On 19th February, Professor Alex Stevens of SSPSSR at the University of Kent debated drug policy with Julian Brazier, MP for Canterbury.
At the invitation of the Kent Debating Society, Prof. Stevens proposed the motion ‘this house would decriminalise the possession of illicit drugs’. After a feisty and thorough debate, his motion was supported by a large majority of the audience of students and members of the public.
Alex Stevens is Professor in Criminal Justice and Deputy Head of the University of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research at the Medway campus.
The Kent Debating Society, winner of ‘Best new society’ in 2010, was established to encourage a positive reputation for Kent University in debating regionally, nationally and internationally. The society aims to provide an environment where students of all backgrounds and abilities (both socially and academically) can engage in debating and by doing so develop confidence, empathy and strength of convictions through not only the art of arguing but the art of listening.