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Drug Policy
There have been a number of changes to the government drug policy since independence. Policy has swung back and forth in those years before settling on a happy medium in the 2030s. Since then, policy has come to accept that outright prohibition will not deter the stupid from taking drugs and inflicting self harm upon themselves. Likewise, ending prohibition has serious social consequences with increased mental and general health costs and an increase in drug related deaths are a drain on the economic viability of the state. High crime rates can be traced to drug use. Crime causes social dislocation and a breakdown of community values as people become wary and untrusting of others
In New England, both extremes of drug policy have been trialled. Prohibition and zero tolerance approaches from 2015 to 2020 yielded little change in the number of users on the street. Likewise, a Dutch style policy with live and let live led to the decriminalisation of many drugs between 2026 and 2030 led to increased deaths and overdoses. Neither of these polices worked. In 2032 the government decided on a change in policy which has survived to the present day. The scheme sets three main target areas to reduce the usage of Schedule A drugs in New England. These are supply, demand and cause.
- Policy Outline
- Drug Scheduling & Penalties
- Alcohol, Tobacco and Caffeine Drug Policy
- Repeat Offenders
Policy Outline
Supply - 75% of all shipping containers are checked and inspected in New England. Computerised checking can check containers using robots, scanners and drug detecting devices that pick up chemical signatures. Suspicious containers or those that can be tracked from drug producing regions are all manually inspected. All air passengers are inspected and scanned for suspicious packages. Shipyards and airports are sealed areas with access managed by the National Dockyard Police Branch. Dealers face immediate five gaol sentences for selling Schedule A drugs of any quantity.
Demand - All users who take drugs and overdose are liable for all medical expenses. The Medibank system does not cover deliberate and wanton self harm. Users who insist on taking recreational drugs can be subject to the provisions of the Mental Health Act if they self harm on more then two occasions. Institutionalisation is used in certain circumstances
Cause - Social reasons for taking drugs are addressed through education and adequate recreation. Reduced working hours reduces stress related drug use. Social drug use, which had been rampant in certain subcultures, has been addressed by schemes to reduce social isolation and discrimination. Another cause of drug use was the need to enjoy oneself or have better sexual encounters, both of which can be countered by better living and good, broad education. Sport is also encouraged as it provides a natural release of many of the compounds that have been synthesised for recreational drug users.
Drug Scheduling & Penalties
Gaoling a drug offender is generally not seen as desirable or effective. Most users are still able to function is society to some extent (except when they are intoxicated) and gaoling them is not a worthwhile expenditure of resources. Gaol is not an option to be used lightly. Whilst dealing can expect gaol for a first offence, users are usually dealt with in other ways.
Persons using Schedule A drugs can be declared legally insane and forcibly treated for their addiction. This is made possible by medical advances made in recent years to disrupt the drug's hold over neural receptors. Schedule A drugs interfere with the functionality of the individual within the community. While physical damage from taking these drugs is often irreversible, the effects of the drug can be shaken off using treatments to destroy the interference of the drug on the body and so free up the individual to behave in a more appropriate manner.
The penalties for drug offences depend on the class of drug involved. Class A drugs are deemed to be the most dangerous and attract the highest penalty. The maximum penalties possible are as follows:
| Drug Scheduling & Penalties | ||||
| Offence | Court | Schedule A | Schedule B | Schedule C |
| Possession | Magistrates | 6 months / C5,000 fine | 3 months / C2,500 fine | 3 months / C500 fine |
| County | 7 years / unlimited fine | 5 years / unlimited fine | 2 years / unlimited fine | |
| Supply | Magistrates | 1 year / C10,000 fine | 6 months / C5,000 fine | 3 months / C2,500 fine |
| County | Life / unlimited fine | 14 years / unlimited fine | 14 years / unlimited fine | |
Alcohol, Tobacco and Caffeine Drug Policy
Tobacco is now listed as a Schedule B drug. Smoking is banned everywhere in New England. The sale, importation or growing of tobacco products is prohibited and can attracts fines beginning at C5,000.
Alcohol is the only significantly dangerous drug available in New England. It is listed as a Schedule O drug, meaning that it can be purchased by anyone over the age of eighteen who is not obvious intoxicated. The culture of irresponsible use was targeted by the police, courts, education, and health authorities for many years and has by and large removed the habit for young people to binge drink.
High caffeine drinks and foods are banned in New England. Double shot coffee is the strongest drink available, but is seldom offered for sale. Drinking coffee or tea should not be about needing a drug hit to stay awake, the culture of all-nighters and the like is not looked upon favourably by teacher, professors and employers. In any event, coffee is not nearly as popular as tea, which sells double the number of equivalent cups a year. The taking of tea is tradition that has been preserved, and most New Englanders will attend or host a garden party at some point every year.
Repeat Offenders
In 2032 the government sought to resolve the cost of treating repeat offenders. The government decided that if a person is treated three times and falls into addiction a fourth time, then the state can revoke a person's right to remain in society and place them into a psychiatric facility. This is done because the person that abuses themselves four times is clearly a danger to themselves and the community at large.
The judiciary was given a number of legal options for dealing with repeat offenders. Like the control of religious cults, clear protocols with adequate checks and balances are required to deal with addicts. The court must weigh up the severity of the addiction, with the general health and wellbeing (physical and mental) of the addict taken into account. Other factors considered include the type of drug(s) being taken and how often as well as any criminal behaviour that was carried out by the defendant to fund the addiction, including environmental impacts. Finally, previous treatments are assessed for their success in dealing with the addict and are tabled alongside the legal deterrents that were put in place when the addict was previously before the court. The court will then take a round of character references to determine the reputation of the addict. If these are good, a lighter sentence can be considered.
The prosecution is then asked to present a Social Impact Assessment of the addict, which lists what threats the person poses to society, what the cost of treatment will be and what damage the person has caused to society through the addiction. The court is asked to decide what punishment is required. It can recommend mandatory detoxification with the option of random testing for life. These treatments were ruled to be legal by the Supreme Court in 2037. The court can place a person into corrective care, with punishments ranging from house detention to full imprisonment.
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