Drug/substance abuse destroys lives and families across the UK. Its victims may live in degradation, together with their children; their lives may have little purpose except finding the next fix; resort to crime may be the only source to fund the habit; their contribution to society may be diminishing to zero.
The exploitation of ordinary people to hook them on the drug journey is in the hands of criminals, whether “organised crime” or otherwise. Drug supply and distribution’s sole purpose is to generate wealth for the criminal controllers and their workers, at the cost of their victims’ lives and of society as a whole. The money paid by the users derives largely from honest work, all of which is wasted.
How much of police resources is spent on drug related policing? How much of the health service resources is spent on drug related, emergencies, treatment and care? How much of children’s education, relationships and future life is being blighted by drug usage and associated activity? How much poverty, including child poverty, has drug abuse in the causation chain?
Sherbhert does not know the answers precisely: but for certain the damage caused to society is huge, including not just in money terms but also values and quality of relationships and life generally.
And yet where is the big national debate about how to rid ourselves of this evil? As a subject it is barely on the radar. In the election it barely gets a mention. The Liberal manifesto proposes that, if elected, they will decriminalise the use of cannabis. That may be a good idea, but there should be some context of discussion around it. It may, for example, be a good idea to trial the plan in a City or two first to iron out at least some unforeseen or unintended consequences before UK wide roll out. Labour mention a possible Royal Commission to develop a public health approach to substance abuse, and less on criminalisation. Conservatives “will take a new approach to treatment…break the cycle of crime linked to addiction”
However, nowhere is there a sense of urgency despite the daily wreckage the drug trade causes. The taboo must end.
The general strategy of criminalising users of any sort of drug, as well as suppliers and distributors, has remained unchanged for decades. The problems have only escalated, and, instead of being contained, have become more countrywide. If a strategy has achieved nothing meaningful, surely intelligent people seek to change it? What is the value of hunting down drug users, to criminalise them, put them on trial and then in prison? An addict or regular user surely is more a medical or mental case than a criminal one?
All interests of every section of society are aligned on this issue, which is not political-it is to save individuals and society from the damage of drug abuse. Politicians must lead on this issue to drive alternative solutions to at least urgently start to get this disease under control. The public in turn needs to open its mind, away from condemnation of selfish abuse, to one of compassionate assistance. It is fair that all of us must take responsibility for our choices and the consequences, including the choice to use drugs for whatever reason. But once the drug has taken over the individual, it only remains for others to care.
A way must be found to take back control from criminals and enable the users to become the productive and contented people they potentially can be, as well as release the resources of our public servants, the police and health workers to other pressing social needs.
