Bearing down on recreational drug users distracts from the real problems

The policy of seeking out those using drugs and punishing them has been going on for decades, says Ian Hamilton. If it were in any way a success then drug use would be in decline

‘The home secretary wants to make an example of middle-class cocaine users’ (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The prime minister and home secretary are incrementally releasing details of how they plan to bear down on “recreational drug users”. The belief is that those using drugs like cocaine are unaware or denying their part in fuelling drug-related violence. This is nothing more than a blatant attempt to grab headlines and doesn’t stand up to even the lightest touch of scrutiny.

Priti Patel and Boris Johnson are just two of many senior figures that deliberately mix up the way drugs are supplied and distributed in the UK. Undoubtedly, violence does exist in the drug trade but most of this happens before the drugs reach our shores. Any further violence and deliberate harm is almost exclusively associated with county lines dealing. These networks exploit young people by getting them to move drugs from urban areas out to more rural ones to maximise profits. Rarely do these networks supply and distribute recreational drugs like cocaine – they focus on heroin and crack cocaine, a completely different market and customer group.

Despite knowing this, the home secretary is leaking details of the various ways the Home Office plans to crack down on middle-class drug use. This ranges from naming and shaming business owners and “high profile” users through to raids during university freshers’ week at universities looking for students using cocaine.