What is public opinion on drug law reform?
The polling data is contradictory as it appears to depend on how the question is asked. Several polls have shown support for legalising all drugs is around 10%, with a higher number – consistently over 50% – supporting legalisation of cannabis. Poor understanding of the term ‘legalisation’ may be part of the reason why support appears to be low. For example, there will be a much higher positive response to the question ‘would you make heroin available on prescription to addicts?’ than ‘would you legalise heroin?’ An ICM poll carried out on behalf of the Observer newspaper in April 2002 showed 4% supported the legalisation of all drugs. However the same poll also showed that 45% of those surveyed believed that decriminalising hard drugs would reduce street crime and burglary.[5] These polls show that the issues need to be better explained before we can gauge public opinion. We can be certain that exposure to informed debate will also increase public opinion in favour of legalisation and
In a poll of 1,292 voters for PoliticsHome in 2009, 52% of people in the UK believed that either some or all currently illegal drugs should be legalised, and 19% supported the legalisation of all currently illegal drugs. The polling data is contradictory however, depending on how the question is asked with poor understanding of the term ‘legalisation’ perhaps affecting support.
