Forget decriminalisation, it's about street drug regulation, former cop will say
A former undercover drugs squad officer turned campaigner is to argue for regulation of street drugs at a University of Manchester event called Street Drugs in the Northern Powerhouse: Perspective and Policy, on 28 March.
Neil Woods worked with the police for 14, years, posing as a crack or heroin addict to infiltrate criminal drugs gangs around the UK.
After deciding the war on drugs has failed, he now works for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) with current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice system.
At the symposium , he will argue for a replacement of the prohibition-based war on drugs with a system of regulation to remove the dependency of addicts on gangsters.
Professor David Nutt, Imperial College London, Professor Fiona Measham, Durham University, Dr. Tim Millar, University of Manchester, Professor Val Curran, University College London and Professor Ash Soni OBE from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society are all speaking at the event.
Mr Woods said: "In the context of drugs, legalisation is a meaningless word. It is also a word which provokes a fearful response that should be reserved for reality.
"The reality is that we should genuinely be fearful of how far the status quo in drug policy will take us.
"As we witness record drug deaths and harms, child exploitation, a prison crisis and industrial scale hypocrisy, it's time we feared the current trajectory."
Co-Organiser of the event is Professor Jo Neil, Professor of Psychopharmacology and President of the British Association for Psychopharmacology.
She said: "This symposium features world experts in the use and misuse of street drugs. It is a collaboration between BAP and the University of Manchester, and launches the BAP President's one-day biennial symposium.
"Our aim is to raise awareness of the issues surrounding street drugs, to encourage informed debate and to consider the argument for legalisation."
Provided by University of Manchester
