The idea
The legalisation and Government control of all current substances that are classified as illegal.
Why is it important?
The judicial system will never overcome the 'problem' of drugs, for every supplier taken out of circulation by the police a 'turf war' follows to take over the territory, resulting in more criminal behaviour.
Every teenager either knows where to get any variety of drug or knows someone who knows how and where to obtain the drug of their choice.
If 40% or 30800 of the E&W prison population is in prison for drug related offences at an average cost of £28000 per year (estimate), that equates to £862 million per year
The legalisation and government control of all all drugs would save this amount plus the cost of the social services, probation services, police investigation, court costs etc. The government control will bring in a revenue and allow targetted services to support and counsel users are part of their 'licence' to purchase. The cost saving to the NHS came only be imagined if proper control were in place with clean supplies at managed prices.
To take such a political decision would be huge, but politicians have to be brave, radical and sometime accept that our current approach to this problem is never going to work. There is a groundswell of opinion that supports this route among eminent and educated individuals from all spectrums, listen to them and be bold enough to explore the possibility.