The Green Party’s candidate for mayor of Hackney has admitted using drugs in the past as she pledged to fight London’s war on illegal substances.
In an interview with the Standard ahead of the local elections on May 7, Zoe Garbett said: “I’ve used drugs in the past and that’s why I’ve campaigned for them to be legally controlled and regulated.”
Ms Garbett helped craft the Green Party’s drugs policy, which states they should be “moved into the hands of health professionals” as part of a “heavily regulated” system for users.
Sitting next to her 19-year-old deputy, Dylan Law, she added: “Currently people can access drugs.
“It takes people 10, 20 minutes to find drugs in any city. Drug dealers don’t ID people. Our policy is all about how you regulate it.”
Under Green Party proposals, substances such as cannabis and MDMA would be available through local authorities at licensed premises for adults over 18, while harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin could be accessed via specialist pharmacies with a prescription.
The system aims to end criminal sanctions and stop the criminal supply chain, with dealers illegally selling and supplying still facing prosecution.
The plans could not be put in place by local councils and would need to be approved by MPs in Parliament.
But Ms Garbett vowed to lobby for overdose prevention sites and better linked health services in Hackney.
She added that most people who use drugs “don’t do so problematically" and those who do often need mental health support, housing support and youth services.
London’s first drug testing facility for users and addicts opened in the borough last month amid growing concerns about synthetic opioids.
It allows users to submit "substances of concern" to chemists and health professionals for rapid free testing before they are taken and collects data on potentially dangerous or misadvertised drugs.
Mr Law said drug users are often unaware of what is actually inside drugs purchased illegally.
Recent research from King’s College London found that the UK has a growing synthetic opioid problem, with a growing number of drugs in the capital laced with nitazenes - a group of opioids that are 500 times stronger than heroin.
Ms Garbett said her background in the NHS opened her eyes to the injustices in Hackney, including people dying from overdoses.
Hackney has one of the highest rates of drug poisoning deaths in the capital, with figures released in October last year revealing there were 21 deaths related to misuse in 2024 alone.
This figure has continually increased from 2013, when the number of drug related-deaths was 15.
The rate of drug-poisoning deaths in the capital has doubled since 2012 from 46.5 deaths per million to 93.9 deaths per million in 2024.
It is estimated by the local council that just over 4,000 residents are frequent drug users, representing around 6.4%, higher than the London average of 5.6%.
Ms Garbett has campaigned for funding harm reduction, drug decriminalisation and the Met Police officers to carry naloxone - a medication that reverses opioid overdose.
But the force has so far refused, arguing that ambulance services are often the first on scene in overdose emergencies.
The Green’s policy has been heavily criticised by political opponents, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer who has labelled the proposals “reckless” and “irresponsible”.
Reform UK is pushing for tougher penalties and increased stop-and-search to crackdown on drug crime.
However, Ms Garbett insisted her party’s plan has been well-received on the streets of Hackney where she said residents “want people to be able to get the support that they need.”
“That is the compassionate response from people in Hackney, they don’t want to see people struggling with drug use or drug dependency,” she said.
As it stands, illegal drug use costs the NHS up to £20 billion per year and accounts for around 7% of hospital admissions.
In Portugal, decriminalisation and investment in rehabilitation saw the number of heroin addicts drop from 100,000 to 25,000 in a 17-year period.
Polls show the Greens are favourite to win Hackney council at the local elections on Thursday.
If correct, it would mean Zack Polanski’s party would be the first to wrestle control of the borough from Labour for the first time since 2002.
Ms Garbett and her teenage deputy have centred their campaign around improving social housing, reducing crime and fighting gentrification.
Mr Law, 19, said his age is something “journalists push more than residents do”.
He explained one of their main aims will be “to get housing repairs down to one week of inspection” and improve the management systems. Part of his pledge includes visiting all the council estates in London.
Ms Garbett added that affordable housing was another priority: “We do really want to make sure that families and people and the generations that have grown up here and have roots here can continue to live in Hackney.”
She cited Ridley Road as just one of the areas that they would protect to ensure people can continue to sustainably trade at the local market.
The Greens also plan on using pension funds to buy back market homes and plan to reduce the cost of living crisis by committing to food co-ops and networks in addition to reducing childcare costs and introducing council tax relief.
