Police to target "party drug" users in effort to prevent the "normalisation" of illegal substance use - News - Mixmag
News

Police to target "party drug" users in effort to prevent the "normalisation" of illegal substance use

Five forces in South West England will switch focus from "dealers and gangs" to targeting "affluent" drug users

  • Megan Townsend
  • 27 October 2022
Police to target "party drug" users in effort to prevent the "normalisation" of illegal substance use

Police in South West England are set to turn their focus from dealers and the leaders of gangs, toward "affluent" drug takers using MDMA, cocaine and cannabis.

According to The Times, five forces in South West England — alongside the British Transport Police — will take part in a joint operation to find and arrest "casual" drug users taking substances in nightclubs or smoking cannabis outdoors.

Operation Scorpion will involve "significant drug operations" from forces across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Avon and Somerset, Cornwall and Devon, and Dorset, according to The Times.

These include "crackdowns" on nightlife districts, though the police have not disclosed what areas would be targeted.

Read this next: The UK government's war on drugs policy is out of touch and causing harm

The decision to shift police focus from drug dealers and the leaders of drug gangs as a means of drug enforcement, was made by the region's Conservative police and crime commissioners due to concerns drug taking is becoming "normalised" within certain groups.

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall told The Times: “There’s been so much discussion about the legalisation of cannabis that many people do not recognise it is illegal, it feels like the norm in their circle of friends.

“We’re fed up with people that earn good money, from tradesmen to accountants and lawyers, who think that snorting a line of coke is a fun thing to do on a weekend.

Read this next: Study finds police presence causes 'panic overdoses' at festivals

She said: “These ‘party drugs’ can be glamourised or associated with users who may appear [to be] more affluent. We want to remind them that these things are illegal and make the environment so hostile that they choose not to do it.”

The shift from policing drug networks into targeting drug users that are deemed more "middle class" was a longstanding policy of former Home Secretary Priti Patel, and the government of former PM Boris Johnson.

Patel announced a series of proposals earlier this year to crack down on "habitual drug taking" including a "three strike policy" that would see those caught with substances banned from nightclubs and having their passports confiscated.

[Via: The Times]

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter

Load the next article
Newsletter 2

Mixmag will use the information you provide to send you the Mixmag newsletter using Mailchimp as our marketing platform. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us. By clicking sign me up you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Loading...
Loading...
Newsletter 2

Mixmag will use the information you provide to send you the Mixmag newsletter using Mailchimp as our marketing platform. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us. By clicking sign me up you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.