Pubdate: Thu, 30 Oct 2014
Source: Independent  (UK)
Copyright: 2014 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.independent.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/209
Author: Nigel Morris and Oliver Wright
Page: 1

DRUG ABUSE: IS BRITAIN READY TO GROW UP?

First Commons Debate for a Generation Offers Rare Chance for Honest Discussion

Suppressed Home Office Report Casts Doubt on Current Punitive Approach

A punitive approach to drug abuse including locking up addicts fails 
to curb levels of addiction, a Home Office study warns today, as MPs 
stage the first Commons debate on drugs legislation in a generation.

The report suggests treating possession of drugs as a health  rather 
than criminal  matter reduces drug deaths and HIV infection rates 
without increasing addiction levels.

Its findings, which have been kept under wraps for three months amid 
a Coalition row, will be used as ammunition by supporters of a 
complete overhaul of the country's 43-year-old drugs laws.

The MP leading calls for a fresh approach told The Independent 
yesterday that the "tide is beginning to turn" among politicians and 
the public on how to combat drug addiction. The Home Office research 
follows visits by ministers to 10 countries which have vastly 
different policies for tackling drug abuse.

They included Portugal, where criminal penalties for personal drug 
use were scrapped in 2001 and has seen a fall in levels of addiction 
and drug-related deaths. However, the Czech Republic, which pursues a 
similar approach, has some of the highest rates of addiction in Europe.

The report said: "It is not clear decriminalisation has an impact on 
levels of drug use. Following decriminalisation in Portugal there has 
not been a lasting increase in adult drug use. Looking across 
different countries, there is no apparent correlation between the 
'toughness' of a country's approach and the prevalence of adult drug use."

It also said the Government would monitor results in Uruguay and some 
US states which have recently legalised possession of cannabis.

The review of other countries' experience of drugs legislation was 
set up 18 months ago by the Home Secretary, Theresa May, and 
conducted by two Liberal Democrat ministers, Jeremy Browne and then 
Norman Baker.

It was completed in July but publication was delayed, provoking 
accusations from Mr Baker that senior Conservatives were attempting 
to bury its findings because they were politically inconvenient.

Last night, Mr Baker said that policy should be "based on evidence, 
not dogma or the desire to sound tough. If you are anti-drugs you 
should be pro-reform," he said. "For too long, successive governments 
have been unwilling to look at the evidence. This comprehensive 
report shows that other ways of tackling drug addiction and supply 
can save lives and cut crime."

But Coalition tensions were underlined as a Home Office spokesman 
said: "This government has absolutely no intention of decriminalising 
drugs. Our drugs strategy is working and there is a long-term 
downward trend in drug misuse in the UK.

"It is right we look at drugs policies in other countries and today's 
report summarises a number of these international approaches."

Its release comes ahead of today's Commons debate in which a 
cross-party group of MPs will call for a fresh look at legislation. 
They will be backed by Mr Baker, but opposed by Conservative MPs.

It was secured by the Green MP Caroline Lucas with the backing of a 
former Labour drugs minister, Bob Ainsworth, and Julian Huppert, a 
Liberal Democrat member of the Home Affairs Select Committee.

Four years ago, Mr Ainsworth urged the legalisation of all banned 
substances, including heroin and cocaine, arguing it was better for 
users to receive drugs on prescription rather than rely on criminals.

It comes after more than 130,000 people signed a petition calling for 
a review of the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act.

Ms Lucas said: "Part of my motivation for doing this comes from 
representing a place like Brighton. For many years we had the 
unwanted title of the drugs capital of Britain. We have now 
thankfully lost that title, but the more I got to understand the 
problem, the more I realised things were not working."

She said current legislation prohibited the establishment of "drugs 
consumption rooms" staffed by health workers.

"It means you don't have people shooting up in toilets, parks and 
public stairwells and it's much safer. Crucially, it means you can 
reach out to people who are perhaps not in treatment," she said.

"If you've got professionals saying there is evidence that things 
like drug consumption rooms work and reduce harm, it should have been 
something that we could have looked at further. But because of the 
prohibition context we simply couldn't."

She said today's Commons motion  calling for a drugs policy based on 
evidence  was widely phrased to attract as much support as possible.

"We believe that when you start looking at the evidence of what works 
then that maywell lead you to believe that prohibition isn't working. 
For other people then simply to say 'we are not even going to look at 
it' seems very short-sighted.

"What happened abroad in countries like the US and Portugal helps us. 
There is a body of evidence out there."

Ms Lucas said she sensed the "tide is beginning to turn" on the 
issue. "Even The Sun had an editorial saying we should look again at 
this," she said. "My sense, from so many MPs, is that they completely 
agree with this but they are terribly afraid of being punished at the 
ballot box. I think people are moving to the point now where MPs are 
misjudging the public and actually there is a far greater interest in 
having this debate."

The countries visited by ministers in search of "imaginative" 
solutions also included Canada, Japan, Denmark and Sweden and America.

In a separate and also delayed report, the Home Office said it was to 
look at a UK-wide ban on so-called "legal" highs in a bid to tackle 
their sale in high-street "head shops" and on UK-based websites. A 
blanket ban, similar to that introduced in Ireland in 2010, would 
give police and courts greater powers to deal with "legal" highs in 
general, instead of on a substance by substance basis.

[sidebar]

THE TOLERANT APPROACH

Portugal

A person with a small quantity of any illegal drug for personal use 
is referred to a panel comprising a doctor, social worker and lawyer. 
No criminal sanctions apply.

Uruguay

Became the first country to legalise and regulate the production, 
supply and recreational use of cannabis. The US states of Colorado 
and Washington have adopted a similar approach.

Switzerland

Patients are given injections of pure heroin under medical 
supervision as part of treatment for opiate dependency. A trial of a 
similar approach is taking place in the UK. Today's report says 
evidence shows this approach can be effective.

The Netherlands

Has effectively decriminalised the use of "soft" drugs, including 
cannabis. Although possession remains illegal, police and courts 
operate "a policy of tolerance" towards small amounts of cannabis.

Czech Republic

Possession of drugs is illegal, but possession of small quantities 
treated as an "administrative offence", punishable with a fine.
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