Drug Policy and Christian Ethics

In May 2022, Transform Drug Policy Foundation and St George’s House convened a meeting to discuss Christian doctrinal and ethical positions on drug policy. Members of several Christian denominations in the UK attended the two-day event. It provided a space for participants to openly discuss drug policy and reform from a Christian perspective, explore the existing levels of Christian engagement with the issue of drugs and drug use, and identify both the opportunities and barriers for generating support from Christian faith communities for drug policy reform including harm reduction, decriminalisation, and options for the legal regulation of drugs. Participation did not imply, or require, agreement on the principle of legal regulation of drugs, and the input of participants reflected this. Participants came from a range of backgrounds and brought different views on the question of drug policy reform. All views were personal and did not represent formal positions of the denominations of the Christian church.