MPs in call to curb rising number of drug-related fatalities

MPS have called for some drug offences to be decriminalised, in a bid to prevent the rising number of related deaths.

A report by the Health and Social Care Committee found the country’s position on drugs was “clearly failing” and called for a “radical new approach”.

It says drug possession for personal use should be a civil matter not a crime, and any policy should focus on healthcare, not prosecution.

It urged the Government to carry out a consultation on decriminalisation and to look at the system in Portugal where this was introduced, saying such a move would “save money” from the criminal justice system and allow for more investment in prevention and treatment.

The move could “save lives”, the report claimed, as it called for “sufficient funding” for alternative approaches, like a pilot of drug consumption rooms – supervised healthcare facilities where users can take drugs in safer conditions.

It said there should be needle and syringe exchanges and “take home” naloxone, which can reverse the effects of opioids.

The report said: “Evidence heard throughout this inquiry leads the committee to conclude that UK drugs policy is clearly failing.

“The Portuguese system included improving treatment services, introducing harm reduction interventions, and better education, prevention and social support.

“Decriminalisation of possession for personal use saves money from the criminal justice system and allows for more investment in prevention and treatment.

“Decriminalisation will not be effective without investing in holistic harm reduction, support and treatment services for drug addiction. Doing so would save lives and provide better protection for communities.”

But the Government said it “has no plans to decriminalise drug possession”.

A spokesman added: “The decriminalisation of drug possession in the UK would not eliminate the crime committed by the illicit trade, nor would it address the harms associated with drug dependence and the misery that this can cause to families and communities.

“We are committed to reducing the use of drugs and the harms they cause, and the Home Office has commissioned a major independent review to examine these issues.

“We must prevent drug use in our communities, support people through treatment and recovery, and tackle the supply of illegal drugs.”