Drugs: International comparators

This report describes the findings of the Coalition Government’s international comparators study of approaches to drugs misuse and drug addiction. The UK Government has considered a range of policy and operational responses to drugs in other countries and reviewed the evidence of their impacts, where possible drawing out contrasts and similarities with the UK Government’s own Drug Strategy.

During 2013 and 2014, ministers and officials from the Home Office took part in fact-finding visits to, and discussions with, eleven countries: Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States of America and Uruguay. UK Home Office officials also undertook desk-based research on policies in a number of other countries including the Netherlands.

Based on what the authors saw during their fact-finding, and grounded in an understanding of the drugs situation in the UK, they identified a set of themes to focus on – responses to drugs which stood out as particularly innovative, widely discussed, or relevant to the UK situation. They then undertook further research and analysis of the evidence base around each of these themes.

The report concludes that there is no evidence that tough enforcement of the drug laws on personal possession leads to lower levels of drug use.

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