Media/News > Press Releases > 08.03.07

RSA drugs report – Opening the door to legal regulation of drugs

News release
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Date: 8 March 2007

The RSA Commission on Illegal Drugs, Communities and Public Policy publishes its Report today.

Danny Kushlick, Transform's director said:

“The report has clearly identified why UK drug policy has been such a consummate failure; namely that it is a policy based on fear, with prohibition at its heart.  The report has opened the door for those who hold health and well being as the key principles to press the case for a policy that is effective, just and humane.

“It is high time that senior politicians engaged with this debate to seriously scrutinise the unintended consequences of the attempt to prohibit drugs and to explore alternatives.  In Transform's view a rational policy based on the repeal of prohibition and its replacement with a system of legal control and regulation. 

“Unfortunately history shows that ministers react defensively to this type of criticism and resort to treating the recommendations ultimately with contempt.”

Notes to editors:

In 2002 the Home Affairs Select Committee enquiry into UK drug policy called on the UK Government to initiate a discussion at the UN about "alternative ways - including the possibility of legalisation and regulation - to tackle the global drugs dilemma".  David Cameron sat on the Committee at the time.

In November 2004 John Reid, then Health Secretary, appeared on the Jeremy Vine programme to discuss banning smoking in public places.  Asked whether we should ban smoking entirely he replied: “Prohibition doesn't work, as the US found out many years ago.”