Drugs in the UK: Why we need to talk about regulation and decriminalisation

Calls for drugs to be regulated in the UK are growing
The Independent (UK)
Saturday, January 31, 2015

Fighting the war on drugs in the UK costs an estimated £13 billion annually. It has cost lives recently, too; four people died after taking ecstasy pills made from a high concentration of the chemical PMMA instead of MDMA late in 2014. At least 765 died of a heroin overdose in 2013 – up 32 per cent on the year previous. Over 2,000 deaths were drug related overall. If MDMA was sold as part of a regulated market, it would save lives overnight. Neil Woods, who will be appearing alongside Mr Snow on Channel 4's Drugs Live: Cannabis on Trial tonight, is one of many voices calling for the Government’s prohibitionist drug policy to be reformed.