In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

by Gabor Maté

A major study conducted on behalf of the British government in 2005 illustrated both the rich benefits that current drug legislation confers on major traffickers and the ludicrous impotence of law enforcement efforts against the drug trade. “The profit margins for major traffickers of heroin into Britain are so high they outstrip luxury goods companies such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci,” reported the Guardian. “The traffickers enjoy such high profits that seizure rates of 60–80% are needed to have any serious impact on the flow of drugs into Britain but nothing greater than 20% has been achieved.” Downing Street allowed only half the study’s findings to be published, prompting an opposition spokesperson to argue, with reason, that “what this report shows and what the government is too paranoid to admit is that the ‘war on drugs’ is a disaster. We need an evidence-led debate about the way forward but if they withhold the evidence we can’t have the debate.”7

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jul/05/drugsandalcohol.freedomofinformation