Most drug transactions are for recreational drugs – primarily cannabis in countries such as the UK, but also a variety of “club” and “party” drugs. This, in turn, prevents police and governments from forming effective policies to tackle the issue. And the narrow stereotype of the violent, callous, profiteering drug dealer oversimplifies the everyday realities of people who buy, use and sell drugs.
There are many myths, which cloud people’s understanding of the risks associated with drugs. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, President Duterte has been blamed for the state sponsored, extra judicial killings of thousands of drug suppliers and users. US President Donald Trump has called for the death penalty for drug dealers, many of whom he states will “have killed thousands of people in their lifetime”. Society reserves a special kind of condemnation for the person who profits from selling drugs that might cause psychosis, overdose or death – among other outcomes.
