Bibliography: Interventions – Law Enforcement

Action to protect young people from the dangers of so-called ‘legal highs’ and target those who profit from their trade was announced by the UK government (Home Office)

To make provision about psychoactive substances; and for connected purposes (Parliament UK)

See pages 72-74 of the notes for information on NPS. The legislation aims to “Protect hard-working citizens from the risks posted by untested, unknown and potential harmful drugs and create a blanket ban which would prohibit and disrupt the production, distribution, sale and supply of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in the UK (Cabinet Office, UK)

Women across the Americas are being incarcerated for minor, non-violent, drug-related crimes at an alarming rate. In Argentina, Brazil, and Costa Rica, well over 60 percent of each country’s female prison population is incarcerated for drug-related crimes; in Ecuador, that number tops 80 percent (IDPC)

It sought to assess the impact of introducing a pilot of drug testing on arrest and required (initial and follow-up) assessments within one of HCC’s police custody suites (ICPR)

The Illicit Drug Data Report 2013–14 provides governments, law enforcement agencies, policy makers, academia, interested stakeholders and the community with a robust statistical picture of the Australian illicit drug market (Australian Crime Commission)

In the public mind, the “war on drugs” probably conjures up a male image. In most countries, official statistics would show that men, indeed, are the majority of people who use drugs recreationally, who have problematic use, and who sell drugs. But punitive drug laws and policies pose a heavy burden on women and, in turn, on the children for whom women are often the principal caregivers (Open Society Foundations)

This research and policy briefing reminds us of a few key findings from RAPt’s research and experience (RAPT)

This research and policy briefing describes the worrying extent of mental health problems amongst prisoners, and the close correlation between mental health conditions such as depression and post traumatic stress disorders, and substance misuse (RAPT)

This research and policy briefing explains why reducing the rates of re-offending amongst those struggling with drug and alcohol dependencies is a crucial factor in any strategy to reduce overall crime rates (RAPT)

This paper offers an overview of the gender dimension of the war on drugs and the burdens that ill-conceived policies and inadequate programs place on women and girls (Open Society Foundations)

This report focuses on the seven Merseyside custody suites which carried out drug tests between April 2013 and March 2014, the demographic details captured during the drug testing process and the times at which drug tests were carried out (Centre for Public Health)

Past-year data in England and Wales shows a drop off in drug policing. But, with figures still well above where they were a decade ago, and an abundance of evidence showing that policing possession has little impact on use rates, why is the government still funneling resources into this futile practice? (Talking Drugs)

This paper explores the interplay between the human rights and drug control frameworks and critiques case law on medicinal cannabis use to demonstrate that a bona fide human rights perspective allows for a broader conception of ‘health’ (Critical Public Health)

The police recorded 178,719 drug offences in the year ending December 2014, a decrease of 11% compared with the previous year (ONS)

The program, launched in 2011 as the first of its kind in the country, allows law enforcement officers to direct people charged with low-level drug or sex work offenses into community-based services instead of prosecution and jail (Open Society Foundations)

Drugs and imprisonment (Penal Reform International)

This paper discusses recent changes to sentencing in England and Wales, which aim to recognise drug couriers as a distinct category, and so attribute lesser, more proportionate punishment (IDPC)

The contradictions and reversals involved in the reclassification of cannabis, it is argued, can be readily understood in terms of the broader politics of crime and control and the ‘structured ambivalence’ of state responses (Drug Policy)

Drug using prisoners are suffering from physical and mental health conditions and their chances of rehabilitation are slim. Society is suffering through addicted prisoners committing crime to fund their habits on release. One of the chief purposes of prison is to reduce crime. In this regard they are clearly failing (Centre for Social Justice)

In spite of good intentions, these courts do not represent reform if they undermine health and human rights, if they put health decisions in the hands of judges and prosecutors who reject clinically indicated treatment, or if they impose punishment for relapses that are a normal part of drug dependence (IDPC)

Report presented to the crime prevention minister recommends a revised generic description, designed to control a broad-range of ‘third generation’ synthetic cannabinoids (AMCD)

List of proposals to review and amend the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (AMCD)

Letter from the Minister of State to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) about proposals to review the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (Home Office)

This post explores the relationship of drugs and international law, specifically international drug control law and international human rights law, using the topical example of placing ketamine under international control (Global Drug Policy Observatory)

Prisons in England and Wales have a serious drug problem – It does not have to be this way. It is very possible to change this situation and ensure prisons are a place where people battling addiction recover ( Centre for Social Justice)

The evaluation was undertaken by KPMG and confirms the success of the Drug Court in working effectively with individuals with severe drug and alcohol dependency to both improve community safety and reduce crime

Lynne Featherstone writes to the chair of Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) about the rescheduling of ketamine (Home Office)

Advice for local authorities and other public bodies on the types of offences head shops may be committing, and guidance and recommendations (Home Office)

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna will soon decide between two opposite proposals by China and the World Health Organization (WHO) concerning the international control of ketamine, an essential anaesthetic in human and veterinary medicine (Talking Drugs)

The chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) writes to Theresa May about nitrous oxide abuse (AMCD)

It’s an offence to drive if you have over the specified limits of certain drugs in your blood and you haven’t been prescribed them (UK Government)

This circular draws attention to the contents of the Statutory Instruments S.I. 2015/215, S.I. 2015/232 and S.I. 2015/231 which come into force at 00:01 on 11 March 2015 (Home Office)

The UN Commission considers to bring ketamine under the control of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances contrary to WHO recommendations (Global Drug Policy Observatory)

Courts that help families affected by drug and alcohol misuse to open in new areas, thanks to government backing worth £2.5 million (Department for Education)

‘Ketamine: rescheduling and patient group directions’ provides further advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to the Home Secretary

At the opening of its 112th Session on Monday, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) once again cautioned the members of the international community of the public health risks associated with the adoption of legislative and policy measures which are inconsistent with the provisions of the three United Nations drug control conventions (UNIS)

Preventing arbitrary detention through the promotion of human rights in drug control (International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy)

The United Nations drug control conventions of 1960 and 1971 and later additions have inadvertently resulted in perhaps the greatest restrictions of medical and life sciences research. These conventions now need to be revised to allow neuroscience to progress unimpeded and to assist in the innovation of treatments for brain disorders (PLoS)

Information on drug offences from page 78 (ONS)