DRUGS
- Current laws
- Issue: Legalising Cannabis
- Proposed changes to laws
PAIRS
List all the laws you know
of that concern drugs.
RECENT CHANGES TO THE LAW
March 2006:
Smoking is banned in all enclosed
public places in Scotland.
PENALTIES:
• Fixed fine of £200 for managers who let
people smoke in their premises or for failing
to display no smoking signs.
• Fixed fine of £50 for individuals caught
smoking in a public place.
RECENT CHANGES TO THE LAW
January 2009:
Cannabis is reclassified from a Class C to a Class
B drug.
10 June 2013:
a temporary class drug order was made on two
groups of new psychoactive substances (or ‘legal
highs’) - NBOMe and benzofuran compounds –
making them illegal for 12 months.
GROUP TASK:
BRAINSTORM:
Why are police concerned about drug use
within our society?
• It could lead to other forms of crime
e.g. theft.
• Health implications of long term drug use
e.g. HIV, overdose, mental health problems.
• Encourage large scale criminals to become
involved in drug dealing.
• Scottish people identified drugs as the second
most important issue effecting the country.
• Over half of 16 year olds have experimented
with drugs.
EVIDENCE:
• By age 13 most kids have been offered drugs, by
age 16 most have tried a drug.
• In 2010 75% of drug related crimes were arrests
for possession.
• 27% of Scots have used drugs.
• Crimes related to drugs cost the UK £13.3 billion
every year.
Heading – Proposed changes to drugs
Question
In the United Kingdom, the laws
concerned with drugs are not working
and need to be changed.
Give arguments for and against the view. that
in the United Kingdom drugs laws are not
working and need to be changed.
(8 marks)
DRUGS
What do we know?