Is it possible to reduce population levels of illegal drugs use?

The 2021 UK drug strategy, From Harm to Hope, presented an ambitious programme that sought to tackle more than a decade of increases in drug related harm.1 The National Audit Office’s (NAO) recent value for money report identified mixed progress towards the strategy’s objectives,2 with greater numbers of drug workers entering the sector but concerns about local implementation of some actions, the ability of government to evaluate policy impact, and sustainability of strategy actions beyond 2024-25. The NAO also called for an urgent plan to reduce demand for illegal drugs.

A headline priority of the 2021 strategy is to develop a “generational shift” in attitudes towards drugs, and reduce overall use across the population to a “30 year low.” Preventing drug use has always been implicit in drug policy, but this made it a key indicator for the first time. Population prevalence of drug use is already lower than the record highs of the late 1990s, but use of drugs such as cannabis, ketamine, and powder cocaine has increased since 2016, particularly among young people. There …