London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Anti-drug work 'not making difference needed'

Anti-drug work 'not making difference needed'

Work done in Wales to tackle drug use has not made the difference needed, according to a police chief.
South Wales Police chief constable Matt Jukes said investment to tackle the problem over the past decade has not done enough.

The Welsh Government provides more than £50m every year responding to drug and alcohol addiction.

But Mr Jukes said it was now time to do "something different" amid rising levels of drug-related deaths.

The rate of drug deaths in Wales increased by 84% between 2008 and 2018 - from 39 to 72 deaths per one million population. By 2018, it was more than double that in London.

"We are arresting people every single day but an untreated addict is estimated to commit £26,000 worth of crime a year to fund that habit - so there has to be more focus around treatment," said Mr Jukes.

"The rate of drugs deaths is twice that in London. So we can look back over a decade, understand it's been very difficult for the services after a period of austerity.

"But we've got to look forward and be prepared to look at the evidence around different interventions, whether that is things like safe consumption rooms (or) heroin-assisted treatment."

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones previously said it was a "national scandal" that people were "dying needlessly" because governments had refused to acknowledge a radical new approach to drug policy was needed.

Mr Jones, a former police inspector, called for "fix rooms" to be introduced as the current approach of tackling drugs is "doomed to continue failing".

The Welsh Government said more than 91% of people began treatment for substance misuse within 20 days of referral.

However, it said any plans for medically-supervised injecting centres was a matter for the UK government.

Mr Jukes believes Wales is the ideal location for such a pilot scheme, given Swansea and Neath Port Talbot had the highest rates of drug-related deaths in the UK between 2016 and 2018, after Blackpool.

Swansea also had the highest death rate from opioids in England and Wales.

"If not here then where?" said Mr Jukes.

"You can see high levels of drugs harm in those communities increase sharply in the second half of the last decade.

"Levels which go beyond what you see in other countries and well beyond what you see in other parts of Europe, (so) we need to do something different."

Mr Jukes said decriminalising drugs was not the immediate answer and could be a "distraction".

He added: "We need to be hard on organised criminals but we need to support the people who are driving a market which brings that kind of violence and harm into communities as well."

The Welsh Government said it was committed to reducing the effect of substance misuse to people and wider society.

Its Substance Misuse Plan focuses on addressing mental health issues associated with addiction and tackling substance misuse among the homeless and prison population.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×