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| Drugs swoops 'have little impact' | Drugs swoops 'have little impact' |
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| Police are fighting a losing battle against drugs crime, with seizures having little impact on cutting supply or reducing demand, research suggests. | Police are fighting a losing battle against drugs crime, with seizures having little impact on cutting supply or reducing demand, research suggests. |
| The UK Drug Policy Commission says that, despite the large sums of money spent tackling the problem, traditional police tactics are not working. | The UK Drug Policy Commission says that, despite the large sums of money spent tackling the problem, traditional police tactics are not working. |
| It says the £5.3bn British drugs market is too "fluid" for law enforcement agencies to cut supply. | It says the £5.3bn British drugs market is too "fluid" for law enforcement agencies to cut supply. |
| It says more should be done to reduce the effect of drugs on communities. | It says more should be done to reduce the effect of drugs on communities. |
| A Home Office spokesperson said: "The government agrees that enforcement in isolation is not effective." | A Home Office spokesperson said: "The government agrees that enforcement in isolation is not effective." |
| UK Drugs market: expenditure and seizures | UK Drugs market: expenditure and seizures |
| Price mark-ups along supply chain | Price mark-ups along supply chain |
| The report, titled Tackling Drug Networks and Distribution Networks in the UK, concludes that, although the amount of Class A drugs seized between 1996 and 2005 doubled, the market proved to be "extremely resilient". | The report, titled Tackling Drug Networks and Distribution Networks in the UK, concludes that, although the amount of Class A drugs seized between 1996 and 2005 doubled, the market proved to be "extremely resilient". |
| This was despite 12% and 9% of the heroin and cocaine respectively in Britain being impounded during the same period. | This was despite 12% and 9% of the heroin and cocaine respectively in Britain being impounded during the same period. |
| It is very difficult to show that increasing drug seizures actually leads to less drug-related harm David Blakey UK Drug Policy Commission class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7531387.stm">More women used as drug mules | |
| It says dealers are able to adapt quickly to interruptions in supply, for instance by reducing purity, and this enables them to maintain their profit margins. | It says dealers are able to adapt quickly to interruptions in supply, for instance by reducing purity, and this enables them to maintain their profit margins. |
| The report estimates that between 60% and 80% of drugs would need to be seized to put major traffickers out of business - yet crackdowns on such a scale have never been achieved in the UK. | The report estimates that between 60% and 80% of drugs would need to be seized to put major traffickers out of business - yet crackdowns on such a scale have never been achieved in the UK. |
| Instead, the study's authors suggest that the government concentrates on the "collateral damage" of the trade - sex markets, gangs, human trafficking, corruption, drug-related crime and anti-social behaviour. | Instead, the study's authors suggest that the government concentrates on the "collateral damage" of the trade - sex markets, gangs, human trafficking, corruption, drug-related crime and anti-social behaviour. |
| They add that resources should be focused on disrupting "street-level markets" and tackling violence and intimidation in communities. | They add that resources should be focused on disrupting "street-level markets" and tackling violence and intimidation in communities. |
| The criminal justice costs of class A drugs alone are estimated at £4bn a year. | The criminal justice costs of class A drugs alone are estimated at £4bn a year. |
| Tim McSweeney, one of the report's authors, said: "We were struck by just how little evidence there is to show that the hundreds of millions of pounds spent on UK enforcement each year has made a sustainable impact." | Tim McSweeney, one of the report's authors, said: "We were struck by just how little evidence there is to show that the hundreds of millions of pounds spent on UK enforcement each year has made a sustainable impact." |
| David Blakey of the UK Drug Policy Commission said that enforcement agencies tended to be judged by the amount they had managed to capture. | David Blakey of the UK Drug Policy Commission said that enforcement agencies tended to be judged by the amount they had managed to capture. |
| "This is a pity as it is very difficult to show that increasing drug seizures actually leads to less drug-related harm," he added. | "This is a pity as it is very difficult to show that increasing drug seizures actually leads to less drug-related harm," he added. |
| A Home Office spokesperson said seizures were only part of the government's approach, with intervention programmes getting 1,000 offenders each week into drug treatment. | A Home Office spokesperson said seizures were only part of the government's approach, with intervention programmes getting 1,000 offenders each week into drug treatment. |
| "Many of the report's recommendations are already being implemented," the spokesperson added. | "Many of the report's recommendations are already being implemented," the spokesperson added. |
| "Our drugs strategy encompasses enforcement, prevention, education and treatment." | "Our drugs strategy encompasses enforcement, prevention, education and treatment." |