This week I went to a joint meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the Parliamentary All-Party Group on Illegal Drugs. It was attended by several central and South American ambassadors, together with MPs, peers, and other well-informed people.
The meeting heard reports from the Pan American Conference to discuss drug-related issues. This was held in May 2013 in Guatemala, attended by 28 foreign ministers, with the approval of all the presidents of America. There was unanimous agreement that the use and abuse of illegal drugs is a health issue more than a criminal one. All options should be considered to reduce the serious harm and the cost, both to users and to all involved in the production, trafficking and distribution of drugs, both natural and synthetic.
This is linked to paramilitary violence, civil wars in several states, corruption , and problems of law enforcement.
There will be follow up meetings in London and in the Americas, all with the object of agreeing better and more effective policies.
Lord Hylton, is legalization of illegal drugs an option?
Yes – safeguards would also be needed, and agreement covering all or most of Europe is probably necessary.
With due respect, Lord Hylton;
but there has never been a British Health Service;
only a quite good and successful National Illnesses Sector (wrongly titled “NHS”).
So your “unanimous agreement” should really have been worded
“… the use and abuse of illegal drugs is an Illnesses issue more than a criminal one”.
This could then be directly related and connected to the [not only British] need for a Health-Building Service.
Lord Hylton,
I think this is an area where governance should be expansive. It is apparent to me that only relatively extensive and detailed agreements between realtively numerous parties hold out a good chance for really improving the situation. In the meantime varied States in the USA are decriminalizing more and more of the drug trade under minimal or rigorous regimes which are not recognized by our federal powers. In Latin America many leaders will not go on record with proposals they favor and believe could work.
I imagine your meeting is one effort in the journey to a solution which is at the very least worthwhile.
Illegal Drugs. For a long time I have believed that drugs must be legalised, certainly for a trial period of some years. The State would receive sales duty, the manufacture of now- illegal substances wouldl be licensed and controlled, and drugs-related crime would be eradicated.
The “war against drugs” cannot be won so long as there is much money to be made from the illegal supplies – often harmfully adulterated – from producing countries and, later, on-street gang crime and by dealers in drugs. I speak as an old person who has witnessed over the decades increased drugs use,and seen reports of huge and valuable drug seizures by the police that are but the tip of an iceberg. Of course some people will not get jobs when they can manage very nicely on drugs dealing that brings them into contact with other underworld low-life. Heaven knows how much money the Exchequer is missing by successive governments’ blinkered approach to the present insurmountable problem. Pretence by government that it is being contained fools no-one.There are many quarters of society that want drug abuse to continue, just the same as any evil.
Thank you. I hope you will discuss the points you make, as widely as possible.
Thank you for your acknowledgement. I wish you well in your efforts. Many inhabitants of Europe and the U.S. have been brought low by the ceaseless flow of illegal drugs from the producing countries. Initially, young people might be drawn in to the drugs culture by the illusion of “glamour” always created by something which is illegal.
Drug-taking and drug-related crime has been used as a weapon which has caused more damage to our societies than can be imagined by people younger than I. A visionary UK government could at least try a different approach.