Thread by @Release_drugs

.@WestMidsPCC announces proposals to reduce drug harms, including:

- Offering education/treatment instead of criminalisation to people who use drugs
- Increasing access to overdose-reversing med naloxone
- Considering the intro of drug consumption rooms

westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/news/news-2018…

.@WestMidsPCC: “By 2020, I hope many of these proposals are in place and having an effect – reducing crime, but also the suffering of those addicted to drugs. These proposals will save the public sector money by reducing the strain on services”
theguardian.com/politics/2018/…

Diversion schemes for possession of drugs have been successfully implemented by both Durham and Bristol police forces, with both areas reporting reduced reoffending for people who are diverted away from the criminal justice system.
vice.com/en_uk/article/…

The @WestMidsPCC's call to consider drug consumption rooms (DCRs) is rooted in evidence and must be welcomed. By providing a safe and sterile place for people to use drugs, DCRs can save lives, provide treatment access, reduce strain on emergency services, and make streets safer

The Government must consider the insight of police officers, many of whom are on the frontline of the so-called war on drugs, witnessing the horrific impacts that prohibition has across the country

Read our full statement on the @WestMidsPCC's report: release.org.uk/sites/default/…