Government review on illicit drug use and violence will not look at decriminalisation
BMJ 2019; 364 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l655 (Published 08 February 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;364:l655
Carol Black, who has led a number of medical organisations and chaired government reviews on work and health, will lead a “wide ranging” review of how illicit drug use fuels serious violence. But the review, which will publish its initial findings this summer, will not look at the decriminalisation of drugs.
The review, which has been commissioned by the Home Office, will look at who drug users are, what they are taking, and who is supplying the drugs. It will also examine the harms of drugs and the best ways to prevent their misuse.
The formal terms of reference will be published shortly, but the Home Office said that the review would also examine recent trends such as rising recreational use of class A drugs by young adults. The changing drugs market is identified in the government’s serious violence strategy as one of the main causes of a recent increase in violent crime.
Targeted action
Announcing the review, the home secretary, Sajid Javid, said, “We know the sale and use of drugs is driving serious violence. This review will give us a greater understanding of the drugs market so we can make our action even more targeted.”
The Royal College of Physicians of London, the Faculty of Public Health, the Royal Society for Public Health, and The BMJ have all called for an end to criminal sanctions against people who take drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and cannabis for non-medical reasons.12
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Black said that the issue of decriminalisation was a “political hot potato” and was out of the review’s scope.
She said, however, that she would look at the situation in countries such as Portugal and Canada. She added it was not up to her to take decisions on policy but that she would “follow the evidence.” In Portugal, where non-violent possession of drugs has been decriminalised, consumption has not increased but drug related deaths have fallen considerably.
Black said that she would also look at the evidence regarding knife crime, homelessness, and an increase in drug taking among the middle classes, as well as the misuse of prescribed drugs such as opioids.
Increased availability
The announcement comes as new figures show that the number of fatal stabbings in England and Wales have reached their highest level since records began over 70 years ago. Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed 285 deaths by a knife or sharp instrument in the year to March 2018—up by 73 on the previous year.3
In a BMJ editorial last year John Middleton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, wrote that the UK’s epidemic of gun and knife crime was due in part to the increased availability of fentanyl and crack cocaine.4
The home secretary also announced a consultation on a public health statutory duty whereby people in health, education, social services, local government, and housing services will work together to tackle violent crime.
The Health and Social Care Committee is also running an inquiry into the health consequences of illicit drugs policy, and the closing date for written submissions is 18 March 2019.5
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