A review of the relationship between drugs and serious violence finds that a failure to treat drug addiction and an over-zealous policing response are two key factors.
UK: Failures in treatment and policing behind ‘boom in illegal drugs’ (The Guardian, link):
“Disappearing and underfunded drug treatment services and fruitless attempts to restrict the flow of illegal substances into the country underpin a booming £9.4bn illicit drugs market in the UK, a landmark review has found.
Prof Dame Carol Black was commissioned by the former home secretary Sajid Javid to lead a major review to look into the ways in which drugs are fuelling serious violence.“
See also: Review of Drugs: Executive Summary (pdf)