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Drugs are pervasive in society. Peer behind any curtain up or down the country and don’t be surprised if you see someone smoking a joint or chopping out a line of white powder on the back of

a DVD case. The use of recreational substances is so common even our governing elite are no stranger to their alluring, mind-altering charms. During the 2019 Conservative Party leadership

campaign, 6 of the 11 candidates admitted to taking illegal drugs — from cannabis to cocaine to opium. It has been fifty years since the Misuse of Drugs Act and in that time little has

changed. Drug-related deaths in England and Wales have continued to rise. Since 2006, data shows the number hasn’t fallen below 2,500. Deaths from drug poisoning rose to 4,393 in 2019 — with

two-thirds attributable to drug misuse. The populist rhetoric of “getting tough” on drugs has clearly failed. It’s time to discuss the possibility of a new approach. If experience really is

the best teacher, then I am more than qualified to talk on this subject. I spent the best part of fifteen years immersed in this world. I have seen the literal highs and lows of this

lifestyle. For obvious reasons I will mention no names.  I used to leave flats at all hours of the day, having to step over semi-naked people with syringes stuck in their arms. I have

watched people while they struggled frantically, trying to revive someone who has just overdosed, I have lost close friends to heroin. I’ve known and befriended some of the biggest cocaine

dealers in the area. The drug literally fuelled the local music scene. It was a chemical love-affair. But, like all affairs, it ended abruptly, with little or no warning, when a close friend

killed himself. The friend in question was struggling with a serious drug addiction and was unable to find treatment. This particular chapter in my life was firmly written out of existence

when a number of people whom I could only describe loosely as “acquaintances” were arrested and sent to prison. If there is one thing I can say with certainty, we will never, ever, arrest

our way out of this. It is like the metaphorical equivalent of trying to kick water uphill or sweep leaves on a windy day. People will always take drugs. Even after everything I have

witnessed in my rather colourful formative years, I still believe an element of free choice comes into the argument. Adults should be allowed to take risks with their bodies if they want.

The state does not lock up people who eat junk food, even though it plays a role in obesity and significantly impacts our health. So what is the answer? First, I wish to dispel a common

myth: not everyone who takes drugs will develop substance abuse problems or become addicts. Every weekend, hundreds of thousands of people from Abingdon to Zennor will take an illegal drug.

Most will indulge in relatively innocuous street drugs like cannabis or nitrous oxide. Others may turn to the less frowned-upon, state-approved option of prescribed pharmaceutical

medication. Maybe you were kept awake all night, so you were given a friend’s prescribed valium to get some much needed sleep. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, all of these people are

technically breaking the law. It is my fervent opinion that those who do so should not be arrested or, at worst, thrown in jail. In 2019-20 68,000  were arrested for drug offences in England

and Wales. These people face potential criminal records for the crime of exercising their freedom to engage in risky behaviour. We already have one of the largest per-capita prison

populations in western Europe. Of the 82,000 that currently reside in jail in England and Wales, 11 per cent are imprisoned for drug possession. The annual cost of housing a prisoner is

£39,000. If these non-violent offenders were released, it would free up almost £500 million and leave prison for those who should be there — murderers, rapists and terrorists. The money

saved could be used to plug the £162 million deficit that occurred when 20 per cent of the drug treatment budget was cut in 2013/14. In a tolerant, liberal society such as ours we should

send the right people to prison and help those who should not be there. Or maybe the money could be used to help finance the implementation of regulated safe injection sites? Evidence from

the United States shows this programme has significantly lowered mortality rates when it comes to the risk of overdose. A radical but possible solution could be one that has already been

trialled. Cleveland Police started a Heroin Assisted Treatment programme in 2019, giving 14 of the area’s high-risk addicts a safe place to inject diamorphine three times a day.  These

people were selected because they were serial offenders — committing crimes to fund their addiction. After twelve months the evidence was positive. There was a vast reduction in recidivism

and a significant improvement in the health and quality of life of those that remained on the scheme. The trial has been estimated to cost around £12,000 a year per addict. When you factor

in what an addict racks up in court costs and NHS treatment, it has been estimated that this could result in close to a 50 per cent reduction to the tax bill. It will have its critics, but I

would like to point out that we already prescribe government-subsidised opiate antagonist drugs like Methadone and Buprenorphine to drug dependent patients. Ironically these drugs have a

much longer half-life than heroin — making them much harder to come off. What about the suppliers? Surely the violence of the drug trade merits attention? While there is an illegal market

there will always be turf wars, as rival drug gangs fight over disputed territory. Like something out of Tom Wolfe’s _Radical Chic_, I am referring here to the upper middle-class London

elite adding a touch of Colombia to their dinner parties. By offering their guests a “cheeky line”, they are oblivious to the fact that this, in part, is fuelling the rampant knife crime

epidemic on the streets of the capital.  Though this may not be the panacea to fix an inherently complicated problem, a legalised and regulated market could go some way to help. With a

regulated market, there is the possibility drugs can be made both safer and cheaper — potentially removing the need for users to enter into that unknown, scary world of meeting up with a

street dealer. The revenue generated from the taxation of licensed, legalised drugs could be used to fund treatment centres for the small percentage of society with lifelong drug dependency

issues.  Then there is the danger posed by unregulated substances. If users knew what they were buying, we could significantly reduce the deaths from drug poisoning. When we go into a pub

(in a Covid world, that may still be some time away) we can be sure that what we are buying to drink is safe and legal. When you are hanging around on a street corner waiting for a dealer,

you have no idea what you are buying. Drugs can be laced with everything, from brick dust to bleach. The war on drugs is not a real war. Why? Wars eventually end. Not everyone who takes

drugs becomes a habitual user of Class A narcotics. But for those who do, surely we should find a new way to help them rather than locking them up. Who knows, with better treatment

facilities and a more liberalised approach, maybe my friend would still be alive. A MESSAGE FROM THEARTICLE _We are the only publication that’s committed to covering every angle. We have an

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