The government are introducing a new £700 million scheme, spread over 3 years in a bid to tackle the issue of drug abuse in the UK. The drug industry is currently worth around £9.4 billion with 3,726 recorded drug related deaths in treatment in 2020 to 2021. The new scheme involves getting 300,000 drug users into rehab, in addition to including rehabilitation programmes with prison sentences for offenders.
In between 1st of April 2020 and 31st of March 2021, it was found that 275,896 people were in contact with help for drug and alcohol services. Over half of all adults in those services were receiving treatments for issues with opiates. 21% struggled with problems concerning other drugs and 28% had problems with only alcohol.
To further clamp down on the use of drugs, the government has also implemented that those caught with class A drugs may have their passports or driving license taken away. In response, Ben, a drug dealer from Leeds expresses his disdain for this new law saying that “the government needs to focus more on education and testing on drugs to make sure people who do take drugs do so safely and with out harmful fillers.” He also found it “hypocritical” as “the same people criminalising drugs are the same people using them”. This comes after traces of cocaine were found in the UK parliament near the prime minister, Boris Johnson’s office with traces of cocaine being found in 11 out of 12 bathrooms on the premises.
In light of this, Boris Johnson was seen dressed up as a police officer in Liverpool on Monday in order to promote this new anti-drug campaign amid the fresh concerns, he tweeted, “we’re getting tougher on crim to provide the safety ,security and support that communities need to level up.”
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