Less strict drug laws have had a negative impact on the youth, especially the ones from the economically weaker black community. Mr. Leroy Logan, a police superintendent in the economically deprived and mostly black populated Hackney district in London, has come out openly against the Labour government’s proposal for re-classification of drugs. Cannabis was reclassified from Class B to Class C substance three years ago.
It has been found now that the use of cannabis among the black youth has increased alarmingly as the punishment, as per the relaxed laws, is only a formal warning. The people charged earlier were in the twenties but now many of them are young teens. Increased sale of the substance has also made it cheaper, making it more easily available to the youth. Increased drug addiction among youth has also led to a rise in reported cases of drug-related psychosis and related conditions.
The relaxation in the drug laws was favoured as it was initially found to reduce friction between drug users and police officers.
Public opinion is varied, since some people see the soft laws as a ploy of the Labour government to appease the blacks while several others, like Logan who is a black himself, think the police must remain a force to ensure the implementation of more stringent sanctions at all levels of the criminal justice system and should not compromise on the issue under any circumstances as this will damage the social fabric and result in an increase in criminal activities across different sections of the society.