Psychedelia.dk

Published Date: 22 June 2010
By Gareth Rose
A REPORT claiming communities benefit from drug dealers living in their midst has been condemned by police and politicians.
The paper, by one of Scotland's leading drugs experts, suggests the impact of dealers on a community is not always negative.

While recognising drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine cause pain and misery across Scotland, fuel other crimes such as ADVERTISEMENT

theft and prostitution, and give rise to gang wars, violence and intimidation, the report also highlights some positives.

Citing recent research by King's College University, Professor Neil McKeganey

writes: "Such markets could be seen as having a positive impact on the surrounding community.

"For example, the presence of a drug dealing market could mean the influx of substantial cash that would otherwise not occur as local drug dealers spend the money earned from their drug-selling activities.

"Similarly, it was claimed by some of those interviewed that the presence of a drug dealing market could result in lower levels of other crimes as the drug sellers themselves sought to reduce the activities of other criminals that might attract unwanted police attention.

"Finally, the presence of a drug market could sustain a thriving market in stolen goods being transacted as a way of supporting a drug habit, one of the results of this being that local people had access to a level of consumer products, at reduced prices, that they might otherwise never be able to afford."

Professor McKeganey also talks down the impact of police action on drugs gangs.

He writes that while "tough enforcement initiatives have a role to play in tackling local drug markets … they are] unlikely to be a long-term solution and may be associated with a number of unwanted consequences".

In the report "Drugs Research: An overview of evidence and questions for policy", for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Glasgow University expert says that when local dealers are arrested, they are often replaced by people from outside the area who are more willing to take risks and use violence.

His comments have been criticised by Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton, secretary of the Acpos (Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland) Crime Business Area, who said: "Acpos entirely rejects any suggestion that drug dealing has a positive effect on communities.

"While a speculative economic 'benefit' may be measured in isolation, the overall impact of the drugs trade is negative and highly damaging.

"This includes long-term damage to communities from fear of crime and violence, death or damage to health by drugs and toxic bulking agents, lifelong impacts on children from direct health effects of chaotic parental lifestyles and neglect, and damage to legitimate local businesses through the illicit trade in smuggled and counterfeit goods sold by drug dealing gangs in pursuit of profit and power."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The government has not yet read the report in question, but we would object in the strongest terms to any suggestion that there are anything other than appalling and life-destroying consequences from having drug dealers operating in any community.

"Drugs wreck communities and the lives of the individuals living in them, which is why the Scottish Government's focus is on recovery."

John Lamont MSP, justice spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives, said: "These are spurious so-called benefits. Drug abuse destroys lives, wrecks communities and has been the scourge of Scotland for over a generation.

"Even this report does not suggest these so-called benefits are a good thing. We know that we must focus on abstinence and not managing the problem, which is why Scottish Conservatives forced a national drugs strategy based on recovery back in 2008. The test for the SNP government now is to get that strategy up and running."

MSP Richard Baker, Scottish Labour justice spokesman, said: "Drug dealing never has positive benefits for communities and the more that can be done to rid Scotland of those who peddle drugs, the better."

MSP Robert Brown, the Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesman, added: "It seems to me to be a bizarre view. Overall, the results (of drug dealing] are hugely damaging to communities, because they are associated with bad health, social decay and fragmentation.

"It's a distorted view to talk about positive effects of these things."

David Sinclair of Victim Support Scotland said: "There are no positive aspects to drugs from the point of view of victims. Drugs are a blot on our communities ."

Prof McKeganey was unavailable for comment yesterday.

A POSITIVE SIDE

Potential "benefits" of drug dealers living nearby:

• A substantial influx of cash that would otherwise not occur as local drug dealers spend the money earned from their activities.

• Lower levels of other crimes, as the drug sellers seek to reduce the activities of other criminals that might attract unwanted police attention to the area.

• A thriving market in stolen goods, taken as a way of supporting a drug habit – one of the results of this being that local people have access to a level of consumer products, at reduced prices, they might otherwise not be able to afford.

A thriving market in stolen goods, taken as a way of supporting a drug habit – one of the results of this being that local people have access to a level of consumer products, at reduced prices, they might otherwise not be able to afford.

Kan ærlig talt ikke se hvad denne artikel skal på Psychedelia.

Det er da godt nok det tåbeligste jeg længe har læst...

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The government has not yet read the report in question, but we would object in the strongest terms to any suggestion that...

Det er da godt nok det tåbeligste jeg længe har læst... Kan ærlig talt ikke se hvad denne artikel skal på Psychedelia, er det en form for joke? Hvis pro-legaliseringsbevægelsen skal tages seriøst, så skal der godt nok andre boller på suppen.

Jeg sad faktisk også og rystede på hovedet... er absolut pro legalisering; men de argumenter der er da helt i skoven og usaglige... mon ikke man bare er inspireret af Nutt og gerne vil have sit navn i avisen; men bare ikke er skarpere?

På den anden side tror jeg ikke at en legalisering altid ville gavne folket. Det afhänger ganske enkelt af det pågäldende lands kultur. Vi ser jo at både Sverige og Danmark har en stor og skadelig drukkultur, medens Italien og Frankrig, som har en mindre restriktiv politik i praxis, ikke har en lignende. Dette burde få en til at indse at loven ikke er altavgörende for konsumption, det er derimod kultur som spiller en afgörende rolle. Spörgsmålet er så, i hvilken udsträkning vores alkoholvaner kan ovrsättes til narkovaner. jeg tror ikke at man kan det. Forskellige stoffer hörer til forskellige kulturelle kredse. Det skulle dog väre spändende at se hvordan stofkulturen ville udvikle sig, hvis man legaliserede. MDMA er på nuvärende tidspunkt ganske isoleret hos teknotrampere og andet udskud (jeg driller bare, ikke dräb mig), og deres forbrug skulle näppe påvirkes af en legalisering. LSD har jo også en ret så specifik skare af anvendere, hvorimod cannabis er en langt mere almindelig drog.

Alt i alt tror jeg ikke at vi er modne til at slippe stofferne fri, men jeg tror at vi er modne til at arbejde os i den retning. Man burde satse på undervisning og forskning.