Drug-related deaths in the UK have reached crisis levels, with fatalities now three times higher than those caused by road accidents. Last year alone, 5,448 people in England and Wales died as a result of illegal drug use, including substances like cocaine and heroin, while Scotland saw a further 1,172 deaths. These grim figures, which are continuing to climb, fail to account for drug-related criminal violence or the growing issue of drug driving, further highlighting the devastating ripple effects of substance abuse.

A new report from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) sheds light on the disturbing scale of addiction, revealing that over 300,000 people in England are addicted to heroin and crack cocaine. These individuals are believed to commit nearly half of all burglaries, robberies, and other acquisitive crimes, underscoring the societal costs of addiction. Yet, despite these alarming trends, drug abuse appears to receive limited attention at the highest levels of government.

While ministers from both major political parties claim to oppose drug legalisation or decriminalisation, critics argue that current enforcement policies are in name only. Arrests and prosecutions for drug possession have become increasingly rare, with police focusing predominantly on tackling dealers. Cannabis possession, for example, is often brushed off with unrecorded warnings, creating a landscape of de facto decriminalisation. This perception is echoed in the CSJ report, which found that two-thirds of police officers believe cannabis is “fully or partially decriminalised.” If law enforcement is confused, advocates warn, the public may be even more so.

Campaigners for legalisation suggest a medical approach to drug abuse rather than criminalisation, but critics note that significant resources are already being funnelled into drug substitution programmes and rehabilitation schemes, with limited evidence of improvement. At the same time, the apparent leniency in applying possession laws may be fuelling the problem rather than solving it.

The CSJ report raises urgent questions for policymakers. Is the government’s passive stance on drugs inadvertently worsening public health and crime rates? And, as drug deaths rise and public order declines, will ministers offer more than lip service in tackling this deepening national crisis?

Source: Daily Mail