Time for an Impact Assessment of Drug Policy
All stakeholders in the debate on drug policy share the goal of maximising social, environmental, physical and psychological wellbeing. At a time of economic crisis, it is particularly important that drug policy expenditure is cost-effective. Yet despite the many billions of dollars in drug-related spending each year, there are significant concerns about the effectiveness of current approaches at the domestic and international level. The time has come to provide an objective mechanism for assessing the relative merits of different policy approaches, by developing a genuinely evidence-based Impact Assessment (IA) of Drug Policy that compares the impact of alternative policies on human development, human security and human rights. |
Click here to read the Department for Business Innovation and Skills' Impact Assessment Toolkit. |
| For too long, the debate around improving drug policy has been emotive, polarised and deadlocked. A useful way to determine the best mix of evidence-based drug policies is through an independent, neutral process that all stakeholders can support, because it does not commit anyone to a particular position in advance. One way to achieve this is through IAs of Drug Policy, at the national and international levels, that compare the economic, environmental and social costs and benefits of existing policies with a range of alternatives. To ensure all stakeholders can support the process, the alternatives assessed should range from more intensive/punitive enforcement approaches, through options for decriminalisation of personal use, to models for legal regulation of drug production and supply. |
Please click on the IDPC (International Drug Policy Consortium)
logo above to view their briefing paper, 'Time for an Impact Assessment of Drug Policy'
Download the Spanish translation [PDF]
Download the Russian translation [PDF] |
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Supporters of impact assessment
Support for an impact assessment of our approach to drugs is growing rapidly, including politicians, academics, the statutory sector and organisations. To see the full list of supporters calling for an impact assessment of drug policy, click here.
Further resources are available here
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Please suggest people and organisations that would like a copy of the IDPC Impact Assessment of Drug Policy briefing and we'll make sure they receive it
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