Analysis of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Policy and Its Impact

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, a UK policy aimed at addressing drug misuse and its impact on mental health. The report begins with an introduction to healthcare policies and their objectives, then delves into the specifics of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, including its launch, objectives, and the social issues it addresses. It explores how the issue of drug misuse gained prominence on the government's agenda, outlining the factors that led to the policy's formulation. The report examines the policy's objectives, such as preventing drug consumption, targeting criminals, and supporting individuals with drug dependence. It also discusses the policy formulation process, highlighting the role of various stakeholders and the importance of public health policy. The report concludes with a theoretical reflection on the framing and formulation of policies, providing a comprehensive understanding of the policy's development and its implications for public health.

UNDERSTANDING THE
POLICY PROCESS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Choose policy addressing a social issues and name of policies, when it was launched and by
who etc.........................................................................................................................................3
What issue in this policy is addressing and explore how did it get on government agenda........4
Outline the main policies objectives............................................................................................5
Discussion on aspect relevant to formulation process.................................................................6
Theoretical reflection on the process of framing and formulating polices. ................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Polices in Healthcare can be defined as vital tool that sets the actions that aids to
accomplish the desired outcomes. Therefore, the main object of healthcare policies and operation
is to convey to employees to accomplish the desirable outcomes of enterprise. Health policy may
be described as plans, decisions and actions that needs to be undertaken to accomplish the
specific object of health care within society.
The present report is based on Alcohol and drugs Mental health polices. Furthermore,
study will be based on the use of Alcohol that affects mental health of an individual.
Furthermore, report will lay emphasise on to select the policy that address the social
issues. Thus, discussion will be conducted on the general framing of the issues. Henceforth,
report will outlines the objective of policies to formulate the process effectively. Lastly,
reflection will be undertaken on the process of framing and formulating policies.
MAIN BODY
Choose policy addressing a social issues and name of policies, when it was launched and by who
etc.
The chosen policy for this assignment is “Misuse of Drugs act 1971” that has mainly
been formulated to address the common social issues that affects the Mental health of an
individual. Thus, use of drug misuse has harmful effect on health that make an individual
habitual on the drug dependence and this leads to be the part of the broad array of tough or
harmful behaviour (Miranda, Snowden and Legha, 2020). The aim of misuse of drug act is to
take the actions that helps to forbid the misuse of controlled drugs and this impose the complete
ban over the ownership, economic process and creating from raw materials and export of
controlled drugs except as allowed by the regulation and with licence from the secretary of state.
Thus, excessive use of drug has bad impact on the health (Sleigh, Schneider and Vayena, 2020).
The chosen policy of UK as “Misuse of Drugs act 1971” was introduced by the
Reginald Maudling. Therefore, the royal assent was taken on 27th may 1971. It is the act that has
been established by the advisory council of the misuse of drugs and this aids to provide
independent expert advice to the legal authorities on the operations of the act. Drug treatment can
lead to have significant reduction levels of offences and this enhances the broader criminal
justice that increasingly rise the forwarding source and venue for render the treatment of drug.
This policy is designed is to protect the public from the dangers of drug and the use of other

substances. Henceforth, this can be stated that the use of drugs and alcohol represent the
significant challenges for mental health services and for those who was seeking treatment for
mental illness (Goldman and Morrissey, 2020). However, the drug is mostly accompanied with
devastating social impact over the life of community. In this way, legal authorities is taking
initiatives to cope with the uses of drugs and its harmful impact on health.
What issue in this policy is addressing and explore how did it get on government agenda.
The policy as “Misuse of Drugs act 1971” is addressing the social issue as Mental
health. Due to over uses of Drugs an individual can suffer from of mental health problem such as
anxiety disorders, chromic disease and depression etc. Thus, legal authorities has taken the
varied step to come with the policy that can aware the people about the uses of Alcohol and Drug
within United Kingdom. Henceforth, this can be stated that the misuse of Drugs act 1971 has
established the legal model within which the unlawful substances are categorized as per their
detected characteristic and harmfulness at time when legal categorization has become
progressively contested. In addition to this, drug policy is defined as policy that has made by
legal authorities in relation to control and regulation of drugs considered as dangerous
(Signorelli, Odone and Pelissero, 2020). Therefore, this can be stated that the Health and social
care act 2012 made local authorities accountable for undertaking improvement in public health.
The main aim is to undertake the prevention measures from the misuse of controlled drugs and to
achieve this by imposing the complete ban on the ownership, economic process, trade good and
exportation, manufacture if the all kind of the controlled drugs except from those under
regulations or by the licence from the secretary of the state (Uyarra, Zabala-Iturriagagoitia and
Magro, 2020). Henceforth, this came under the government agenda on the basis of following
grounds as-:
 To prevent people from consuming drug.
 To target the people from criminals that seeks to profit from others misery and they also
restricting the availability of drugs.
 To offer individual with drug dependence problem the best chance of recovery by support
at each stage of life.
 To lead and drive action on the global scale.
It can be noted that drug misuse is one of the common issue among the people with the
mental health problems. As per the research, it has been indicated that 70% of the individual

within the community substances misuses the treatment that experience the mental illness. The
misuse of Drugs Regulation 2001 has created under the 1971 act is all about the licensing of
production, possession and supply of substances( Jansen, Van Oers and De Vries, 2010).
The memorandum of government stated that there were mainly two ways in which the
ACMD agenda has been determined. Firstly, the ACMD is the act that is statutorily obliged to
focus any relevant issue that has been referred to them by the legal authorities. In the second
way, the ACMD can be defined as the liberty to set their own agenda in response to concern that
is made aware through the professional experience (Anderson, Brownson and Land, 2005). The
uses of drugs impacts the all parts of the society and this also strain on the health care system
within the United Kingdom. In this agenda, it has been stated that the drug policy needs to be
regularly reviewed and this must have the support of higher authority to undertaken the steps that
aids to undertake things effectively.
Outline the main policies objectives.
The common objective of misuse of Drugs act 1971 has defined in the following manner
as are-:
 The 1971 Act has been made that provide the number of offences in relation to control
drugs and this is inclusive of the importing and exporting, manufacture, supply or
offering to supply, control and ownership with purpose to supply and permitting premises
to undertake the use of certain activities that is inclusive of the production or supply of
controlled drug and smoking soft drug (Miranda, Snowden and Legha, 2020).
 It is the act that provides Section 7 of the 1971 Act alter regulations that all are privileged
under the mere act that are from the range of the above offensive.
 The main aim of this policy is to have reduction in the uses of substances abuse that aids
to protect from from the health, safety and quality of life for all kind of the individuals.
 It is the act that has also decided the maximum penalties for the offences and this is
define under sections 3 to 8 of the 1971 Act, this is the act that may vary as per the class
of the controlled drugs, with high maxima if its apply for harmful drugs (Colebatch,
2005).
 The “Misuse of Drugs act 1971” has been constituted to undertake the advisory council
on the misuse of drugs and this also provide independent advice to the legal authorities

on the operations of the act. Henceforth, the ACMD act is responsible for following
grounds as are-
 To consider any substances that are being, appears to be and misused, capable of having
harmful impacts on the operational functions of the act ( Chatterjee, Chng and Reardon,
2020).
 To provide proper assistance in to carry out the in depth inquires into the aspect of drug
that are causing particular concern within the United Kingdom. This mainly aims towards
to producing report that can be helpful to makers of the policy and practitioner.
Henceforth, the National Institute on drug abuse has made the 2016 to 2020 NIDA strategic plan
and this has defined in following manner as are-:
Henceforth, the Central element of mission to NIDA is to focus on plan of action that
support and encourage the basic and clinical research on the uses of drugs and its consequences.
Thus, central mission of this policy is to support and conduct the biomedical research to prevent,
understand and to treat drug use and its consequences. In addition to this, the goal and objectives
objectives has laid out under this strategical plan and these as are-:
 To undertake identification on the biological, environmental, behavioural and social
causes and consequences of the uses of drugs.
 To take the initiatives that allows to develop and also improves the plan of actions that
prevents uses of drugs and its consequences.
 To undertake the steps that create new and developed treatments that aid people who uses
the substances.
 Enhancement in the impact of public health about the NIDA research and the relevant
programmes.
Discussion on aspect relevant to formulation process.
Policy formulations can be termed out as the development of the effective and acceptable
courses of actions that aids to addressing the thing that needs to be placed on the policy agenda.
In addition to this, health policy is defined as decision, plans and action that needs to be
undertaken to accomplish the specific health care goals within the society. In addition to this,
public health policy is the defined as dynamic and continuous process that has to be occurred
within the political context of constant negotiation (Jansen, Van Oers and De Vries, 2010 ). This
is the term that mainly identifies the processes of public health policy development on the

following grounds as are problem identification, setting of the agenda, policy formulation, to
undertake the process of implementation and to take the evaluation of the policy.
The one of the prime object of the health policy is to defend and upgrade the health of the
respective person and community. Henceforth, this can be stated that the most restrictive form of
the drug policy is to undergo drug criminalisation in which the manufacture, production, sale and
intake of the certain drugs are violation of the one or criminal statutes (Anderson, Brownson and
Land, 2005). The main aim of policy formulation under the health care is to boost safe working
environment for all the customers and this also guide staff in their action in relation to alcohol
and use of substances and this also render the information and recommendation that supports the
well-being of the consumer after their discharge.
This report is based on Alcohol and drugs mental health polices within United Kingdom.
There are the main tow categories of the national drug policy. In this the first categories comes
with the process as demand reduction, consist of prevention, treatments and rehabilitation
activities. There are such activities that are mainly aimed towards to being stopped from the use
of the drugs before its starts. This discourage the initial drug use from progressing into the issue
of the drug use and ending the addiction and this connected damaging health and consequence of
crime. Henceforth, the second category is inclusive of the efforts that curb the access to
harmfulness of the drugs through activities that mainly aimed at cultivation, trafficking and
production ( Miranda, Snowden, and Legha, 2020). The policy formulation can be defined as the
crucial component as in many countries the drug quality assurance system are inadequate
because they lack the necessary components.
Health can be defined as the fundamental human right and access to health care is mainly
inclusive if the access towards to essential drugs. Essential drugs plays the vital role in the varied
aspect of the health care policies (Colebatch, 2005). In order to promote the awareness in the
individual this is crucial to undertake the steps that aids to build the plan of action that helps to
bring the affordable and good quality care practices for the individuals within United Kingdom.
Therefore, the policies should balance the varied goals and objectives and this also aids to creates
the complete and consistent entity. In addition to this, the use of drugs and alcohol presents the
significant challenges that are for the both mental health services and these are also seeking
treatments for the mental illness. The main aim is to undertake the prevention programme and

the strategies that will be based on the sound evidence based approaches and principles that must
have shown to reduce the misuses of substance and other related harms significantly.
Implication of the policy and practice-:
In order to be the effective, this is crucial to provide the hindrance programs and polices
that must be planned to address the common risk and this also inclusive of the varied
components that highly causing the common health that threats that affects the people. This all
needs to be tested with the help of the investigation and must be delivered continually end-to-end
to the entire within the period of risk and this must be properly trained and supervised (THE
PROCESS: POLICY DEVELOPMENT, 2015). By formulating the effective strategies this can
be possible to be highly effective under the reduction of alcohol related problems as this needs to
focussing on the issues by focussing over the social, political economic context. Thus, legal
authorities of the UK needs to frame out the ethical principles that underlies effective policies
such as shared responsibility, versatility, human tights guarantee etc.
Theoretical reflection on the process of framing and formulating polices.
Policy formulation is the crucial process as this aids to undertake the activities in the
more advanced manner (Misuse of drugs legislation, 2017). In terms of the legal practitioner
policy is termed out as the laws, regulations and courses of action that aids to mitigate the issues
from which general is getting affected. This report is based on to Alcohol and drugs Mental
health polices. To identify the better policy under this case, I have undertaken the research that
has helped me to undertake suitable plan of action. Thus, chosen policy was “Misuse of Drugs
act 1971” as this policy has been designed to undertake the reduction in the uses of substances
and to bring the sound health policy for the individuals.
In order to formulate the policy that address the social issues this is essential to find out
the objective criteria that assist the decision makers in formulating the goals and this also aids to
establishing the scientific, ethnic and social parameters for undertaking the decisions. Being the
policy make, I must say that this is crucial to pursue the fair decision to arrive at the better
conclusion. To construct the policy in relation to Alcohol and drugs Mental health polices I have
undertaken the examination of the public health interest that aids to accomplish towards to
compelling objective of the health. At this initial stage I have undertaken the rational of policy
that facilitates the public debate. Afterwards I have undertake the examination by undertaking
the effectiveness of the policies. By identification of the reasonable scientific data about this

polices and by analysing the potential impact of the policy on the general public has helped me
to undertake the all scenario effectively. After the process of implementation, I have undertaken
the process to identify that the health objective behind this policy is achievable or not. This is the
step that has helped me to ensure that policymakers considers the right that can aids to better
accommodate societal and individual interest.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be summarized that the formulation of the public health
policy is defined as to undertake the development of new public health laws and to undertake
amendments in the existing laws. In addition to this, the generation of the rules and regulations
termed out as the essential part of the public health policy formulation process. It can be termed
out as the effective course of action that set the policy agenda.
The present research has based on the policy formulation on the Alcohol and drugs
Mental health polices. Herein, study is based on policy as “Misuse of Drugs act 1971” is that
addressed the social issue as Mental health. Furthermore, report has laid emphasised on to select
the policy that address the social issues and discussion on the general framing of the issues.
Henceforth, study has outlined the policies objectives and discussion to formulate the health
polices. Lastly, reflection has been undertaken on the process of framing and formulating
policies.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Miranda, J., Snowden, L.R. and Legha, R.K., 2020. Policy Effects on Mental Health Status and
Mental Health Care Disparities. In The Palgrave Handbook of American Mental Health
Policy (pp. 331-364). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Sleigh, J., Schneider, M., and Vayena, E., 2020. Visualizing an Ethics Framework: A Method to
Create Interactive Knowledge Visualizations From Health Policy Documents. Journal of
Medical Internet Research, 22(1), p.e16249.
Goldman, H.H. and Morrissey, J.P., 2020. Mental Health Policy: Fundamental Reform or
Incremental Change?. In The Palgrave Handbook of American Mental Health Policy (pp.
3-20). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Signorelli, C., Odone, A., and Pelissero, G., 2020. Universal Health Coverage in Italy: lights
and shades of the Italian National Health Service which celebrated its 40th
anniversary. Health Policy. 124(1). pp.69-74.
Uyarra, E., Zabala-Iturriagagoitia, J.M., and Magro, E., 2020. Public procurement, innovation
and industrial policy: Rationales, roles, capabilities and implementation. Research Policy.
49(1). p.103844.
Jansen, M.W., Van Oers, H.A. and De Vries, N.K., 2010. Public health: disconnections between
policy, practice and research. Health Research Policy and Systems. 8(1). p.37.
Anderson, L.M., Brownson, R.C. and Land, G.H., 2005. Evidence-based public health policy
and practice: promises and limits. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 28(5).
pp.226-230.
Miranda, J., Snowden, L.R. and Legha, R.K., 2020. Policy Effects on Mental Health Status and
Mental Health Care Disparities. In The Palgrave Handbook of American Mental Health
Policy (pp. 331-364). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Colebatch, H.K., 2005. Policy analysis, policy practice and political science. Australian Journal
of Public Administration. 64(3). pp.14-23.
Chatterjee, K., Chng, S. and Reardon, L., 2020. Commuting and wellbeing: a critical overview
of the literature with implications for policy and future research. Transport reviews. 40(1).
pp.5-34.
Online
Misuse of drugs legislation. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/misuse-drugs-legislations>
THE PROCESS: POLICY DEVELOPMENT. 2015. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.policyproject.com/policycircle/content.cfm?a0=4>
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