Drink and Drugs News DDN July_August 2019 | Page 4

News
‘BIASED’ CLASSIFICATION FUELLING
DRUG PROBLEM, SAYS COMMISSION
BIASED HISTORICAL CLASSIFICATION OF PSYCHOACTIVE
SUBSTANCES has been a significant contribution to the world drug
problem, according to a report from the Global Commission on
Drug Policy (GCDP).
While drug classification remains the ‘cornerstone’ of the UN
Conventions underpinning international drug control, it continues
to be influenced by ideology, political gains and commercial
interests, says Classification of psychoactive substances: when
science was left behind.
The international classification of drugs now has little or no
correlation to scientifically assessed harms and needs to be
‘urgently reviewed’, the document states. While drugs should be
classed according to their potential for dependence and other
harm this is ‘not the case today’, it says. The fact that substances
such as alcohol are ‘culturally important’ means they are legally
available, while the strict prohibition of others leads to ‘tragic
consequences’ such as executions, organised crime and the spread
of blood-borne viruses.
The international community needs to recognise the
‘incoherence and inconsistencies’ in the drug scheduling system, it
says, and launch a critical review. The commission is calling on
governments to ensure that their classification systems are
pragmatic and based on science and evidence, and also allow for
‘responsible legal regulatory models’ to control drugs.
‘The international system to classify drugs is at the core of the
drug control regime – unfortunately that core is rotten,’ said GCDP
chair and former president of Switzerland, Ruth Dreifuss. ‘Some drugs
were evaluated up to eight decades ago – which does not represent
current knowledge – and others have never been evaluated.’
Report at www.globalcommissionondrugs.org
Professor Chris
Whitty has been
appointed as the
new chief
medical officer
for England
WHITTY OFFICER
Professor Chris Whitty has been appointed as the new chief medical
officer for England, the government has announced. Professor
Whitty is currently chief scientific advisor for the Department of
Health and Social Care (DHSC) and professor of public and
international health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine. He replaces Dame Sally Davies, who oversaw the
introduction of strict new alcohol guidelines of 14 units a week for
both men and women (DDN, February 2016, page 4).
4 | drinkanddrugsnews | July/August 2019
people smoke – could be avoided by
eliminating tobacco use, according to a WHO
report. This includes 90 per cent of lung
cancers, says European tobacco use – trends
report 2019. ‘There is a huge potential to
improve health by implementing policies
that we know are effective, such as
increasing taxation, using plain packaging,
banning advertising and eliminating
exposure to second-hand smoke,’ said WHO
Europe’s programme manager for tobacco
control, Kristina Mauer-Stender. Report at
www.euro.who.int
PREVALENT PROBLEMS
‘The international
system to classify
drugs is at the core of
the drug control
regime – unfortunately
that core is rotten’
RuTh DREifuss
TRIPLE THREAT
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE aged over 40 in
treatment for opiate use has tripled in little
over a decade, according to ACMD. The
number has risen from approximately
25,000 in 2006 to more than 75,000 last
year. However, the number of under-30s in
opiate treatment has fallen from around
60,000 to just 13,000 over the same period.
‘This ageing cohort is likely to dominate
future demand on substance misuse
facilities, which is why more needs to be
done now to help these people access
services that meet their needs,’ said ACMD
chair Dr Owen Bowden-Jones. ‘Government,
commissioners and services need to
urgently re-assess how to best manage the
complex needs of this ageing group.’ Ageing
cohort of drug users at www.gov.uk
DEADLY PRODUCT
ALMOST ONE IN FIVE PREMATURE DEATHS
from non-communicable diseases in the
European region – where nearly 210m
SIXTY PER CENT OF BRITISH PEOPLE know
someone with an addiction problem,
according to a YouGov survey commissioned
by Action on Addiction. More than two thirds
also believe there should be more support for
people with substance issues, and 70 per
cent that there should be more support for
their families. ‘This poll highlights the
widespread and far-reaching impact of
addiction,’ said Action on Addiction chief
executive Graham Beech. ‘Unfortunately, this
comes at a time when society’s ability to
address the problems associated with
addiction is diminishing and people are
finding it more and more difficult to access
the treatment they need.’
STUBBED OUT
BEVERLY HILLS CITY COUNCIL in California has
voted unanimously to prohibit the sale of all
tobacco products from January 2021.
Although hotels will continue to be able to
sell tobacco to guests, all other businesses
will be subject to the ruling, making it the
most restrictive tobacco ban in the US.
LANGUAGE MATTERS
JOURNALISTS NEED TO ADD ‘DEPTH AND
NUANCE’ to their reporting of drugs issues,
says a report from Phoenix Futures and Pulsar.
This could include making it clear that ‘not all
drugs are the same’ and expanding on the
‘environmental context in which problematic
drug use thrives’, such as social exclusion,
homelessness and poor mental health. Social
media users also need to remember the effects
that stigmatising language can have, says Care
to share: social media conversation about
addiction, recovery and stigma, which studied
almost 200,000 public messages from Twitter,
online forums and blog channels between
December 2018 and January 2019. ‘Whilst we
do not wish to police the use of language, we
urge people to consider the potential negative
impact of language on vulnerable people,’ it
states. Report at www.phoenix-futures.org.uk.
See feature, page 6
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