It is Citywide's view that drug use should be addressed as a social and health issue rather than as a criminal justice issue. We support decriminalisation of possession of drugs for personal use. We do not believe any person should be deemed a criminal simply because he/she uses a drug.  Criminalising a person for drug use can affect their whole future and has a potential negative impact on them in many aspects of their lives, including employment, accessing training, future travel, getting a visa, and getting insurance.

We believe that addressing the social and health issues relating to drug use is a more positive and effective approach, both for the drug user and for wider society.  We do not argue that decriminalisation is a panacea for problem drug use, and it will require resources and investment, however, it is clear that the consequences of drug use are made worse by addressing them through the criminal justice system rather than the health system.  

Decriminalisation

• How criminalisation impacts globally
• Current situation in Ireland
• Impacts of decriminalisation
• UN and decriminalisation
• Which countries have decriminalised and how?
• Evidence overviews
• FAQS