Transcript Roger Howard

How the governance of drug policy affects
demand regulation
BGIPU Drug policy reform seminarLondon October 2013
Roger Howard
Former Chief Executive, UK Drug Policy Commission
Governance & Policy-definitions
clarity
• [Drug] policy governance is the processes
and mechanisms by which policy is
directed, controlled and held to account.
• [Drug] policy as the pattern of legislation
and government action that aims to affect
the use of drugs and the related problems.
2
Why is the governance of drug
policy important?
Impacts
• Health & socio-economic costs
• Organised crime, corruption,
unrest
• Undermines civil governance
system
Public
spending
• £4-5bn public spending in UK
• Limited evidence of policy
effectiveness & VFM
Policy
responses
• Global manifestation
• Evidence contested & ideological
• Unintended consequences
3
Objectives & scope of UKDPC
review
Develop a ‘good’ governance
framework to examine how drug policy
is developed, implemented and
scrutinised
Assess how well the UK processes for
drug policy meet the ‘good’
governance framework
Make proposals for improving the
‘system’
4
People involved (total 109)
Politicians
Public
officials
Drug
policy
experts
Former
Home
Secretaries/
Ministers
(5)
Permanent
Secretaries
(5)
Gov’t
advisors
(15)
Civil society
orgs (11)
Parliament
members
(13)
Civil
servants
(25)
Int’ntl and
UK experts
(32)
National
media (3)
Civil
society
5
8 ‘good governance’
characteristics for drug policy
① Overarching goals
② Effective leadership
③ Good coordination of policy efforts
④ Policy design with options & evaluation
⑤ Development and use of evidence
⑥ Implementation resources & flexibility
⑦ Accountability and scrutiny mechanisms
⑧ Stakeholder engagement
6
Governance & policy are
symbiotic
Unclear/contest
ed policy goals
Governance
structures
inadequate
Evidence of
impacts limited
Inability to
audit/assess
effectiveness &
VFM
7
Using Governance for national
demand regulation innovation
Governance theme
Country
Demand regulation
innovation
Political consensus &
leadership
Portugal
Uruguay
Decriminalise possession
New regulatory regime for
cannabis
Using referenda
Switzerland
USA (Oregon/Washington)
Prescribed heroin
Marijuana legalisation
Independent expert advice
New Zealand (Law
Commission)
Regulation & licensing of
new drugs
Accountability
England (National Audit
Office)
Validation of treatment
expenditure
US (GAO)
Found media youth
campaign ineffective
Czech Republic
Decriminalisation
Netherlands, Germany +
Harm reduction (eg Drug
8
consumption rooms)
Evidence & research
“How to make drug policy better: key findings
from UKDPC research into drug policy
governance”
Report available for download on the UKDPC
website at: www.ukdpc.org.uk
For more information: [email protected]