Vor Sprung Durch Menschheit (Progress through Humanity)

Back in 2006, a Home Office official was briefing that the arrival of the new drug strategy would be an opportunity for a root and branch evaluation of ten years of UK drug policy. Earlier this year, officials from that same department were quietly trying to dampen down expectations. And they were right: the resulting document has caused slack-jawed disbelief among thoughtful observers from within the sector – not a draft strategy, not a concrete set of proposals which allow for similarly grounded debate, but simply a re-iteration of the government’s own evaluation of success and a set of questions bewildering in their lack of focus.

The explanation has been that the incoming Prime Minister wanted input into the final document – and Gordon Brown did announce that indeed there would be a radical review of policy. Yet not only has the resulting document caused confusion, but because it does not contain any proposals, it is hard to see how a radical dimension can emerge from the consultation. There has also been criticism of the consultation process itself with formal complaints made to the Home Office that the process contravenes government guidelines and criticism that the successes heralded by the government do not stand up to much scrutiny.

There are real fears that we will end up with a cut and shunt drug strategy bolted together from yesterday’s ideas and tomorrow’s gesture politics. Instead what we need is a policy with real build quality, engineered from a thorough understanding and acceptance of the evidence base and properly balancing the human rights and civil liberties of those with drug problems, their families and carers and the wider community.

Please use this blog to record your views and opinions of the consultation document and the process together with your hopes and fears for the next phase of British drug policy – or email consultations@drugscope.org.uk