The results are in. Our competition for the worst British law of all time turned into a two-horse race pretty early on and stayed that way. It was the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 vs the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The drug law took it, but a narrow margin. Its first child, the psychoactive substances bill (which admittedly isn't actually a law yet) took third place.
We look at the startling failures which have followed the bill's passing and the government's refusal to even try to test whether it was working during this time. It is an oddly seductive bit of legislation to talk about. It failed so catastrophically on every possible level that you can't help but marvel at it, in the same way you slow down near an accident.
Elsewhere we assess the country's growing obesity crisis, with a piece which recommends early treatment rather than more authoritarian approaches, such as raising the price of unhealthy foods. The key is in education and earlier intervention in problem cases, before surgery becomes necessary or attractive. A small investment here could save the NHS millions in the long-run. | |
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