It's time to hold our prosecution service to account. They are tasked and paid by us to take action (prosecute) in the public interest. However, prosecuting drug use or supply is patently NOT in the public interest. Every so-called success of law enforcement has a negative knock-on effect that costs lives further down the line and only benefits organized crime. Every penny of the billions spent over 53 years has gone indirectly into this black market, yet we continue on the same misguided path.
It's not enough that our institutions blindly follow the government, falling back on the mantra of only doing their jobs and enforcing the laws of the land. Sometimes, laws are wrong and, although perhaps well-intentioned, create circumstances and situations to the detriment of us all. The Misuse of Drugs Act is just such a law. There is no counter-argument to support otherwise.
The 'rehabilitation' services have become an industry on their own, competing for the billions of pounds we insist on throwing at the problem. There were 289,215 adults in contact with drug and alcohol services between April 2021 and March 2022 (England and Wales). These figures don't vary much year on year, and one of the reasons for that is that every one of those adults is a cash cow for their service of choice.
For example, anyone on the so-called Methadone project is worth at least £25-£30 per day to a pharmacist, who commonly have 20-30 clients every single day. Do the maths. Is there any incentive to get that person clean and off the project? This is multiplied and exemplified across the country with organizations raking in money in the so-called effort to get people off their drug of choice. The overused turkey and Christmas analogy comes to mind.
We continue to allow our money to be wasted, throwing cash at the wrong end of the supply line when much of the damage of drug use has already been done. After everyone has exploited the system to the full and the users are at crisis point, their lives in tatters.
Where we should be focused is at the supply, when people first decide to try or use currently illicit drugs. At the moment, they only come to our attention when reported by law enforcement, and thanks to a dysfunctional prosecution service, are taken to court and branded criminals. To what avail?
When our children ask to try alcohol, responsible adults allow it at the right age and under strict supervision. This is sensible and an obvious part of bringing up a family. But when they inevitably want to try other drugs, our response is to send them to unscrupulous dealers whose only motive is profit. We have no idea what they are buying, how they are using it, what precautions they are taking, if any, or what relationships are being forged for future supply.
What we must do is identify them when they first seek to source substances, when they first come into contact with a supplier. That supplier must be us in the guise of a licensed outlet, such as a retail premises, doctor, or pharmacy. Only then can we break the cycle of destruction and misery and make our streets and communities safer for those who follow.
