This chapter critically examines the UK’s drug classification system under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA), challenging the widely held belief that it is grounded in scientific evidence. While the system claims to categorise substances according to their harm, addiction potential, and societal impact, the reality is far more politically driven. Through an analysis of historical decisions, expert dissent, and international comparisons, the chapter exposes a persistent pattern in which political convenience, moral panic, and media pressure routinely override scientific advice. One of the most prominent examples of this disconnect is the dismissal of Professor David Nutt in 2009, following his criticism of the government’s refusal to reclassify drugs like cannabis and ecstasy in line with harm-based evidence. Nutt’s multi-criteria decision analysis demonstrated that legal substances like alcohol and tobacco cause significantly more harm than many Class A drugs. His dismissal, alongside media vilification, underscores the political risks faced by experts who challenge prohibitionist orthodoxy. The chapter explores how drug classification in the UK often reflects symbolic governance, shaped more by populist sentiment than public health needs. The reclassification of cannabis and the criminalisation of nitrous oxide, both made against the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), illustrate the marginalisation of evidence in favour of political theatre. It also highlights the consequences of this approach: misaligned enforcement priorities, entrenched stigma, and serious barriers to medical research—particularly for promising compounds like psilocybin and MDMA. By comparing UK policy to more progressive international models—such as Portugal’s decriminalisation strategy and Switzerland’s heroin-assisted treatment—the chapter makes the case for evidence-led reform. It argues that UK policy fails not only in harm reduction but also in scientific credibility, public trust, and social justice. The continued criminalisation of low-harm substances disproportionately affects marginalised populations while blocking innovation in mental health care. Ultimately, this chapter contends that the UK’s drug classification system is best understood as a myth of evidence-based policy—a rhetorical device masking ideological control. For reform to be meaningful, policymakers must move beyond moral posturing and engage with scientific evidence, independent expertise, and public health priorities. Until then, the UK’s drug laws will remain a cautionary example of how ideology can subvert evidence to the detriment of both science and society.

Based on Science?

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发表日期：

2025年

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Elizabeth Peatfield

摘要

This chapter critically examines the UK’s drug classification system under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA), challenging the widely held belief that it is grounded in scientific evidence. While the system claims to categorise substances according to their harm, addiction potential, and societal impact, the reality is far more politically driven. Through an analysis of historical decisions, expert dissent, and international comparisons, the chapter exposes a persistent pattern in which political convenience, moral panic, and media pressure routinely override scientific advice. One of the most prominent examples of this disconnect is the dismissal of Professor David Nutt in 2009, following his criticism of the government’s refusal to reclassify drugs like cannabis and ecstasy in line with harm-based evidence. Nutt’s multi-criteria decision analysis demonstrated that legal substances like alcohol and tobacco cause significantly more harm than many Class A drugs. His dismissal, alongside media vilification, underscores the political risks faced by experts who challenge prohibitionist orthodoxy. The chapter explores how drug classification in the UK often reflects symbolic governance, shaped more by populist sentiment than public health needs. The reclassification of cannabis and the criminalisation of nitrous oxide, both made against the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), illustrate the marginalisation of evidence in favour of political theatre. It also highlights the consequences of this approach: misaligned enforcement priorities, entrenched stigma, and serious barriers to medical research—particularly for promising compounds like psilocybin and MDMA. By comparing UK policy to more progressive international models—such as Portugal’s decriminalisation strategy and Switzerland’s heroin-assisted treatment—the chapter makes the case for evidence-led reform. It argues that UK policy fails not only in harm reduction but also in scientific credibility, public trust, and social justice. The continued criminalisation of low-harm substances disproportionately affects marginalised populations while blocking innovation in mental health care. Ultimately, this chapter contends that the UK’s drug classification system is best understood as a myth of evidence-based policy—a rhetorical device masking ideological control. For reform to be meaningful, policymakers must move beyond moral posturing and engage with scientific evidence, independent expertise, and public health priorities. Until then, the UK’s drug laws will remain a cautionary example of how ideology can subvert evidence to the detriment of both science and society.