Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman’s Weekly News
The South West’s long, hot summer is bringing millions of holidaymakers to Devon and Cornwall, filling beaches, campsites, hotels and seaside towns, but the seasonal population boom is also creating opportunities for organised drug networks looking to exploit communities and demand for illegal substances.
While the overwhelming majority of visitors arrive simply to enjoy the region’s beaches, countryside and holiday attractions, the sharp increase in population during the summer months presents an additional challenge for police tackling county-lines drug dealing.
County lines is the term used to describe organised drug supply networks in which criminal groups typically move drugs from larger cities into smaller towns and rural communities.
Devon & Cornwall Police says vulnerable people, including children, can be exploited to transport and distribute drugs, while criminals may also take over vulnerable people’s homes to use them as bases for their operations.
The seasonal nature of many Devon and Cornwall communities can make the summer particularly significant for those involved in illegal drug supply.
Popular destinations which normally have relatively small permanent populations can experience a dramatic increase in footfall during July and August. The Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall has highlighted the scale of the seasonal influx, with the region recording an additional 20 million visits in 2025 on top of its usual visitor numbers.
Police have consequently increased patrols across coastal areas, town centres and other busy locations during the summer. In Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, officers have specifically warned that the large influx of visitors and increased outdoor activity brings a rise in calls for service, including reports involving anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related incidents.
Against that backdrop, concerns over cannabis use are particularly relevant.
New research published in the journal Biological Psychiatry has found that cannabis use is associated with an earlier onset of psychosis, including among people in their 20s and 30s.
Researchers from UNSW examined 149 studies involving more than 71,000 people and found that cannabis users developed psychosis an average of 2.5 years earlier than non-users.
The association was more pronounced among people who developed psychosis later in life. Those who developed the condition in their late 20s experienced onset around 4.4 years earlier on average, while among those aged 30 or over the difference was more than six years.
The findings challenge the assumption that cannabis-related psychiatric risks are principally a concern for teenagers or people whose brains are still developing.
Psychosis can involve hallucinations, delusions, confusion and a serious distortion of a person’s perception of reality. Researchers stress that there are multiple factors involved, including genetics, and that the study does not establish that cannabis directly causes psychosis in every user.
However, the researchers say their findings add to decades of evidence linking cannabis use with psychosis and suggest that the potential risks extend across the lifespan.
For Devon and Cornwall, the issue sits alongside an established policing concern about the supply of cannabis and other drugs through county-lines networks.
Recent police operations demonstrate the scale of the challenge. During Operation Scorpion 15 in June, which focused on drug-related criminality across the South West, police forces seized 24kg of cannabis alongside more than 5kg of Class A drugs, arrested 103 people and safeguarded 16 adults and children.
Earlier regional operations have also uncovered significant quantities of cannabis. During a 2024 county-lines crackdown, 37kg of cannabis and 564 cannabis plants were seized across the South West, alongside arrests and the safeguarding of vulnerable people.
Police have repeatedly stressed that county lines is not simply a drugs issue. It is also an exploitation issue, with organised criminal groups deliberately targeting vulnerable people to facilitate their activities.
Devon & Cornwall Police says county-lines networks can exploit children and adults with vulnerabilities, using them to carry or distribute drugs, while so-called ‘cuckooing’ involves criminals taking over another person’s home as a base for criminal activity.
The challenge therefore extends beyond the question of who is buying illegal drugs.
For communities across Devon and Cornwall, the summer population surge can mean greater pressure on police, increased opportunities for criminal networks and a heightened risk that vulnerable people will be drawn into organised drug activity.
In Torquay, police have already carried out targeted operations against county-lines activity, resulting in cannabis seizures and arrests, including the detention of a man found with £1,300 in cash and a suspected burner phone. Officers described county-lines activity as something that can happen “anywhere” and said their work was aimed at both disrupting drug dealing and safeguarding vulnerable people.
The message from police is that county lines is not confined to Britain’s major cities. Smaller towns, rural communities and popular holiday destinations can all be targeted.
And as millions of legitimate visitors continue to enjoy the South West’s exceptional summer weather, the region faces the annual challenge of ensuring that its seasonal boom does not provide an equally attractive opportunity for those seeking to profit from illegal drugs and the exploitation of vulnerable people.
( Photos: Unsplash 📸 )