Recreational drug users face having their passports confiscated and being banned from nightclubs under new plans by Priti Patel.
In what is being described as a crackdown on “middle-class” drug use, the home secretary is planning a “three strikes” policy.
It could see repeat users ordered to wear electronic drug monitoring tags or undergo random drug tests.
Casual users of drugs such as cocaine and cannabis will face fines and could be required to attend drug courses.
The government argues the plan is a step towards changing the culture of drug use and the consumption of cannabis and cocaine.
Under the “three strikes” policy:
First-time offenders will be required to pay for and attend a drug awareness course or pay an increased Fixed Penalty Notice or face prosecution.
Those found using drugs for a second time will be given a caution, sent on a further drug awareness course and face a period of mandatory, random drug testing for a period of up to three months.
Offenders caught for a third time would likely to be charged for their offence, and upon conviction could be subject to an exclusion order banning them from a specific location, such as a nightclub. They could also be given a drug tag monitoring their usage and see their passports and driving licences confiscated.
Home secretary Priti Patel said: “In line with our strategy to tackle the harmful consequences of drugs, we aim to reverse the rising trend of substance use in society, to protect the public from the harm and violence of drug misuse.”
The proposals are now be subject to a twelve-week public consultation which closes on October 10.
The Home Office said more people die every year as a result of drug misuse than from all knife crime and road traffic accidents combined.
The total cost to society and taxpayers in today’s prices is nearly £22 billion, they said.