The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the history of relevant legislation before and after the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA).
A chronological narrative of laws and reports with concluding discussion.
That UK legislators have not made use of the evidence base available to them and have favoured enforcement rather than treatment approaches. That current UK practice has exacerbated not contain the use of and harms caused by illegal drugs.
The paper does not cover all relevant documents, especially those from non-governmental sources.
The practical implications centre on the failure of consecutive governments to reflect on and review the impact of current legislation, especially on people who use drugs.
That the situations of people who use drugs are currently ignored by the government and those proven responses which save lives and reduce harm are rejected.
The paper attempts to show the historical contexts of control and dangerousness of which the MDA is one instrument.
