No link between tough penalties and drug use in th UK - report

 

 Drug abuse should be treated as a health issue, says Norman Baker MP

There is "no obvious" link between tough laws and levels of illegal drug use, a government report has found.

Liberal Democrat Home Office minister Norman Baker said the report, comparing the UK with other countries, should end "mindless rhetoric" on drugs policy.

He accused the Conservatives of "suppressing" the findings for months.  Tory MP Michael Ellis said the Lib Dems had "hijacked" it for political gain. The government says it has "no intention" of decriminalising drugs.
"The prime minister thinks the current approach the government is taking is the right one and isn't going to change," said a Downing Street spokesman.

After examining a range of approaches, from zero-tolerance to decriminalisation, it concluded drug use was influenced by factors "more complex and nuanced than legislation and enforcement alone". 

But it found there had been a "considerable" improvement in the health of drug users in Portugal since the country made drug possession a health issue rather than a criminal one in 2001.

The Home Office said these outcomes could not be attributed to decriminalisation alone.

But Mr Baker believes treating drug use as a health matter would be more effective, "rather than presuming locking people up is the answer".

Contrasting approaches

The Home Office looked at methods used to control drug use in various countries

• 9 have sanctioned "drug consumption rooms", including Canada, Denmark and Switzerland
  
• 8 are trialling the treatment of addicts with pure heroin rather than methadone, including Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK
  
• 4 have special "drug courts", where people pleading guilty to drug offences can opt for treatment rather than prison, including the US
  
• 1 has set up "dissuasion commissions" - Portugal
  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29824764