Drugs considered addictive or dangerous in theUnited Kingdom are called "controlled substances" and regulated by law. Until 1964 the medical treatment of dependent drug users was separated from the punishment of unregulated use and supply. Under this policy drug use remained low; there was relatively little recreational use and few dependent users, who were prescribed drugs by their doctors as part of their treatment. From 1964 drug use was decreasingly criminalised, with the framework still in place as of 2014^[update] largely determined by theMisuse of Drugs Act.^{[citation needed]}

Until 1916 drug use was hardly controlled, and widely available opium and coca preparations commonplace.^{[1]: 13–14}

Between 1916 and 1928 concerns about the use of these drugs by troops on leave from theFirst World War and then by people associated with the London criminal society gave rise to some controls being implemented.^[1] The distribution and use of morphine and cocaine, and later cannabis, were criminalised, but these drugs were available to addicts through doctors; this arrangement became known as the "British system" and was confirmed by the report of theDepartmental Committee on Morphine and Heroin Addiction (Rolleston Committee) in 1926.^[1]

The Rolleston Report was followed by "a period of nearly forty years of tranquillity in Britain, known as the Rolleston Era. During this period the medical profession regulated the distribution of licit opioid supplies and the provisions of the Dangerous Drugs Acts of 1920 and 1923 controlled illicit supplies."^[2] The medical treatment of dependent drug users was separated from the punishment of unregulated use and supply. This policy on drugs was maintained in Britain, and nowhere else, until the 1960s. Under this policy drug use remained low; there was relatively little recreational use and few dependent users, who were prescribed drugs by their doctors as part of their treatment.^[1]

It has been argued that the main legal innovations between 1925 and 1964 were in response to international pressures, not domestic problems.^[1]

In the 1960s a few doctors prescribed large amounts of heroin, some of which was diverted into the illegal market. Also substances such as cannabis, amphetamines and LSD started to become significant in the UK.^[1]

In 1961 the internationalSingle Convention on Narcotic Drugs was introduced. To control global drug trading and use, it banned countries from treating addicts by prescribing illegal substances, allowing only scientific and medical uses of drugs. It was not itself binding on countries, which had to pass their own legislation.^[3]

Following pressure from the US, the UK implemented theDrugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1964. Although the convention dealt with the problems of drug production and trafficking, rather than the punishment of drug users, the 1964 act introduced criminal penalties for possession by individuals of small amounts of drugs, as well as possession with intent to traffic or deal in drugs. The police were soon given the power tostop and search people for illegal drugs.^[3]

Dangerous Drugs (Supply to Addicts) Regulations 1968
Statutory Instrument
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	SI 1968/416
Dates
Made	18 March 1968
Laid before Parliament	25 March 1968
Commencement	16 April 1968
Other legislation
Made under	Dangerous Drugs Act 1965 Dangerous Drugs Act 1967
Text of statute as originally enacted

TheDangerous Drugs (Supply to Addicts) Regulations 1968 (SI 1968/416)^[4] was a statutory instrument that determined the consultants who could prescribe, or treat addicts either inpsychiatric hospitals or drug dependency units. Other medical staff, if supervised by the consultants within the hospitals, would also be able to obtain licences. Doctors working outside the NHS would be considered if their organisations had similar facilities to theDDUs.^[5] Doctors who disobeyed theseregulations might have their permissions to supplyrescinded. In fact only the treatment centres were allowed to supply.^[6]

TheMisuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA) was passed, continuing measures in previous legislation, and classifying drugs into classes A (the most highly regulated), B, and C. Penalties for trafficking and supply were increased in the 1980s.^[1]

In 1991 a new phase of UK drug legislation started with an attempt to integrate health and criminal justice responses via Schedule 1A6 Probation Orders. This reduced the separation between medical and punitive responses that had characterised the British system in the past.^[1]

A multicriteria analysis of drugs by drug experts ofImperial College London published in November 2010 found alcohol to be the most harmful drug to both the user and others.^[9] Alcohol received a harm score of 72, followed by heroin in second on 55, and crack third on 54.^[9] "Heroin, crack, and crystal meth were the most harmful drugs to the individual, whereas alcohol, heroin, and crack were the most harmful to others."^[9]

Anyone's Child are an organisation of people who's family members have been affected by the UK's drug policies and advocate for the legal regulation of drugs.^[10] The organisation wants the drug market to be taken from organised crime groups and regulated with regulations including minimum age checks and quality control standards.^[10]

TheLiberal Democrats support the legalisation and regulation of cannabis in the UK.^[11] The Transform Drug Policy Foundation also campaigns for the legalisation and regulation of cannabis in the UK.^[12]

TheGreen Party of England and Wales stated in its 2024 election manifesto that it supports "a National Commission to agree an evidence-based approach to reform of the UK's counterproductive drug laws" and supports the decriminalisation of the personal possession of drugs.^[13]

• Beckley Foundation
• Cannabis in the United Kingdom
• Crime in the United Kingdom
• Drug Equality Alliance
• Drug policy
• Drug-related deaths in the United Kingdom
• Drugs controlled by the UK Misuse of Drugs Act
• List of British politicians who have acknowledged cannabis use
• List of statutory instruments of the United Kingdom, list of links to instruments for each year
• Release

• Anyone’s Child
• Centre for Evidence Based Drug Policy
• Psilocybin Access Rights
• Transform Drug Policy Foundation

• Drug policy of the United Kingdom

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