The Institute of Economic Affairs held an exclusive head-to-head debate on Drugs: The War We Never Fought between Peter Hitchens and Chris Snowdon.

Journalist, broadcaster and author Peter Hitchens (whose new book provides the title for this session) argues that politicians, lawyers and police long ago gave up any serious attempt to restrict drug use in the UK and that laws against possession and use have been neutralised to the point of meaninglessness.

But IEA research fellow Chris Snowdon (author of The Art of Suppression: Pleasure, Panic and Prohibition since 1800) argues that prohibiting the products people desire just doesn’t work, despite the fact that some people believe “utopia is only ever one ban away”.

Chaired by IEA Director General Mark Littlewood