Legalising drugs could save the U.K £14 Billion a year

Entertainer

Guardian piece.

The regulated legalisation of drugs would have major benefits for taxpayers, victims of crime, local communities and the criminal justice system, according to the first comprehensive comparison between the cost-effectiveness of legalisation and prohibition. The authors of the report, which is due to be published today, suggest that a legalised, regulated market could save the country around £14bn.

For many years the government has been under pressure to conduct an objective cost-benefit analysis of the current drugs policy, but has failed to do so despite calls from MPs. Now the drugs reform charity, Transform, has commissioned its own report, examining all aspects of prohibition from the costs of policing and investigating drugs users and dealers to processing them through the courts and their eventual incarceration.

As well as such savings is the likely taxation revenue in a regulated market. However, there are also the potential costs of increased drug treatment, education and public information campaigns about the risks and dangers of drugs, similar to those for tobacco and alcohol, and the costs of running a regulated system.

Here's the Economist article as well.

MyLastFiver

We could do many things that would save the government money, but that's not a reason to do them...


...if that makes sense

chewmylegoff

so, we withdraw from the convention on narcotic drugs, and various other UN treaties on drugs we have signed up to, and legalise drugs.

wonder what the economic sanctions imposed by the UN would be like. probably cost about £14 billion a year.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Legalising murder would also save billions of pounds.

sjaypink

even if it were legalised there would still be an illegal market for it.

stupid idea, on so many levels, imho.

Generali

Drug addiction should be treated as a medical problem not a crime IMO.

Prohibition has failed and continues to fail and in most countries is racist - you don't see white middle-class students being arrested for taking and selling drugs (despite taking huge quantities, if my student days were anything to go by anyway) but you do see young black men being arrested and imprisoned for similar offences.

MyLastFiver

When homosexuality was legalized in Britain, the actor John Gielgud complained that it wasn't nearly as much fun now you were allowed to do it.

Really2

MyLastFiver wrote: »

When homosexuality was legalized in Britain, the actor John Gielgud complained that it wasn't nearly as much fun now you were allowed to do it.

If this happens it would be an anti-climax for many more.:D

Wookster

Really2 wrote: »

If this happens it would be an anti-climax for many more.:D

You mean gay sex would reach a new bottom?

(sorry)

Am I though only person that thinks that the legalisation of most drugs (bar Heroin/ opium/ crack) wouldn't be a bad thing at all as prohibition simply does not work.

Generali

Wookster wrote: »

You mean gay sex would reach a new bottom?

(sorry)

Am I though only person that thinks that the legalisation of most drugs (bar Heroin/ opium/ crack) wouldn't be a bad thing at all as prohibition simply does not work.

I'd legalise the lot myself. Prohibition has failed.

MyLastFiver

Generali wrote: »

Prohibition...in most countries is racist - you don't see white middle-class students being arrested for taking and selling drugs but you do see young black men being arrested and imprisoned for similar offences.

One difference is that white middle-class students do not tend to supply heroin or crack cocaine.

But moving on, if we consider a like-for-like comparison; two young men, one black, one white, both walking down the same street, in possession of cannabis with intent to supply. Is the black kid more likely to be arrested? I don't know. But if so, surely it isn't drug laws which are racist, but the way the police use their powers?