Drug policies affect everyone, whether they use drugs or not. Our drug laws have handed a multi-billion pound market to organised crime, imprisoned thousands of people, and made drugs more dangerous.

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The price of the war on drugs is enormous. It costs billions to police and creates an enormous social toll. At the same time it creates vast profits for global organised crime.

Here you can find key statistics on the impact of drug policy in terms of both enforcement and the wider costs to society.

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Drug policy is global. The laws that affect your communities are based on United Nations conventions, which are applied across the globe.

Find out more about how the international drug control system works: who makes the decisions, and how they affect you.

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UK Drug laws are shaped by the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. But legislation has been amended over the years and supplemented by new laws.

Find out more about how UK drug laws operate, and how they impact on everyone's lives.

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Over the years, Transform has developed a detailed model of how we can regulate currently illegal drugs - with the strictness of the licensing regime based on a detailed assessment of risk.

We break our model into five broad areas: ranging from unlicensed sale in shops through to strictly controlled, prescription-only supply.


Drug policy can be complicated. One of the biggest challenges is understanding the meaning of technical terms - all of which can make a big difference.

If you want to make sure you understand the difference between decriminalisation and legal regulation, or between stimulants and psychedelics, check in our glossary.


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The time is right for real reform of our drug laws – and you can help. Please support us by giving what you can.