely soldiers, people who’d never taken it before. It’s a very, very forensic analysis, a neurological analysis of the effects of MDMA. It’s a form of ecstasy.”

Allen confirmed his daughter Lily is pregnant on the show.

Related topics:Channel 4