Children as young as 11-years-old are being arrested for dealing cannabis because suppliers are using them to sell the drugs, new research has found.
There was a 5.5 per cent increase in the prosecution of drug dealers under the age of 18 from 2012/13 to 2016/17.
Over those five years, Hampshire Police took action against an 11 and a 12-year-old, while forces in the West Midlands and South Wales arrested three 12-year-olds each, according to The Times.
Children as young as 11-years-old are being arrested for dealing cannabis because suppliers are using them to sell the drugs, according to new research. File image used
Today’s report by think tank Volteface says children are being ‘exploited’ to deal cannabis on adults’ behalf, as figures show there has been a 16 per cent drop in adult prosecutions while youth arrests go up.
Politicians said the report showed the ‘war on drugs has failed’ and that children were paying for ‘outdated’ policies.
Volteface argued: ‘Dealing cannabis as a young person be considered a potential indicator of vulnerability, rather than criminality, and should be treated as a safeguarding concern, much like in instances of child sexual exploitation.’
Its poll of more than 1,000 16 and 17-year-olds across Britain suggested the banned drug was easier to access than the heavily-restricted alcohol.
Some 22 per cent of those who had drunk alcohol said it was easy to buy, compared to 44 per cent of those who had used cannabis saying the drug was straightforward to obtain.
Over a period of five years, Hampshire Police took action against an 11 and a 12-year-old, while forces in the West Midlands and South Wales arrested three 12-year-olds each. File image
Labour MP David Lammy said the report shows ‘the war on drugs has failed’ and ‘all options’ including legislation should be considered as a remedy.
He said: ‘Cannabis specifically has become the substance of choice for young people, who are unable to purchase alcohol because of its strict regulation.
‘Therefore the criminalisation of the drug has had the exact opposite effect to the deterrence it was meant to induce.’
Liberal Democrat former health minister Norman Lamb said children are ‘paying the price for the UK’s outdated’ drugs policy.
‘The Government is directly putting children and teenagers at risk by leaving the supply of cannabis in the hands of organised crime,’ he added.
Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner for England, told The Times that young people are at the ‘bottom of a ladder of cannabis distribution’.
Anne Longfield (pictured) the children’s commissioner for England, told The Times that young people are at the ‘bottom of a ladder of cannabis distribution’
She added: ‘We may need to look again at how we protect our young people from harm while not rushing to criminalise them too soon.’
The child drug dealing revalations come amid an ongoing crisis in policing, with the National Audit Office warning budget cuts mean the police are no longer able to keep the public safe.
Chief constables are finding it ‘increasingly difficult’ to deliver an effective day-to-day service, according to Britain’s spending watchdog.
The National Audit Office said spiralling rates of ‘high harm’ crime such as sex attacks, gun and knife offences, were increasing the pressure on resources.
It said that police chiefs had sought to balance the books by reducing the number of bobbies on the beat – leaving forces overstretched.