Primal Scream have hit out at the U.K. government’s controversial new drug proposals, which seemingly will come down tougher on “lifestyle drug users.” 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the plans – part of an extended 10-year drugs strategy – on Monday, December 6th. Penalties in the plans include confiscating passports and driving licences from users, and using the deterrence of larger fines to dissuade users.

Added to those penalties, police officers will also be given further powers to search drug dealers’ phones and message their clients with warnings about drug use in an attempt to scare them into changing their behaviour.

The war-on-drugs-era style punishment will impact middle class drug users, which many have spoken out against in the aftermath of the announcement. Drug reform campaigners have criticised the plans for being a step “backwards” – the criminal sanction-led approach differs greatly to the more progressive approaches seen in countries like Canada, where cannabis has been legalised.

Scottish rock icons Primal Scream hit out against the plans on social media, sharing articles about them alongside stern warnings. “Nixonian levels of paranoia and cynicism….” they wrote on Twitter, referencing Richard Nixon who was President of the U.S. at the height of The War on Drugs.

“There’s gonna be a lot of folk w no passports at ‘Screamadelica’ shows next year,” they added. The band’s seminal album Screamadelica – which celebrated its 30th anniversary recently – was defined by the growing drug use and exultant and varied sounds of the ‘Madchester’ era.

They also posted a line from the song ‘Equal Rights’ by legendary reggae artist Peter Tosh: “Everybody’s talking about crime , tell me, who are the criminals ?”

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Primal Scream are heading out on a U.K. tour in July 2022, beginning with a hometown show at Glasgow’s Queen’s Park on the first of the month. It will belatedly mark the landmark 30th anniversary of Screamadelica.

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