PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
50 years of the Misuse of Drugs Act (16 May 2021)

That this House acknowledges that the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is not fit for purpose; notes that for 50 years, it has failed to reduce drug consumption and that drug deaths are now at a record high; further notes that instead it has increased harm, damaged public health and exacerbated social inequalities; believes that an evidence-based approach which provides pathways for people with drug difficulties into treatment, rather than the criminal justice system, should be prioritised; urges the earliest examination of international evidence from health-led personal drug consumption regime such as Portugal, where outcomes are startlingly better against every reasonable criteria; and calls upon the Government, as a matter of urgency, to repeal and replace the Act with legislation to ensure that future drug policy protects human rights, promotes public health and ensures social justice.

Sponsored by:
Grahame Morris (Labour)