'Making a drug class A will deter use & help keep communities safe'
A familiar Government narrative - but true or false?
Cocaine has been class A for 60 years - hows that worked out?
Here's a graph showing the 100x increase in cocaine-related deaths over the last 30 years
1/
🚨NEW BLOG🚨
*Harm reduction as a form of resistance*
The amazing plenary speech by Michelle Wazan, from
@Skoun_org in Lebanon, at the @HRInews #HRI25 conference in Bogota last month
transformdrugs.org/blog/michell...
The UN Coca Leaf Review and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights:
Can the @WHO Meet the Moment?
Brilliant new long read explainer in the @TNInstitute *Coca Chronicles* series - by @MartinJelsmaTNI & John Walsh from @WOLA_org
www.tni.org/en/article/t...
Transform Drug Policy Foundation
SteveRolles
Drugs death data has always been something of a minefield - and UK methodology has evolved over this period
But stats pedantry aside, I hope this illustrates that any assumption harsher penalties will deliver better outcomes is tragically misguided & scientifically untenable
3/
Also; most cocaine related deaths involve polydrug use (Scotland 2020: only 8% were cocaine alone).
www.crew.scot/wp-content/u...
& whilst autopsy/forensics cant make a distinction, other data suggests most are related to smoked crack/injected cocaine rather than snorted powder (all are Class A)
4/
Note: this is data for England and Wales only -
ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
Numbers are even higher if Scotland and NI (where data is compiled separately) are included
2/
*Does drug criminalisation increase harmful drug use? A scoping review*
'these findings allow for the preliminary conclusion that drug criminalization may increase use among some population segments'
New paper in the 'Drug Science Policy & Law' journal
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Some UK Police & Crime commissioners have called for cannabis to be made a Class A drug
In this interview I shoot down this ridiculous idea, and try to map out a better way forward
t.co/VXiARjVEaG
Quick correction - In Singapore the death penalty is available and regularly used for over 500g trafficking of cannabis, or 200g of resin (unsure if it's available for less). But this is more than 2oz re my comment (& you can buy 1oz in Colorado).
Transform Drug Policy Foundation
"U.S. Dietary Guidelines are expected to eliminate the long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day", according to @reuters.com.
As the article states, this would be "a major win" for the alcohol industry.
www.reuters.com/business/hea...
