Media/News > Press Releases > Drug prohibition exacerbates gun crime, says drug policy charity

09/01/03

Home Office figures released today show that there were nearly 10 000 recorded gun crimes in 2001/2002 – and increase of 35%. At the end of 2002 the Home Office has suggested that crack cocaine will be the major law and order issue of the next five years. In today’s Guardian Mo Mowlam suggests that legalisation would help to reduce gun crime.

Danny Kushlick TDPI director said: “There is an obvious link between the increasing violence associated with the illegal market in cocaine and the increase in gun crimes. It would seem that no lessons have been learnt from the prohibition of alcohol in the US in the 20s and 30s.”

His position was supported by Mo Mowlam in today’s Guardian: “The increase in gun crime is a by product of the level of organised crime that we are allowing to fester within our society - an organised crime business that is being fuelled by our wrongheaded laws relating to drugs.”

Kushlick concluded: “How many more young people will die in cross fire before the Government recognises that prohibition spawns violence? The market in illegal drugs is too lucrative and too widespread to control. We must ask ourselves what is more important, appearing tough on crime and abrogating responsibility for the drugs trade to gangsters or taking the trade out of their hands through regulating and controlling drug supply?”

ENDS

Notes
The recently published research from York University [1] (commissioned by the Home Office) shows that victims of crime make up the bulk of the economic and social costs of Class A drug use.

Of the estimated £10.1 billion to £17.4 billion attributed to the costs of Class A drug use in the UK, 70% (between £6.8 billion and £12.3 billion) is paid by victims of crime.

[1]
Home Office Research Study 249
The economic and social costs of Class A drug use in England and Wales, 2000
Christine Godfrey, Gail Eaton, Cynthia McDougall and Anthony Culyer
University of York

Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
July 2002
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hors249.pdf

[2] Updated Drug Strategy 2002 (p.6)
“prevent young people from using drugs by maintaining prohibition”