Now, onto the meat of drug policy – what an independent Wales could do differently.
Let’s assume that recreational drugs which are currently illegal remain illegal after independence. What strategies would be available to an independent Wales in order to to “win” the domestic front in the War on Drugs?
Firstly, it’s worth deciding what “winning” the War on Drugs looks like.
Global Examples
Several countries take, what can be described, as a “zero tolerance” approach to drugs.
Despite being one of the main instigators of the “War on Drugs”, it would be difficult to include the United States on this particular list given that many US states have more liberal drug laws than Europe – particularly states that have legalised cannabis.
In terms of zero tolerance, ranging from “hardline” to “carrot over stick”:
- Extrajudicial Crackdown: The Philippines – Former populist president, Rodrigo Duterte, launched a pseudo-military crackdown on domestic drug cartels and gangs, resulting in over 6,200 people involved in the drugs trade being killed and up to 15,000 being arrested. Despite “drugs on the table” successes, the campaign is continuing with no sign of an end.
- Capital Punishment (see also: IndyWales & Capital Punishment): Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Middle East etc. – Southeast Asia has some of the strictest drug laws in the world, with most people facing the death penalty for smuggling (what would be considered in Europe to be) fairly small amounts.
- Strict Zero Tolerance: South Korea, Sweden, Slovakia etc. – There are several countries where the criminal penalties for drug-related crime are harsh. In many cases, there’s no distinction between “hard” and “soft” drugs (unlike the UK) and if you’re caught using, dealing or trafficking you could potentially face up to life imprisonment in some cases. In Sweden’s case, views on whether the approach has worked are mixed, with drug-related deaths being high by European standards despite receiving praise from the UN for their approach.
Conclusions
This kind of approach would be popular with conservatives – and anyone else from a community blighted by drug-related crime. It emphasises personal responsibility and would give the police a free hand to come down hard on both users and suppliers.
Given Welsh Labour’s paternalism, you could see someone from the centre or right of the party back a “zero tolerance” policy too.
The question that needs to be asked though is: “Does this approach work?” It’s a step up in intensity from what we already do . Yet no country – even those nations retaining the death penalty for drug-related offences – has managed to eliminate drug use.
