In October, I announced that there would be a major independent review of drug misuse. This will look at a wide range of issues, including the system of support and enforcement around drug misuse, in order to inform our thinking about what more can be done to tackle drug harms. The review will make sure that we know as much as possible about who drug users are, what they are taking and how often, so that law enforcement agencies can target and prevent the drug-related causes of violent crime effectively. The review will also look at the health and social harms associated with drug use, identifying evidence-based approaches to preventing and reducing drug use, as well as where there are any gaps in the evidence about what works.
I am pleased to announce today that I have appointed Professor Dame Carol Black to lead the review. Dame Carol has a wealth of experience and I am confident that she will bring independence, integrity and a strong focus on analysis and evidence to the review.
The review will be held in two parts, with part one focusing on:
the demographics of drug use. This will look at demand, including who uses which types of drugs, together with patterns of, and motivations for, use; and
the drugs market. This will look at supply into and within the UK and how criminals meet the demand of users.
The scope of the second part will be determined once the first part has reported.
The review will focus only on England for those matters which are devolved and the UK for those matters which are reserved.
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