“The illegal drugs market has long existed but has never caused greater harm to society than now.” That is the dark conclusion that has come out of the release of a major independent review of illegal drug use and supply in the UK. In it, author Dame Carol Black points to a number of … Continued
It had been difficult general election to call but not many would have expected the landslide victory declared in the early hours of last Friday morning. Marking the largest majority since 1987, Boris Johnson now has the mandate to deliver his vision for the country, whatever that may be. So what does this election … Continued
The release of the SNP manifesto is a clear demonstration of the current tension that exists between Holyrood and the UK Government. Glasgow is in the grips of a public health emergency, which has seen spiralling drug-related deaths and outbreaks of HIV infections among people who inject drugs. To address this crisis, the city … Continued
What would a Boris Johnson government do about drugs? That is the question many will be left with after reading the 2019 Conservative manifesto. Grand promises have been made with the Tories promising to: Tackle drug-related crime. Reduce drug deaths and break the cycle of crime linked to addiction. Tackle the threats we face … Continued
The release of The Times’ comment piece “Legalisation of cannabis is a fool’s crusade” shows that cannabis legalisation is firmly on the agenda of the 2019 general election. In the article, author Clare Foges responds to the Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment to introduce a legal, regulated market for cannabis, which has a high chance … Continued
In the previous two general elections there wasn’t much to celebrate when it came to Labour drug policy. Where drugs did get a mention, it would be in the context of stopping them from being smuggled over the border or preventing those who are addicted to drugs from inflicting harm on the rest of … Continued
The Liberal Democrats are once again at the forefront of progressive drug policy, with the release of their 2019 manifesto promising real transformative change in the UK. Cannabis legalisation has continued to be a key manifesto pledge, first making an appearance as Liberal Democrat policy in the 2017 general election. Former Health Minister Sir … Continued
Yesterday saw the release of new report, published by the think tank Radix and written by former Health Minister MP Sir Norman Lamb, entitled “Protecting Children and Young People from Harm – the public health case for a legal regulated cannabis market”. The release was accompanied by a Volteface & Radix FOI request to … Continued
To mark the release of DM for Details: Selling Drugs in the Age of Social Media, Volteface hosted a panelled discussion in Westminster featuring- Mariam, a Youth Ambassador at the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation; Nick Hickmott, a Young People, Early Intervention and Harm Reduction Worker; Scarlett Furlong, Volteface Policy Advisor and co-author of DM for Details; … Continued
Volteface has today published the seminal report- DM for Details: Selling Drugs in the Age of Social Media, which examines social media’s role in facilitating drug supply in the UK and the impact that this is having on young people. The comprehensive report draws on new nationally representative polling data of 16-to-24 year olds … Continued