UK world’s biggest exporter of legal cocaine and heroin for medical use The UK is the world’s biggest exporter of legal cocaine and heroin for medical use, according to a new report. […]

The UK is the world’s biggest exporter of legal cocaine and heroin for medical use, according to a new report. The nation is also the world’s largest importer and consumer of legal cocaine, as well as the biggest manufacturer of heroin, for medicinal purposes, the UN’s International Narcotics Control Board has revealed.

The UK imported 330kg, exported 56kg, and consumed 90kg of legal cocaine for medical use in 2016, the latest figures show. The country now accounts for 86 per cent of global legal cocaine imports, and almost half of global cocaine consumption for medical purposes.

“We know what effective regulation looks like – we only have to look at our world-beating legal industry.” The i newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Steve Rolles, Senior Policy Analyst, Transform

Some 627kg of heroin was manufactured here, over half the global total of 1.1 tons. The UK was also the largest exporter of legal heroin during 2016: exporting 534.5 kg of heroin, 84.9 per cent of the global total.

Switzerland buys twice the amount of heroin than the next biggest importer, the Netherlands, as the drug is prescribed for individuals with long-term opiate dependency.

Ingredients

In the UK, heroin is grown on farms in the south east of England where it is harvested and processed into what is called an “active pharmaceutical ingredient” (API). This API is then passed on to UK pharmaceutical firms to be turned into doses of drugs, such as diamorphine – a powerful opioid that is used for pain relief. Cocaine and its derivatives are still popular local anesthetics in some countries during operations of the ear, nose and throat.

Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst at Transform, the drug policy and law reform charity which supports the legalisation of drugs, said: “The Government doesn’t advertise the fact that the UK is the world leader in the legal cocaine and heroin industries. But what is striking is not how successful the UK is in these legal medical markets, but how very different they are from the parallel illegal trade in the same drugs for non-medical use.

“With the UK’s legal heroin and cocaine there is no deforestation and toxic aerial spraying; no funding for paramilitary or terrorist groups; no enrichment of violent cartels; no exploitation of impoverished drug couriers; no street dealing and gang violence; and no adulterated drugs or sharing of dirty needles in back streets. These problems are entirely created by prohibition, and they disappear when these drugs are strictly regulated and taxed.

“Drug prohibition doesn’t get rid of drugs – it just hands the market to criminals and makes it vastly more dirty and dangerous. We know what effective regulation looks like – we only have to look at our world-beating legal industry.”