It is absolutely astonishing to see Bournemouth University hosting a conference on teen drug use, only to feature our Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick, who is actively campaigning to reclassify cannabis as a Class A drug.
This isn’t just a difference of opinion; it’s a stark disregard for evidence-based research that overwhelmingly demonstrates criminalising drug use simply does not work. Countless studies, including those by the UK Home Office, the WHO, and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, have concluded there’s “no apparent correlation between the toughness of a country’s approach and the prevalence of adult drug use.” In fact, countries that have moved towards decriminalisation, like Portugal, have seen reductions in drug-related deaths and even usage rates.
A university, of all institutions, is supposed to be a bastion of critical thinking, academic rigour, and the pursuit of truth through evidence. Platforming a speaker whose policy proposals fly in the face of established public health and criminology research on drug policy is not just disappointing; it’s a betrayal of those academic principles. It legitimises a punitive, failed approach that has devastating real-world consequences.
We know that “tough on drugs” policies don’t deter use. What they do is fuel organised crime, overburden our justice system, and disproportionately target and criminalise Black children and other minority youth. This perpetuates systemic inequalities, creating lifelong barriers to education, employment, and mental health support for the very young people this conference is supposedly meant to help.
Bournemouth University needs to reflect on the message this platforming sends. We need intelligent, compassionate, and evidence-led solutions to drug use that focus on public health, education, and harm reduction, not archaic and harmful criminalisation. Do better, Bournemouth University.
