Written by Evie Goodwin, Broadcast Journalist, University of Kent
The research of Professor Alex Stevens from the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research at Kent has helped change the response to drug use in the UK. By collaborating with politicians, police and healthcare practitioners, Stevens’ research has helped to inform major policy changes to provide alternatives to criminalising drug possession and prevent drug related deaths.
A common misconception about decriminalising drug use is that it will lead to a rise in the number of users. However, work undertaken by Stevens’ and Dr Caitlin Hughes disproves this; their collaborative research on drugs in Portugal led to a public-health focused approach to drug use and included the first international peer-reviewed publication on this topic. The Portugal study showed solid evidence for the benefits of decriminalisation which could provide important lessons for other countries, including the UK, Ireland and Norway.
In the UK, Alex’s research has had a great effect on political practice. His research on the Portugal model has informed the drug decriminalisation policies of major parties including the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party. By engaging with government, Alex has had a direct impact on the development of policies which change lives affected by drug use and possession. Figures taken from his research have been directly used in parliamentary debates and the Health and Social Care Committee has used his work to officially recommend decriminalisation. The chair of the committee said ‘it was especially helpful to be able to draw on his expertise on the public health approach and decriminalisation in Portugal and elsewhere.’
Stevens has engaged with local and international media to ensure the impact of his important research is widely felt. He has been invited to discuss his work on several major UK outlets including Radio 4’s Today programme and World at One, as well as on the BBC World Service. Stevens’ media engagement is not confined to the UK however. Internationally, his research has been reported, among numerous articles, in the LA Times, Sydney Morning Times, Canberra Herald, and the Canadian National Post, as well as several Irish newspapers and the Irish national broadcaster, RTE.
In 2019 Stevens spoke at Oslo University in a two-day seminar, in which he presented his research to members of the Norwegian Government. Norway voted to decriminalise drug possession in 2017, and the government used Stevens’ contributions to develop an updated report in 2019 to supplement Norwegian policy and provide continuing evidence for the benefits of decriminalisation.
Drug-related deaths in the UK have risen dramatically since 2012, with over 4000 recorded in 2018. UK drug charity Release recognises Alex Stevens as ‘one of the most respected and trusted academics in the field’. His work has been vital in the effort to bring a more public health conscious, people-focused approach to drug decriminalisation in the UK, alongside reducing drug-related deaths.