One of the suggestions put forward for reducing the prison population is to decriminalise drug use. The argument, so it goes, is that by legalising drugs you will eliminate the associated black markets and culture that lead to many other types of crime. However, it is ridiculous to suggest that it will in one swoop eliminate all associated negative outcomes.
Firstly, drug legalisation would only work if it was a multilateral operation. Otherwise, by legalising just here, Britain will become a target for drug trafficers for supplies. With the easy crossings to Ireland and the continent via ferries and the channel tunnel, others would soon become angry that our liberalisation will simply displace the cost of screening for drugs onto them.
Closer to home, a judgment would still need to be made on how old one must be to be able to buy drugs. Presuming that this will mean outlawing drugs for children, a black market will still exist in supplying these age crimes. Thus, in essence, maintaining dealers.
Even these two arguments completely ignore the potential health effects, which could also have a high cost. Yes, we will be paying less in prison costs, but is this really worth the loss of life that could result from more prevalent drug-driving, overdosing and erratic behaviour? Some drugs have severely unpredictable consequences. On top of that, many people in prison have mental health problems, but medical evidence suggests some drugs cause mental health problems, thus further accentuating strains to the NHS and care services.
Of course, this is complete conjecture and I have no idea whether the use of drugs would increase or fall as a result of legalisation. I don't pretend to know figures on this stuff, but these are just a few thoughts that pop up in my head to counter the rosy view.
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