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UK Government Paper Reveals No Link Between Tough Laws & Illegal Drug Use Levels

A Government report has revealed data that suggests there is no obvious link between tough laws on personal possession and levels of illegal drug use.

The Home Office report compared the UK’s approach to drug misuse with that of thirteen other countries and analysed the methods used to control such substances. The examinations concluded that drug use was influenced by factors “more complex and nuanced than legislation and enforcement alone”. 

The report has been produced ahead of the debate on government policy on drugs in the House of Commons, with the Home Office taking the position that the current drug strategy is effective.

The document details the successes of the heath-led approach in Portugal, combining decriminalisation with other policies, which has shown reduction in numerous forms of drug use alongside reduced levels in drug associated HIV and Aids reports.

In terms of “legal highs“, the Liberal Democrat minister Norman Baker said that the government will look at the feasibility of a blanket ban on new compounds of psychoactive drugs, focused on dealers rather than users, to combat manufacturers simply tweaking the chemical compound and creating a new substance as soon as one is made illegal.

Conservative MP, Michael Ellis, maintains that the government has no intention of decriminalising drugs and their role in criminal sanctions.

Contact our Criminal Solicitors in Fife   

If you require specialist criminal defence advice on murder, culpable homicide charges or any other matter, give us a call on 01383 730466 (Dunfermline) or 01592 640680 (Kirkcaldy) or contact us online here.

 

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