‘Giving real heroin to addicts could help to reduce crime’
THE West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner is urging the Home Office to let him set up “drug consumption rooms” where addicts can take illegal drugs in peace.
And he has confirmed plans to provide users with real heroin to see if it leads to a fall in crime.
David Jamieson, Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, set out the proposals in a paper submitted to a House of Commons inquiry.
He said: “Those suffering from addiction should be treated as having a health problem, not just as criminals.
“By dealing with the drivers behind crime, we can significantly reduce the cost to the taxpayer, harm to victims and the economic cost of shoplifting, burglary and robbery. Significant savings would also be made to the wider criminal justice system.”
There were 327 deaths related to drug poisoning and drug misuse in the West Midlands region in 2017, the latest year for which figures are available. It means there was a death around every two days.
This was up from the figure in 2007, when there were 232 deaths.
Mr Jamieson told the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, which is holding an inquiry into drugs policy in the UK, that current efforts to cut drug use are “failing”.
In a written submission, he said the Government should “consider the benefits of Drug Consumption Rooms to see if they would add value to current services in the West Midlands”.
Mr Jamieson said: “Drug Consumption Rooms have been operating in Europe for the last three decades – there are currently around 80 Drug Consumption Rooms operating in 35 cities in 10 countries around the world. They are clinical spaces in which people suffering from addiction can access clean equipment, medical support and drug treatment services.
“This support is typically targeted at chronic users, and hard to reach homeless or rough sleepers, improving their access to treatment while taking their injecting and needle litter off the streets. The law currently restricts their use.”
But he said he was pressing ahead with plans to provide real heroin to people suffering from addiction, which is legal if the Home Office provides a special licence.
Mr Jamieson said: “In the West Midlands, we will pilot a Heroin Assisted Treatment service by 2020 which will be supported by a clinical evaluation.”
He told the inquiry: “This will take the market away from organised criminals and reduce crime to fund addiction. This recommendation recognises that we must disrupt demand, as well as supply, to have a real impact.
“The most chaotic, problematic individuals are also the most lucrative to organised crime groups.
“A conservative estimate indicated that around 10% of heroin users may account for around 50% of the total illicit market. Heroin Assisted Treatment would therefore have a significant impact on the illicit market.”
Mr Jamieson highlighted research produced by West Midlands Police in September 2017 which found 22,500 children in the West Midlands have a parent or parents with serious drug problems.
And West Midlands councils found 701 discarded needles in one year in 2016 - though this is likely to be a fraction of the total number of needles dumped by addicts.
He said: “Despite the good work happening by individuals and organisations, collectively our current drug policy is failing. This failure means more crime, public services put under further strain, and not enough is done to reduce the harm of those suffering from addiction.”
Calls for a new approach to drug use were echoed by police chiefs nationally, who said they should be allowed to stop prosecuting drug users so they can be offered treatment instead.
They warned that treating drug users as criminals “often creates a cycle of re-offending and does nothing to address the underlying and contributing social issues”.
And they urged the Government to consider regulating drugs – making them legally available subject to strict controls – so that drug addicts can be helped to control their problem and avoid crime.
The proposal came from the
National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), which represents chief constables and other senior officers from every police force in the country.
It submitted a paper to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee, which is holding an inquiry into drugs policy in the UK.
The NPCC said: “Short-term prison sentences or fines do little to address this issue and often contribute towards a further cycle of offending. Rehabilitation orders and mandatory drug treatment services should be considered as an alternative.”
It said forces should have more flexibility to use what are known as out of court disposals. These are sometimes used instead as an alternative to prosecution when an offender has admitted to committing a minor crime.
“More flexibility is needed to enable police to deal with offending by the use of out of court disposals, referring people into effective and easily accessible treatment.”
It added: “Prevention and early intervention is key to achieving this reduction in demand. There is a need to carefully consider regulating controlled drugs so that stablisation can be achieved in persons who are drug dependent, through appropriate treatment.”
The House of Commons inquiry is looking into why drug use in the UK remains high compared to similar countries and drug related deaths are almost three times the European average.
Those suffering from addiction should be treated as having a health problem, not just as criminals.