New Report Says That Possessing Small Amounts Of Drugs Shouldn't Be A Crime

A new report from the UK Drug Policy Commission urges that the penalties for drug misuse be relaxed so that possession of small amounts of drugs would no longer be a crime.

The Commission undertook six years of research and concludes the UK is wasting much of the £3bn it spends each year on tackling illicit drugs.

Its report, called A Fresh Approach to Drugs, says the annual estimated cost to England and Wales of class A drug use is £15bn.It says that while drug use and drug problems have declined in the UK in recent years, there are still about 2,000 drug-related deaths each year and 380,000 problem drug users.

The Home Office says drug use is falling and it does not plan to alter its approach.

You can read the full story on the BBC News website here.