Getting ‘tough’ on drug users is an outdated policy – and it reeks of bigotry

The government‘s plan to confiscate the passports of those caught using recreational drugs is ridiculous, writes Ian Hamilton

The new home secretary, Suella Braverman, has told senior police leaders what she expects them to do (AFP via Getty)

Getting “tough” on people who use drugs recreationally is hardly a new policy idea, nor one that has evidence of its effectiveness. Nonetheless, the new home secretary, Suella Braverman, has told senior police leaders that’s what she expects them to be.

How exactly police forces are to be “tough” on people who use drugs like cannabis or cocaine isn’t yet clear, as the government has opened up a consultation on the issue, which is due to end on 10 October. Although this may sound like an attempt to garner fresh ideas, it is all too clear from the proposals what the intended direction of the policy will be.

Unlike the response to the pandemic, which loudly “followed the science”, the proposed way of dealing with those who use drugs recreationally is an unashamed departure from science, untethered by the burden of evidence. Not only is this senseless, it is the definition of inefficiency.