Drug policy reform - the opportunity presented by ‘legal highs’

Current UK policy on drugs does little to reduce the potential harms to young people using drugs and in some ways can exacerbate them. The dramatic increase in the number of new psychoactive substances available in the UK carries the risk of increasing those harms and demands a new approach to drug regulation. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform calls for an independent drugs classification body, the introduction of a new category for psychoactive substances whereby their supply can be regulated and a review of the government lead for drugs to ensure a health focus. The Group’s proposal and supporting evidence are set out in full.