A EUROPEAN DRUG report showed this week that Ireland has the third-highest rate of drug-induced deaths in Europe, and – during the last month alone – there have been several drug-related hospitalisations and deaths. This has led addiction services expert Tony Duffin to call for a review of Ireland’s drug policy.

Writing in TheJournal.ie today, Duffin says that the ‘war on drugs’ has failed, citing a London School of Economics report that denies the possibility of entirely eradicating drug use in society, and instead recommends correctly managing substance use – shifting the focus of drug policy away from criminal justice and onto public health.

Noting that worldwide drug prices are declining while purity is increasing, the LSE concludes that “continuing to spend vast resources on punitive enforcement-led policies, generally at the expense of proven public health policies, can no longer be justified”.

What do you think: Should Ireland change its drugs strategy to focus on public health rather than criminal justice?