ASI slams porn laws announcement

The Adam Smith Institute has responded to the announcement that the Porn Laws, the government’s age verification scheme for adult content, will be delayed until July 15.

The Adam Smith Institute is currently running a campaign calling for the government to Repeal the Porn Laws.

Matthew Lesh, Head of Research at free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute, says:

“It is disappointing that the Government is steaming ahead with its ill-thought-out plan to block porn sites and require age verification.

“This scheme, that requires linking of people’s identity to their online adult viewing habits, will seriously threaten our privacy, be a massive gift to scammers, and won’t even work.

“Young people will just get around it, and end up being exposed to more hardcore material.

“The Government should Repeal the Porn Laws.

If you have any questions or wish to arrange an interview with Matthew Lesh please contact ASI media line on 07584778207 or via info@adamsmith.org.

ASI responds to ICO's Age-appropriate design code

Today the Information Commissioner’s Office announced a consultation on a draft ‘Code of Practice to help protect children online’.

The code forbids the creation of profiles on children, and bans data sharing and ‘nudges’ of children. Importantly, the code also requires everyone be treated like a child unless they undertake ‘robust age-verification’.

The ASI believes that this code will entangle start-ups in red tape, and inevitably end up with everyone being treated like children, or face undermining user privacy by requiring the collection of credit card details or passports for every user.

Matthew Lesh, Head of Research at free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute, says:

“This is an unelected quango introducing draconian limitations on the internet with the threat of massive fines.

“This code requires all of us to be treated like children.

“An internet-wide age verification scheme, as required by the code, would seriously undermine user privacy. It would require the likes of Facebook, Google and thousands of other sites to repeatedly collect credit card and passport details from millions of users. This data collection risks our personal information and online habits being tracked, hacked and exploited.

“There are many potential unintended consequences. The media could be forced to censor swathes of stories not appropriate for young people. Websites that cannot afford to develop ‘children-friendly’ services could just block children. It could force start-ups to move to other countries that don’t have such stringent laws.

“This plan would seriously undermine the business model of online news and many other free services by making it difficult to target advertising to viewer interests. This would be both worse for users, who are less likely to get relevant advertisements, and journalism, which is increasingly dependent on the revenues from targeted online advertising.

“The Government should take a step back. It is really up to parents to keep their children safe online.

If you have any questions or wish to arrange an interview with Matthew Lesh please contact ASI media line on 07584778207 or via info@adamsmith.org.

ASI warning on online harms white paper heeded

The Adam Smith Institute’s warning on the government’s Online Harms White paper has been heeded by newspapers and blogs across the world.

Comments by Matthew Lesh, the Head of Research at the Adam Smith Institute, were included in stories on the issue by the BBC, the Washington Post, Radio New Zealand, Talk Radio, The Week, The Herald, and Forbes.

If Britain adopts the measures, our country will lead the developed world in internet censorship.

Today is a dark day for liberty and we urge everyone to contribute to the government’s consultation and halt the illiberal attempt to introduce censorship through the back door.

Government harms free speech and free press with online harms white paper

In light of the government's release of the online harms white paper, the Adam Smith Institute has released the following statement. We worry that this attempt at controlling the Internet will entrench big tech players, stymie innovation, and lead to press censorship through the back door.

Matthew Lesh, Head of Research at free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute, says:

“The Government should be ashamed of themselves for leading the Western world in internet censorship.

“The proposals are a historic attack on freedom of speech and the free press, the very core of Britain's liberal democratic foundations. At a time when Britain is criticising violations of freedom of expression in states like Iran, China and Russia, we should not be undermining our freedom at home. Britain will no longer be called a free society if her citizens and her press are directed by Government as to what they can view, think and say.

“The Government aren’t just targeting illegal material, they explicitly want to censor ‘Harms with a less clear legal definition,’ that is, otherwise completely legal speech. It’s not hard to imagine an overly zealous government regulator and risk adverse tech sites, who want to avoid fines and going to jail, removing swaths of lawful speech.

“The scope of this censorship will include ‘any company that allows users to share or discover user generated content or interact with each other online,’ basically the entity of the internet – not just the tech giants. This covers web forums like Mumsnet, online retailers like Amazon, travel websites like TripAdvisor, and even news websites.

“If Britain wants to have a thriving tech and start-up sector, regulating them into oblivion is probably not the right approach.

“These measures will entrench the market position of the tech giants like Facebook – because they can afford to comply with the massive new costs of this red tape. Mark Zuckerberg gleefully called for more regulation last week. It’ll be start-ups and smaller sites which will suffer under the heavy hand of this regime."

If you have any questions or wish to arrange an interview with Matthew Lesh please contact ASI media line on 07904099599 or via matt@adamsmith.org.

White paper will harm free speech and the press online

In light of the government’s online harm white paper deatils being leaked to the Guardian yesterday, Matthew Lesh speaks out on what makes it such a chilling report for free speech, our free press and competition in tech:

“The proposals are a historic attack on freedom of speech and the free press, the very core of Britain's liberal democratic foundations. At a time when Britain is criticising violations of freedom of expression in states like Iran, China and Russia, we should not be undermining our freedom at home.

"Britain will no longer be called a free society if her citizens and her press are directed by Government as to what they can view, think and say.

“Websites must already remove illegal content, and are careful to do in a timely manner. This new regulatory system, by placing legal liability on platforms, will force platforms to censor a wide array of new material.

“This will turn into a form of press regulation by the back door. This isn’t just about big social media players. It’ll impact any website with user comments, including web forums like Mumsnet, online retailers like Amazon, travel websites like TripAdvisor, and even news websites.

“These new regulations will mean no new competitors challenging the social media giants. Large companies like Facebook have the scale and monetary resources to implement automated censorship systems and employ thousands of moderators. It’s the newer, small to medium size websites that will struggle to handle the red tape.”

These comments will be updated in due course when the full paper is released on Monday. In the meantime if you would like to arrange an interview with Matthew Lesh or another member of the Adam Smith Institute please contact Matt Kilcoyne on 07904099599 or email matt@adamsmith.org

ASI Plan Unites MPs From Across Parliament

A new Adam Smith Institute report, Room for improvement: How drug consumption rooms save lives, has received cross-party support:

• MPs from the Conservative, Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrat, and Green Parties back ASI paper calling for Drug Consumption Rooms to be introduced in the UK

• Use of Drug Consumption Rooms in 10 OECD countries has been shown to reduce drug-related deaths and the spread of syringe transmitted diseases

• A large majority (89%) of drug users are willing to use a drug consumption room.

• The estimated average lifetime cost of an HIV infection is around £360,000 per person; with significant NHS savings available from providing safer injecting practices

• The Home Office should make a statement explicitly devolving the operation of DCRs to local authorities; specific rules could then be agreed by police forces, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), health bodies, and local authorities

• Or, the UK Parliament could pass legislation that makes it explicitly legal to take controlled substances within such facilities in specified circumstances

We need to catch up with the rest of the world and trial drug consumption rooms. They:

Reduce drug-related deaths ✅

Alleviate health burdens ✅

Decrease public injecting & syringe litter ✅

Read @JarrydBartle's report 'Room for Improvement' now 👇https://t.co/TqUaXKIrIa

— Adam Smith Institute (@ASI) April 1, 2019

In a marked departure from Brexit division a rare moment of unity has broken out as a coalition of MPs have today backed a new report by the free market Adam Smith Institute evaluating the case for Drug Consumption Rooms (DCRs) to be introduced in the UK.

Cross party backing from Conservative, Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrat, and Green MPs as well as crossbench Lords shows the breadth of support from across Parliament to introduce Drug Consumption Rooms and reduce the number of deaths from drug poisoning.

In an open letter published by The Telegraph, the MPs say that “Communities are being ripped apart, criminal networks are profiting, and thousands of people are dying every year,” before going on to say that “Drug consumption rooms are an evidence-based harm reduction intervention which allows people who use illicit drugs to do so within a medically supervised environment.”

The Adam Smith Institute says that the UK has fallen behind other western countries in harm-reduction drug policy with 10 OECD countries (including Denmark, Canada, and France) already extensively offering the service with dramatically positive effects.

DCRs are not aimed at the general public but primarily seek to attract hard-to-reach populations of users—including the homeless, those with severe mental health issues, and those most at risk of spreading diseases through needle use (such as HIV). Under systems used across the world there is usually a minimum age requirement, assessment of those using the service for need, sterile equipment, medically trained staff, consent and co-operation with local police services, and connections with council and social care services.

According to a 2017 survey of DCR operators, most employed nurses (80%) and/or social workers (78%) within facilities. Others employed health educators / rescue workers (35%), paid peer-workers (24%), psychologists (13%), case managers (11%) and students (11%). Just less than half required a doctor/clinician onsite (46%).

The need for DCRs in Scotland is particularly dire. The country saw 934 people die of drug poisoning in 2017, a fifth of the UK’s total drug-related deaths that year—a drug death rate nearly fifty times larger than Portugal’s. The cost to the NHS from unsupervised drug injections is enormous. If the 78 new cases of HIV caught from injection of drugs in Glasgow between 2015-16 had been prevented through use of DCRs, the NHS would’ve saved £28,080,000 over the course of their lifetime.

In Glasgow, moves to set up a drug consumption were blocked by the Lord Advocate under current rules. However he made clear that he could back them if Westminster could set out a legal framework for them to operate under.

There is significant evidence to suggest that it could be effective in the UK. A large majority (89%) of drug users have indicated that they are willing to use a drug consumption room.

The Adam Smith Institute suggests that an explicit statement by the Home Office devolving decisions over DCR operation to local authorities, health bodies, police and crime commissioners, and the Crown Prosecution Service could allow their implementation. Or, they argue, the UK Parliament passing legislation could explicitly provide a legal framework for the service.

Crispin Blunt MP (Conservative):

“Illicit drugs destroy communities, drive crime and cause deaths. Drug consumption rooms are a proven, evidence based approach to drug policy which minimises harm by providing a safe environment, clean needles, and access to healthcare and treatment services.

“As human beings we must do all we can to help others in a wretched state with serious addictions, not leave them to die on the streets. The international evidence is that drug consumption rooms reduce overdoses and save lives. They also reduce public drug use and associated nuisance to the benefit of victims of drug-users; drug-related infections, saving state health and criminal justice services millions of pounds; and the number of drug users by targeting often difficult and hard to reach individuals with treatment, advice and social services.

“To say that drug consumption rooms act as a ‘honeypot’ for drug users or incentivises drug use is once again the morally driven, unfounded opinion of those calling for a ‘tough on drugs’ policy which has created the dire situation we are in. They should instead focus on the reports from Europe and our Home Office which rather unsurprisingly proves them wrong with evidence.”

Lord Ramsbotham, crossbench Lord and the co-chair of the Drugs, Alcohol and Justice Cross Party Parliamentary Group:

“The Drugs, Alcohol and Justice Cross Party Parliamentary Group have discussed Drug Consumption Rooms and think that all the evidence, including the findings in support of a Glasgow pilot, supports their introduction.

“Many other countries have had success with DCRs, which have been shown to reduce overdose deaths and improve access to recovery services: especially for drug users who are more difficult to reach. Establishing a legal framework for their operation, or at the very least giving supportive local authorities the green light to trial DCRs, is sorely needed.

Jeff Smith MP (Labour):

“Drug consumption rooms are an important component of a harm reduction approach to addiction. They are a proven intervention to save lives, reduce syringe litter and public injection, and provide at-risk individuals with access to advice and recovery services. The Government must act to let drug consumption rooms be established where they are needed. We have to reduce the suffering and danger for addicts, and create a safer environment for the wider public.”

Dr Daniel Poulter MP (Conservative):

“There is considerable evidence that medically supervised drug consumption rooms help to reduce drug-related deaths and improve the ability of healthcare professionals to engage with people who are dependent on injectable opioids, including heroin.”

“It is important that people put aside their misconceived prejudices about opioid dependence and recognise the benefits that medically supervised drug consumption rooms can play in saving lives and reducing the financial costs of substance dependence upon wider society.”

Ronnie Cowan MP (SNP, vice-chair of APPG on drug policy reform) said;

“I find it hard to believe that anyone could read the Adam Smith Institute report on Drug Consumption Rooms and not come to the conclusion that the United Kingdom’s drug policy is deeply flawed and that Drug Consumption Rooms are not just desirable but necessary as a key component to tackle problematic drug use in our society. The report is evidence based and heavily referenced. I would implore all elected members to take the time required to read it.”

Matthew Lesh, Head of Research at the free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute, said:

Drug consumption rooms are a sensible, evidence-driven, moderate policy reform that will save lives. It’s time to completely rethink our approach to illicit drugs. It’s clear that the current approach is simply not working. The essential question should always be: what will cause the least harm? Across the world drug consumption rooms have been shown to work, it’s time Britain follows the likes of Germany, Canada, and Australia.

Jarryd Bartle, report author:

There is robust international evidence that demonstrates drug-consumption rooms decrease substance related harms and improve community amenity. Drug consumption rooms reduce drug-related deaths, reduce health burdens, decrease public injection and syringe litter as well as effectively target marginalised populations. On all indicators of concerns -  whether crime, syringe litter or public health - drug consumption rooms were of more of a benefit than the status quo. The UK's current approach to illicit drugs isn't working, it's time to follow the evidence on decreasing drug-related harms.

Notes to editors:  

For further comments or to arrange an interview, contact Matt Kilcoyne, Head of Communications, matt@adamsmith.org | 07584 778207.

The Adam Smith Institute is a free market, neoliberal think tank based in London. It advocates classically liberal public policies to create a richer, freer world.