By Tony O’Riley-
A group of Mps are urging the British government to investigate decriminalising the possession of all illegal drugs in a bid to prevent the rising number of related deaths.
The health and social care committee have made the recommendation on the basis that the level of such deaths in the UK have become a public health “emergency”. The group say the UK’s position on drugs was “clearly failing” and called for a “radical new approach” in policy.
The call follows 2,670 deaths connected to drug misuse in England last year, which the committee says is an increase of 16% from 2017. The group of Mps are proposing investments in harm reduction, support and treatment services for addiction. They want esponsibility for drugs policy moved from the Home Office to the Department of Health and Social Care.
MPs on the committee said they were so concerned by the consequences of the UK’s drugs policy that they had rushed their report out early.
They are urging the government to urgently consult on making the possession of drugs for personal use a civil rather than criminal matter – an approach they witnessed in Portugal, where drug death rates have fallen dramatically. They believe such a move will save money from the criminal justice system and allow for more investment in prevention and treatment, they say.
“Evidence heard throughout this inquiry leads the committee to conclude that UK drugs policy is clearly failing,” the report said.
“The United Kingdom has some of the highest drug death rates in Europe, particularly in Scotland.
“This report shows how the rate of drug-related deaths has risen to the scale of a public health emergency.”
Committee chairman, and Lib Dem MP, Dr Sarah Wollaston said: “Every drug death should be regarded as preventable, and yet across the UK the number of drugs-related deaths continues to rise to the scale of a public health emergency.
“Recommendations put forward in this report propose changes to drugs policy that are desperately needed to prevent thousands of deaths.”