Government’s policies on drugs failing - Lamb

“These are horrifying statistics. The toll of damage from drugs is immense and the cost to the NHS is enormous," said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary. Commenting on today’s ONS statistics which reveal that deaths from drug overdoses are at an eight year high, Norman Lamb said:

“These are horrifying statistics. The toll of damage from drugs is immense and the cost to the NHS is enormous.

“The Government’s punitive policies and heavy-handed rhetoric on drugs are failing. Ministers must make sure that schools and public services work together to make sure that the message gets out that drugs kill.

“Ministers have been very good at talking tough when it comes to drugs, but this isn’t working. They must urgently re-think their strategy before even more lives are lost.”