‘Racist’ drug laws should be reformed, says former government adviser

Misuse of Drugs Act is a ‘tool of systemic racism’, says Lord Simon Woolley

Lord Woolley has called for a review of the UK’s drug laws (UK Parliament)

Britain’s drug laws are racist and need to be overhauled, a former government adviser has said.

Lord Simon Woolley, who used to lead the government’s race disparity unit, said the 50-year-old Misuse of Drugs Act should be reviewed, as it is a “tool of systemic racism”.

The crossbench peer also urged healthcare professionals to speak out about the benefits of reforming the existing rules.

He added that any review should examine whether decriminalising drug use could be part of the solution.

Writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), Lord Woolley, said that the current legislation failed all of society, but disproportionately affected black communities.

He added that a punitive drug policy is “one of the most tangible and damaging means” by which racism is felt in these communities.

“Drug prohibition is racist in its DNA and in its impact on our society today,” he wrote.

“It is rooted in a series of attacks, in the US, the UK, and elsewhere, on non-white communities and the substances they were associated with — regardless of whether they actually took those drugs in high numbers.”

He also recalled his own experiences of being stopped and strip-searched, noting the “profound dehumanisation” of such police action.

“You are stripped bare and have to crudely show that you have nothing hidden anywhere.

“The sense of being both powerless and humiliated instils anger and deep distrust in not only law enforcement but also the authorities that sanction it.”

His message comes shortly after drug-related deaths in England and Wales reached their highest-recorded levels, with 4,561 deaths by drug misuse identified last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Meanwhile, the death rate from drugs in Scotland continues to be the worst in Europe.

In response to Lord Woolley’s comments, a Home Office spokesperson said illegal drugs “blight our communities and ruin lives”. They added that the government’s “whole system approach” sought to crack down on criminals in the drugs trade and to drive down drug supply.

Additional reporting by PA