Dundee police take lessons from Colombia to tackle drugs

Police in Dundee are taking some lessons from Colombia to help tackle youth drug abuse. In the last five years police in Dundee have arrested 527 children and young adults for the possession and supply of a variety of class A, B and C drugs.

Shared Responsibility programme

Dundee police officers have adopted the Shared Responsibility programme to help to educate children about the problems that drug use causes. This is the same method that the Colombian government has been using to tackle its own cocaine drug gang culture.

The Shared Responsibility programme teaches children how the drugs market affects people all over the world, with the demand for drugs in the UK resulting in an increase in production in countries such as Colombia.

One area that is being highlighted is the environmental cost of buying cocaine. One gram of cocaine requires four square metres of land, with rainforest being cleared in Colombia to make way for cocaine farms.

Inspector Mark Duncan from Police Scotland spoke about the programme and the challenges that the police force is facing, saying: “Young people are particularly vulnerable to exposure to drugs and alcohol. The illegal drugs business creates victims, who are not just the user but also the parents, children and partners of users. We are involved in promoting school-based educational products such as Shared Responsibility from the Colombian government, informing young people about the harms involved in the cocaine business.”

In Dundee, 16- and 17-year-old boys are becoming increasingly connected with class A drugs, both in the use of and the supply; however, the biggest problems are still with class B drugs and legal highs.

If a war on drugs is to be effective, it must include educating young adults about the implications of using and dealing ‒ both in the UK and in the countries where drugs are produced.