ABSTRACT
One of the intentions of this work has been to alert the reader to the complex nature of the illicit drug scene. At one and the same time illicit drug use in the UK is seen as morally wrong, and thus subject to legal sanctions, as well as being pharmaceutically dangerous, making it in need of control by the medical profession. Yet despite this formidable level of official sanction and concern, a significant minority of the British population claims some form of illicit drug use. Equally, while having to contend with its own drug problem, the UK is subject to the pressure and influence of a huge global illicit drug industry that grows, manufactures and distributes a product for which there is a seemingly inexorable demand. In some producing countries, the illicit drug industry has a major impact on economic well-being, making it difficult to impose meaningful sanctions. In an effort to control this global problem the UK, with a host of other nations, has become a signatory to international anti-drug treaties, alongside which it has developed its own, domestic policies.
