The Inadequacy of Drug Policy

In his inadequate drug policy speech, David Nutt proposes that the government crusade against recreational drugs is a crucial misstep in ensuring the well-being of its citizens. In fact, the campaigns against recreational drugs ignore the fact that alcohol is a potent harm in society. Beyond posing a threat to individual users, alcohol also poses a much more significant threat to society because of how widely practiced it is.

In contrast, Nutt notes that the actual harms of drugs are nowhere near their perceived harms. This skewed perception allows for unjust laws based on inaccurate information to be put into practice. The result is increasing arrests and convictions of youth for infractions such as cannabis possession, while continuing to deflect from the very real harms that alcohol poses. Whether this is intentional or subconscious is yet to determined.