Niamh Eastwood Executive Director Release The War on Drugs is a war on people (unless you are rich and white) Niamh Eastwood Executive Director Release

Portugal decriminalised all drugs in 2001 & invested in public health Decrease in use amongst vulnerable groups including problematic users Decrease in the number of young people becoming dependent on harder drugs such as heroin Decrease (over 40%) of the estimated numbers of injecting drug users Increase in the number of drug-dependent individuals entering treatment Significant decrease in the number of drug-related deaths Increased investment in harm-reduction services Decrease in prison population Improved relationship between the community and police Cost-benefit saving: 18 per cent decrease in social cost of drugs in first ten years of decriminalisation. (See: A social cost perspective in the wake of the Portuguese strategy for the fight against drugs - Gonçalves, Ricardo [2015])

Czech Republic decriminalised all drugs in 2010 In 2002 Czech Rep academics undertook cost benefit analysis of criminal justice approach: Penalisation of drug use had not affected the availability of illicit drugs; There was an increase in the levels of drug use within the country; The social costs of illicit drug use increased significantly. Czech Republic decriminalised all drugs in 2010

Social consequences of criminalisation Australia (3 states have decriminalised cannabis possession) & have shown a capacity to keep individuals out of the criminal justice system. A comparative study showed individuals who were given criminal penalties suffered: Negative employment, relationship and accommodation consequences Increased likelihood of further contact with criminal justice system

End criminalisation, reduce HIV Criminalising and marginalising people for their drug use contributes to risky behaviours, thereby increasing the spread of HIV To reach our goal of ending the AIDS crisis by 2030, we must: Put a stop to the extrajudicial killing of people for alleged drug offences End the “Othering” of certain ethnic groups and minorities in the name of drug prohibition End the mass incarceration of people for drug offences End police surveillance of people for drug use, which disproportionately affects poor people and people of colour