A Comparison of the Cost-effectiveness of Prohibition and Regulation of Drugs

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Transform's 2009 report examines the benefits of prohibition versus the benefits of a legally regulated system of drug control – a comparison that has never been carried out in the UK or anywhere else in the world.

This initial analysis demonstrates that a move to legally regulated drug supply would deliver substantial benefits to the Treasury and wider community, even in the highly unlikely event of a substantial increase in use.

The report reveals how the prohibition of drugs is the root cause of almost all drug-related acquisitive crime, and that this crime constitutes the majority of drug-related harms and costs to society.