MEDIA RELEASE

18th December 2022: No embargo

Government plans for drug possession slammed by BMA, Faculty of Public Health, Assoc. of Directors of Public Health + over 450 orgs/experts

The BMA, Faculty of Public Health, Association of Directors of Public Health and around 100 other health, treatment, criminal justice and civil rights organisations have united with over 350 experts and professionals to slam the Home Office’s new proposals to target ‘so-called recreational drug use’, and to call for a rethink.

The criticism, voiced in a joint letter (see below), organised by the Transform Drug Policy Foundation and Release comes as the Home Office considers responses to its consultation on the ‘Swift, Certain, Tough: new consequences for drug possession’ White Paper.

Professor David Strain, Chair of the British Medical Association Board of Science said:

“With drug related deaths in the UK increasing the government could have chosen to use this moment to conclude that the punishment-first model is ineffective and instead to adopt an evidence based, public health attitude to illicit drug use. Alas instead with this White Paper, it appears to be doubling down on a failed model by promoting ever harsher sanctions that perpetuate the stigma and shame already acting as a barrier to individuals seeking help, and ultimately discouraging drug users from seeking the healthcare services they need.”
[See below for full quote]

Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director of Release said:

"The Government states it wants to take an evidence-led approach to drug policy, however nearly 500 experts from public health and criminal justice disagree with their proposals. Rather than addressing drug-related harms, what the Home Office has proposed will exacerbate them, and result in the disproportionate impact of people living in deprived areas, as well as those from ethnic minority communities. Frankly, while many countries reform their drug laws and end criminal sanctions for possession and regulating cannabis, the UK is going backwards, with the two main parties still pursuing unhelpful and un-evidenced drug war rhetoric."

Alex Feis-Bryce, Transform Drug Policy Foundation CEO said:

“This Government’s proposals are an unworkable dogs-dinner, driven by shallow political posturing to the diminishing band of people obsessed with punishing not helping people who use drugs. As a result they have united opposition across the drug policy, criminal justice, health, treatment and civil liberties sectors who can point to the health-led approaches already working in other countries, as well as an ever-growing number of police areas here in the UK. The Home Secretary is out of touch and at some point will have to put down her big stick, stop destroying the lives of the millions of, especially young and marginalised, people who use drugs, and instead follow the evidence of what actually works to create a safer society for us all.”

Dr. Adam Holland, Chair of the Faculty of Public Health’s (FPH) Drugs Special Interest Group said:

“The UK response to drugs requires an urgent over-haul. Whilst we welcome the Government’s recognition that things need to change, these proposals for escalating sanctions for drug possession are likely to increase levels of harm and exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities.The Government should instead re-orientate its approach to drugs to be consistent with the way in which we manage other public health issues, focussing on evidence-based harm reduction interventions.

Drug diversion schemes are a promising route to avoid the negative impacts of criminalising people who use drugs. Instead of arresting, prosecuting or formally charging those caught in the possession of drugs, they are instead diverted from the criminal justice system to receive targeted education and support.
In contrast, these Government proposals continue to emphasise the use of un-evidenced and harmful punishments in an effort to deter drug use, which will only serve to exacerbate the stigma that deters people who use drugs from seeking support. Mandatory payments for drugs awareness courses, fines for non-attendance, and other sanctions will disproportionately impact those from socioeconomically deprived backgrounds and exacerbate inequalities, in conflict with the Government’s ‘Levelling up’ agenda.”

Jim McManus, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health said:

“The Government’s proposals are based on a principle of punishment as opposed to public health, with those caught having to pay fines and face increasing stigma. This means that the impact is likely to exacerbate already existing inequalities which in turn could increase levels of drug-related harm and deter people from seeking support. Furthermore, the plans, which also seek to target people who use drugs infrequently with measures that have not yet been proven to reduce harm, will not only be expensive to implement, but will also detract from already stretched services.”

[see below for full quote]

Contacts

Martin Powell, Transform Drug Policy Foundation martin@trasformdrugs.org 0787 56579301

Andre Gomes, Release, andre@release.org.uk, 079 2739 6547

Full quotes:

1. Professor David Strain, Chair of the British Medical Association Board of Science said: “With drug related deaths in the UK increasing the government could have chosen to use this moment to conclude that the punishment-first model is ineffective and instead to adopt an evidence based, public health attitude to illicit drug use. Alas instead with this White Paper, it appears to be doubling down on a failed model by promoting ever harsher sanctions that perpetuate the stigma and shame already acting as a barrier to individuals seeking help, and ultimately discouraging drug users from seeking the healthcare services they need. The huge amount of public money spent on drug law enforcement to little effect is even more egregious in a country where public health funding for substance abuse treatment is under constant threat. Only a proper evidence-based public health approach is sufficient to address the immense harm illicit drugs pose to communities – diverting limited funds to punitive policies that risk making things worse is not going to cut it.”

2. Jim McManus, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health said: “Directors of public health are responsible for commissioning a wide range of services to reduce the harmful effects of drugs. In order to reduce drug use, we need to encourage people to use these services, making sure that they are accessible to everyone, whenever and wherever they are needed. We know that while drug use is widespread throughout all sections of society, the most harmful patterns of use are strongly associated with factors such as deprivation and mental ill health. The Government’s proposals are based on a principle of punishment as opposed to public health, with those caught having to pay fines and face increasing stigma. This means that the impact is likely to exacerbate already existing inequalities which in turn could increase levels of drug-related harm and deter people from seeking support. Furthermore, the plans, which also seek to target people who use drugs infrequently with measures that have not yet been proven to reduce harm, will not only be expensive to implement, but will also detract from already stretched services. We need to learn from the hundreds of successful public health initiatives that are already in existence throughout the country. Treatment and prevention centres for example, demonstrate promising evidence that they could reduce drug related deaths and engage those hardest to reach. Instead of criminalising people, the Government should commit to replicating this supportive, preventative approach to tackling drug use nationally and increase public health funding so that Directors of Public Health can secure the future of these – and many other rehabilitation – services which are already reducing drug related harm and saving lives.”

The open letter and signatories (submitted Friday 16th December 2022):

See online version at: https://transformdrugs.org/drug-policy/uk-drug-policy/open-letter-to-the-uk-government-drug-possession

Dear Home Secretary, and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,

We express our serious concerns over the proposals in The Home Office’s ‘Swift, Certain, Tough: New Consequences for Drug Possession’ White Paper released in July 2022. The proposed extension of punitive policing targeting people who use drugs runs contrary to the overwhelming body of evidence and threatens to draw limited resources into policies likely to exacerbate a range of social and health harms.

The proposals focus on punishing ‘so-called recreational users’ who are not dependent on drugs. Targeting this large population will require a dramatic scaling up of policing, including the use of stop and search. Stop and searches for drugs already account for two-thirds of all searches, disproportionately impacting marginalised and ethnic minority communities, particularly Black people. These proposals will further undermine trust in law enforcement and already-strained community police relations.

The Home Office’s own research has stated that the £1.6 billion a year spent on drug law enforcement has little impact on drug availability. Home Office research has also concluded there are no clear links between intensity of punitive enforcement and levels of use. But punishment and criminalisation of people who use drugs has repeatedly been shown to undermine health and life opportunities of the most vulnerable individuals and communities, fuelling stigma and discrimination, and creating obstacles to proven health and social interventions.

As drug related deaths reach new records, the Government should be targeting limited resources on health interventions proven to reduce harms. These proposals will do the opposite.

We urge the Government to instead develop a genuinely public health centred approach. and focus on evidence-based health interventions that target those in need, while avoiding harmful punishment and criminalisation of the very groups we are seeking to support. This process can usefully be informed by emerging UK and international best practice, not least the growing evidence base, and ongoing research, from existing Police diversion programs already operating in 14 UK Police authorities.

Signatories:

Transform Drug Policy Foundation

Release

Faculty of Public Health

Association of Directors of Public Health

British Medical Association

NHS Addictions Provider Alliance

English Substance Use Commissioner's Group

College of Mental Health Pharmacy

The Police Foundation

The Criminal Justice Alliance

Liberty

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Drugs, Alcohol and Justice

Blackpool Council

Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership

Addiction Professionals

Alcohol and Drugs Action

Andean Action (Bolivia)

Anyone’s Child: Families for Safer Drug Control

Asociación Costarricense para el Estudio e Intervención en Drogas (Costa Rica)

Barod

C Communications Agency

Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

Cardiff and the Vale Drug and Alcohol Service

Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation (Canada)

Change Grow Live

Collectif Urgence Toxida (Mauritius)

Commons Law CIC

Correlation-European Harm Reduction Network

Cranstoun

Crew 2000

Drug Policy Alliance (USA)

Drug Policy and Harm Reduction Platform (Malawi)

Drug Policy Australia

Drug Policy Interdisciplinary Network

Drug Policy Network Southeast Europe

Drug Science

É de Lei drop-in centre (Brazil)

Early Break

East Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership

European Network of People who Use Drugs (EuroNPUD)

Faculty of Public Health Drugs Special Interest Group

Foreningen Tryggere Ruspolitikk/ Safer Drug Policies (Norway)

Forum Akar Rumput Indonesia

Forward Trust

Fundación Latinoamérica Reforma (Chile)

GAT- Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos (Portugal)

Gay Men’s Health Collective

Glasgow City Alcohol and Drug Partnership

Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association

Green Leaf Party (Israel)

Groupement Romand d'Etudes des Addictions - GREA (Switzerland)

Harm Reduction Australia

Harm Reduction International

Harm Reduction Nurses Association

Health Poverty Action

HIT

HIV Legal Network (Canada)

Inquest

Instituto RIA AC (Mexico)

Intercambios Civil Association (Argentina)

Intercambios Puerto Rico

International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC)

International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD)

Kaleidoscope

Labour Campaign for Drug Policy Reform

Mainline Foundation (Netherlands)

Metzineres (Spain)

MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit

Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. (MAPS). (USA)

National AIDS Trust

National Harm Reduction Coalition

National Needle Exchange Forum

Organisation for the Prevention of Intense Suffering (OPIS)

Police Treatment and Community Collaborative (PTACC) UK

Prisoners' Advice Service

Project 6

Public Health Action Support Team

Revolving Doors

Scottish Centre for Policing and Public Health

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

Service Users Involvement Team, Wolverhampton

Single Homeless Project

Social Linkages for Youth Development and Child Link (Sierra Leone)

Students for Sensible Drug Policies (UK)

Students for Sensible Drug Policy International

The Association for Humane Drug Policy (Norway)

The Centre for Justice Innovation

The Connection at St Martin's

The Corbett Network for Prisoner Reintegration

The Global Drug Survey

The John Mordaunt Trust

The Love Tank CIC

The People's Recovery Project

The Queen's Nursing Institute

The Scottish Institute for Policing Research

The Substance Use and Associated Behaviours Research Group

The Wallich

The Wilder Network

Transform Justice

Turning Point

Turning Point Scotland

UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health

University College London Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health

UNJUST C.I.C

Volteface

Washington Office on Latin America (USA)

West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN)

With You

Youth RISE

Allan Dorans MP, SNP

Andrew Boff AM, Conservative, London Assembly

Anne McLaughlin MP, SNP

Ben Lake MP, Plaid Cymru

Caroline Lucas MP, Green

Cllr Asher Craig, Labour, Deputy Mayor, Bristol City Council

Cllr Chris Kennedy, Labour, Hackney Council

Cllr Katrina Ffrench, Labour, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils

Crispin Blunt MP, Conservative

Dan Carden MP, Labour

Dr Dan Poulter MP, Conservative

Grahame Morris MP, Labour

John McNally MP, SNP

Martin Docherty-Hughes MP, SNP

Monica Lennon MSP, Labour

Ronnie Cowan MP, SNP

Stewart Hosie MP, SNP

Stuart McDonald MP, SNP

Tommy Sheppard MP, SNP

Adam Whitehouse, Substance Use Services Team Leader, BAROD

Adele Phillips, Senior Lecturer in Public Health, Middlesex University

Advocate Rup Narayan Shrestha, Human Rights Lawyer

Aiste Navickaite, Advanced Specialist Mental Health Pharmacist, Southwest London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust

Aleister Adamson, Legal Adviser, Release

Alex Feis-Bryce, CEO, Transform Drug Policy Foundation

Alice Gregorie, PhD student, University of Leeds

Alicia Nieto Brotons, INPUD

Alkyoni Athanasiou-Fragkouli, Research Officer, Drug Science

Amber Marks, Lecturer in Law, Queen Mary University London

Amber Windsor, Substance Misuse Worker/PhD candidate/Associate Lecturer of Law and Criminology RHUL, Oasis Project/University of Goldsmiths/Royal Holloway University

Andrea Nagel

Andreana Sutherland

Andrew McAuley, Reader in Public Health

Andria Efthimiou-Mordaunt, Coordinator, The John Mordaunt Trust

Andy Beck, Consultant in Public Health

Ann Sharpe

Anna Brook, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Anna Deane

Anna Goulding, Public Health Specialty Registrar, Faculty of Public Health

Anna Norton, Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University

Arran Crawford, Mental Health Nurse, Turning Point Scotland

Ashley Dunlop, Public Health Nurse, NHS

Astrid Grindlay, Public Health Specialty Registrar, NHS

Aura Roig Forteza, Executive Director, Metzineres

Bambang Yulistyo Dwi M, Paralegal, AKSI Keadilan Indonesia

Barend Strydom

Becky Clarke, Senior Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University

Ben Stuttard, Solicitor, Criminal Law, Commons Law CIC

Bryan Duncan, Supervisor Drug and Alcohol Worker, ADA Aberdeen

Camille Robert Groupement Romand d'Etudes des Addictions - GREA

Cara Middleton, Staff Nurse

Carla Hobart, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Carolyn Blake, Researcher, University of Glasgow

Catherine Jane Trimble, Drug and Alcohol Speciality Doctor, NHS

Charlie Mack, CEO, Cranstoun

Chris Matthew

Chris Paling, Drug Worker, The VC Gallery

Christiane Jenkins, PhD candidate in Addiction Studies), SUIT (Service Users Involvement Team) Wolverhampton University

Clare Hitchcock

Cynthia Fernando, Legal Caseworker, Release

Dafydd Thomas, Pharmacist, ABUHB

Daniel Murray, Barrister, 25 Bedford Row - Criminal Barristers

Daniel Stewart, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Danilo Falzon, Research Assistant, University of Stirling

Danny Morris, Hep C Trust

David Badcock, CEO, Drug Science

David Wylie, Substance Misuse Service Manager, The Wallich

Dawn Maycock

Debra Lapthorne, Retired Regional Director of Public Health

Donna Thain, Sexual Health, BBV and Harm Reduction Manager

Donnchadh Greene, Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers

Dorna Ghashghaei, Deputy Lead Pharmacist

Dr Adam Holland, Co-Chair, Faculty of Public Health Drugs Special Interest Group

Dr Adam Westall, Lecturer in Criminology, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Adrian Garfoot, Treatment Doctor ret.

Dr Alex Dymock, Senior Lecturer in Law, Dept of Law, Goldsmiths University of London

Dr Alex Wodak, Harm Reduction Australia

Dr Allen Gallagher, Research Fellow, University of Bath

Dr Angela Attwood, Associate Professor in Psychology, University of Bristol

Dr Arif Rajpura, Director of Public Health, Blackpool Counil

Dr Arwen Joyce, Lecturer, University of Leicester

Dr Ashlee Christoffersen

Dr Basil McDonald, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Dr Benjamin Bowman, Senior Lecturer, Manchester Centre for Youth Studies, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Bethany Ferris, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Dr Brendan Coyle, Lecturer in Criminology, Ulster University

Dr Brian Payne, Senior Lecturer and Subject Lead for Criminology, Ulster University

Dr Catherine Dodds, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, University of Bristol

Dr Cedomir Vuckovic, Research Fellow, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Dr Christine Haigh, Swansea Bay University Health Board

Dr Christopher J Byrne, Post-doctoral Researcher & Senior Public Health Officer, Dundee University

Dr Ciaran Kennedy MBChB MSc PgCert DFPH, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Dr Claire Ferraro, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Dr Dagmar Myslinska, Lecturer in Law, Goldsmiths University of London

Dr Daniel Marshall, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Dean Connolly, Public Health Specialty Registrar & Academic Clinical Fellow

Dr Deborah Jump, Criminologist

Dr Dominic Addison, Psychologist

Dr Eldin Fahmy, Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol

Dr Ella Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of Greenwich

Dr Emily Crick, University of Bristol

Dr Eric Silverman, Research Fellow, Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow

Dr Estelle Zinsstag, Lecturer in Criminology, Edinburgh Napier University

Dr Ethan Nadelmann, Founder, Drug Policy Alliance

Dr Gabrielle Nugent-Stephens, Lecturer in Criminology, Ulster University

Dr Gernot Klantschnig, University of Bristol

Dr Gillian W Shorter, Senior Lecturer, Queen's University Belfast

Dr Giulia Zampini, Associate Professor in Criminology and Social Policy, University of Greenwich

Dr Hannah Farrimond, Senior Lecturer, University of Exeter

Dr Hannah Maiden, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Dr Helen Rand, Senior Lecturer, University of Greenwich

Dr Ian Marder, Assistant Professor in Criminology, Maynooth University

Dr Iona Lyell, Public Health Doctor

Dr Jack Spicer, University of Bath

Dr James Morgan

Dr James Nicholls, Senior Lecturer in Public Health, University of Stirling

Dr Jamie Buchan, Lecturer in Criminology, Edinburgh Napier University

Dr Jennifer Cook, Doctor in Addictions Medicine, CGL

Dr Jennifer Fleetwood, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Goldsmiths University of London

Dr Jennifer Randall, Senior Lecturer in Global Health, Queen Mary University of London

Dr Jenny Scott, Pharmacist /Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol

Dr Jo Kesten, Research Fellow, University of Bristol

Dr João Martins, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Dr Jonas von Hoffmann, Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE)

Dr Jonathan Leighton, Executive Director, Organisation for the Prevention of Intense Suffering (OPIS)

Dr Joseph Tay Wee Teck, Addictions Professional & GP of 15 years in areas of deprivation

Dr Juan Francisco Palma, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol

Dr Julie Harris, Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Ulster University

Dr Karenza Moore, Academic, Newcastle University

Dr Kathryn Skivington, Research Fellow, University of Glasgow

Dr Kirsten Rivelin, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Dr Kirstin Anderson, Lecturer in Criminology, Edinburgh Napier UNiversity

Dr Kojo Koram, Senior Lecturer, Birkbeck College, University of London

Dr Laura Parker, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Dr Leah Moyle, Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology, Royal Holloway, University of London

Dr Lena Holzer, Lecturer in Law, Goldsmiths, University of London

Dr Linda Moore, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Ulster University

Dr Luke Johnson, Public Health Specialty Registrar & Doctor

Dr Magdalena Harris, Associate Professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Dr Maria Fotopoulou

Dr Marian Buhociu, Lecturer in Criminology, University of South Wales

Dr Marisha Wickremsinhe, Research Fellow, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Dr Mark McCann, Research fellow, University of Glasgow

Dr Mark Monaghan, Reader in Criminology, Loughborough University

Dr Matthew Grundy-Bower, Consultant Nurse

Dr Matthew Lariviere, Lecturer in Social Policy

Dr Melissa Bone, Associate Professor, University of Leicester

Dr Michael Alexander, Trainee in Public Health, Faculty of Public Health

Dr Michael Lynskey, Chief Research Officer, Drug Science

Dr Michelle Rouse, Lecturer, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Ulster University

Dr Mike Salinas, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Miles Mack, General Practitioner, Dingwall Medical Group

Dr Miranda Bevan, Lecturer in Law, Goldsmiths' University of London

Dr Nataly Papadopoulou, Assistant Professor in Law

Dr Paul Gray, Reader in Criminology, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Phoebe Beedell, Senior Research Associate, University of Bristol

Dr Rachel Barry, Researcher, University of Bath

Dr Rachel Thomson, Clinical Research Fellow

Dr Rayyan Zafar, PhD Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychedelics, Imperial College London

Dr Rebecca Askew, Reader in Criminology, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Ricard Faura, University Professor and Cultural Bridge Weaver, ICEERS

Dr Richard Wild, Programme Lead MA International Criminology, University of Greenwich

Dr Rick Doblin, Executive Director, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. (MAPS).

Dr Rob Green, Public Health Specialty Registrar, Wirral Borough Council

Dr Rosie Baker, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Dr Ruth Fletcher, Reader in Medical Law, Queen Mary University London

Dr Saket Priyadarshi, Associate Medical Director, NHS GGC

Dr Sally MacVinish, Public Health Specialist Registrar

Dr Sarah Stacey, Clinical Psychologist

Dr Shane Mac Giollabhui

Dr Sharon Greenwood, Programme Director for master’s in public health and Lecturer in Public Health, University of Glasgow

Dr Tanzil Chowdhury, Senior Lecturer in Public Law, Queen Mary University London

Dr Tim Wyatt OBE, Consultant Microbiologist, NI Public Health Agency

Dr Timothy Godden

Dr Tom Frost, Lecturer in Law, University of Leicester

Dr Tom May, Research Fellow in Behavioural Science and Public Health, University of Bristol

Dr Tom Nutting, Psychiatrist, NHS

Dr Tom Yates, Clinical Lecturer, University College London

Dr Una Convery, Lecturer in Criminology, Ulster University

Dr Victoria Canning, Associate Professor of Criminology, University of Bristol

Dr Victoria Carlisle, Senior Research Associate in Public Health, University of Bristol

Dr William Turner, Senior Lecturer in Childhood Studies, University of Bristol

Dr Zara Hansen, Public Health Specialty Registrar

Dr. Tara Lai Quinlan, Lecturer in Law and Criminal Justice, University of Birmingham

Eliot Charles Russell

Emeritus Prof Margaret F Bassendine, Newcastle University

Emma Crawshaw, CEO, Crew 2000

Emma Makepeace, Barrister's clerk, 25 Bedford Row - Criminal Barristers

Emmanuel S. Kamonyo, Human Rights Lawyer, Etude Legale Stewart Istvanffy

Emmanuelle Andrews, Policy and Campaigns Manager, Liberty

Fenella Sentance, Advocate, Release

Fraser Hoggan, CEO, Alcohol and Drugs Action

Freddy Beacham, Student Administrator, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol

Georgia Threadgold, Senior Project Manager (Hepatitis C Elimination), NHS England

Gloria Rose Marie Achá, Lawyer, Andean Action

Graeme Henderson, Professor of Pharmacology, University of Bristol

Graham Smyth, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Manchester Metropolitan University

Gregg Chip, Managing Director, Drug Policy Australia

Hanna Head, SSDP

Hannah Goodwin-Sharman, Student Administrator, University of Bristol

Henry Chuks, Public Health Manager, Youthrise Nigeria

Huw Rowles, Substance Misuse Worker, CAVDAS

Jamie Bridge, International Drug Policy Consortium

Jamie Ross Breen, Chemist

Jane Slater, Manager, Anyone's Child: Families for Safer Drug Control

Jane Wilson, NHS

Janet Ruth Mayor, Practice Lead for Alcohol and other Drugs

Janine Day, Operations Director, Early Break

Jason Kew, Innovative Practitioner, The Centre for Justice Innovation

Jean Clot, Project Manager, GREA

Jennifer Sinclair, Pharmacist

Jeremy Luke Castle BSc (Hons), MSc Med Chem, R.N. Dip H.E., Dip Hyp, Clinical Nurse Specialist (HIV & Palliative Care), NMC, RCN, NHS

Jessica Lever

John Duncan Middleton, Freelance Consultant in Public Health

John Fox, Substance Use Worker, The Hepatitis C Trust

John Mooney FFPH, Consultant in Public Health, NHS Grampian

Joseph Hancock, Research Communications Officer, University of Glasgow

Joy Lewis, Barrister, 25 Bedford Row - Criminal Barristers

Juan Fernández Ochoa

Judy Crombie

Julie Hunt

Juliet Shepherd, Pharmacist, College of Mental Health Pharmacy

Jun Pang, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Liberty

Kate Halliday, Addictions Professionals

Katie Evans, Mental Health Pharmacist, National Health Service

Kerry Littleford, Public Health Specialty Registrar, Faculty of Public Health

Kym Barlow, NHS

Lana Adamou, Lawyer, Liberty

Laura Bennett, Senior Research Associate

Leila Reid, Director of Corporate Services, The Hepatitis C Trust

Lidia Stoica

Liz McCoy, Trust-wide Lead for Addictions, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

Madeleine Proctor, Specialist Mental Health Pharmacist, NHS

Madeline Petrillo, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of Greenwich

Mahmoud El-Hiti, Mental Health Clinical Pharmacist

Maria Goretti, IDPC and West Africa Drug Policy Network-Ghana chapter

Maria Smith

Marie Nougier, International Drug Policy Consortium

Marina Kiprova

Mark Harris

Mark Pryke, SUI Lead, Change Grow Live

Martha Spurrier, Director, Liberty

Martin Blakebrough, CEO, Kaleidoscope

Martin Drewry, CEO, Health Poverty Action

Martin Powell, Head of Partnerships, Transform Drug Policy Foundation

Megan Drysdale, Assistant Psychologist

Michael Hunter, Drug and Alcohol Counsellor

Mike Ashton, Editor, Drug and Alcohol Findings

Min Na Eii, Pharmacist, Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists

Miss Harriet Wilkins

Mr Blaine Stothard, Co-Editor 2014 - 2021, Drugs and Alcohol Today

Mr Prince Bull-Luseni, Executive Director, West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN)

Mr Undule Mwakasungula, Consultant, Drug Policy and Harm Reduction Platform-Malawi

Ms Felicity Young, Consultant Nurse in Sexual and Reproductive Health, Solent NHS Trust

Mx Kasparas Vasiliauskas, Harm Reduction Worker & Peer Educator, Youth Rise

Mx Kat Petrilli, Phd Student, University of Bath

Natalie Travis, National Head of Service – Public Health & Substance Misuse, Turning Point

Naomi Miall, Public Health Researcher, University of Glasgow Social and Public Health Sciences Uni

Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director, Release

Nicholas John Wilson

Nick Glynn, Senior Program Officer, OSF

Ollie Persey, Barrister

Patrick Hargreaves

Peter Furlong, National Harm Reduction Lead (CGL), Change Grow Live

Peter Krykant, Project Lead, Cranstoun

Phillipa Gelland, Senior Legal Advisor, Release

Prof Adam Winstock, Director, Global Drug Survey

Prof Aisha K. Gill Ph.D. CBE, Professor of Criminology, University of Bristol School for Policy Studies

Prof Al Story, Consultant Public Health, UCLH and UCL

Prof Andrew Haywood, University College London, Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, UCL

Prof Barry John Everitt FRS, Emeritus Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Cambridge

Prof Charlie Lloyd, University of York

Prof Cicely Marston, Professor of Public Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Prof Daniel Wight, Programme Leader, MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow

Prof David Bewley-Taylor, Swansea University

Prof David Nutt, Professor of Psychiatry, Imperial College

Prof David T. Sweanor, Head of Advisory Board, Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, University of Ottawa

Prof Joanne Csete, Associate Professor, Columbia Univ. Mailman School of Public Health

Prof John Child, Professor of Criminal Law, University of Birmingham

Prof John Coggon, Professor of Law

Prof Julia Buxton, Professor of Criminology, University of Manchester

Prof Karen Duke, Professor in Criminology, Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Middlesex University

Prof Katy Holloway, Professor of Criminology, Director of the Substance Use Research Group, University of South Wales

Prof Kristian Lasslett, Professor of Criminology, Ulster University

Prof Laurence Moore, Director, MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow University

Prof Lindsay Forbes, Professor of Public Health, University of Kent

Prof Liz Aston, Professor of Criminology and Director of SIPR, The Scottish Institute for Policing Research, Napier University

Prof Lucy Platt, Proffessor of Public Health Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Prof Lynne Dawkins, University Lecturer and Researcher, London South Bank University

Prof Margaret Malloch, Professor of Criminology, University of Stirling

Prof Nadine Dougall, Co-Director, Scottish Centre for Policing and Public Health, Napier University

Prof Nancy D. Campbell, Graduate Programme Director, Alcohol and Drug History Society

Prof Pablo Cortes, Law Professor, University of Leicester

Prof Pat Hudson, Emeritus Professor of History

Prof Pat O’Hare

Prof Paul Gootenberg, Stony Brook University

Prof Rob Ralphs, Professor of Criminology and Social Policy, Co-Director of the Substance Use and Associated Behaviours (SUAB) Research Group., Manchester Metropolitan University

Prof Ross Coomber, Professor of Criminology & Sociology, University of Liverpool

Prof Roy Robertson, Academic and Clinician, University of Edinburgh and NHS

Prof Sue Atkinson

Prof Tessa Parkes, Professor of Substance Use and Inclusion Health, University of Stirling

Prof Valerie Curran, Emeritus Professor of Psychopharmacology, UCL

Prof John Middleton, Independent Public Health Consultant

Prof Stephen Roger Bazire MBE, Honorary Professor, School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia

Rachel Allbless

Rebeca Calzada, Project Leader, Youth Rise

Rebeca Marques Rocha, Central European University

Rebecca Hand

Rebecca Marriott

Rebekah Tarren, Social Care

Richard Hanford

Richard Marriott

Rob Barker, Campaigns and Comms Lead, Barod

Romain Bach, Co-Secretary General, GREA

Roxana Pollack, Research Assistant, Glasgow University

Russell Brooks, Senior Director

Ryan Morgan, Mental Health Pharmacist, College of Mental Health Pharmacists

Sadie Base, Legal Adviser, Release

Sally A Amor, Public Health Consultant, NHS Ayrshire and Arran

Sally Newman, University of Bristol

Sara Berenice Monsalvo Basaldua, Youth R.I.S.E

Sarah Jane Harris, Pharmacist

Sarah Peat, Emerging Trends Training Coordinator, Crew2000

Sarah Thornton, Consultant Anaesthetist, Bolton Hospital

Sarah Vaile, Founder & Director, Recovery Cymru

Sean Hughes, Nurse, CGL

Serena Luchenski, BSc MSc FFPH, Clinical Academic in Public Health, University College London

Shannon Kennedy, MPH, DFPH, Public Health Specialty Registrar, Yorkshire & Humber School of Public Health

Shannon Murray, Researcher, University of South Wales

Sheryl Nwosu, Lawyer (Barrister), 25 Bedford Row - Criminal Barristers

Shiva Fouladi-Nashta, Learning Disability Community Liaison Pharmacist, East London NHS Foundation Trust

Simon Williams, Head of Learning, Mainline

Sorcha Ryan, Bristol Drugs Project

Stephanie Dray

Stephen Cutter, Head of Legal Services, Release

Steve Glazzard

Sue Doherty, Nurse Consultant Substance Misuse, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

Tayyiba Bajwa, Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers

Tess Woolfenden, Senior Policy and Research Officer

Theocharis Kromydas, Research Associate, MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit

Thomas Hollick, Policy & Public Affairs Coordinator, The Wallich

Tim Colbourne

Tom Hancock

Tom Jenkins, PhD researcher

Tom Marshall, Professor of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Birmingham

Tomas Alberto Chang Pico

Tracy Welsh

Vanessa Castro

Vicki Beere, CEO, Project 6

Wakana Fujisawa

Wayne Gault, Lead Officer, Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership

Will Durrands, Barrister, 25 Bedford Row - Criminal Barristers

Will Pearson, GP in Inclusion Health

Yasmin Appleby, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Find and Treat Team

Yeng Yeng Shang, Public Health Specialty Registrar, Faculty of Public Health

Zara Snapp, Director, Instituto RIA AC

Zehra Tahtakilic, Substance misuse worker, NHS