Influencing a national drug strategy
The government, last week (20 August) opened consultation for a new national drug strategy due to be published in December 2010.
The document focuses on issues of dependency, crime and health and is aimed at a wide audience including charities, enforcement partners, drug workers, and members of the public. Interested parties are invited to respond to the Home Office consultation at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk by 30 September.
The suggestion to withdraw welfare benefits from people dependent on drugs and alcohol who refuse treatment is one of many consultation questions being posed. Other areas of the consultation focus on prevention, education, enforcement and treatment.
The Government’s current drugs strategy makes clear the relationship between drugs and acquisitive crime estimating that between a third and a half is estimated to be drug related.
It also highlights the importance of getting users into effective treatment which has proved successful nationally with the National Audit Office reporting that the number of people leaving programmes drug free has more than doubled between 2004/05 and 2008/09 from 6,000 to 15,000.
Outlining the Warwickshire picture, the county’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) Manager, Kit Leck, said: “Health, local authority and criminal justice partners across Warwickshire work together to reduce the harm caused by drug use. We acknowledge we still have a long way to go but at present believe we have over 50 per cent of the estimated number of known addicts in treatment and every week that percentage increases”.
This collaborative approach is producing some very impressive results.
- During 2009/10 the drug treatment services provided specialist treatment to 1,140 crack and heroin users.
- There are now more people in drug treatment in Warwickshire than at any point since the current calculation method was introduced.
- The Home Office has confirmed that the Warwickshire Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPO) Scheme has achieved a massive 29 per cent reduction in the offending rates by PPOs during 2009/10. This is significantly above the reduction target of 19 per cent set for the year.
- During 2009/10 we understand that there were eight drug related deaths compared with 11 the previous year, and 23 in 2007/08.
- Between 2008/9 and 2009/10 serious acquisitive crime fell by 13 per cent.
Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Hobbs, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection and Chair of the Warwickshire Safer Communities Partnership said: “Warwickshire partners welcome the consultation and any national and local debate that would lead to a reduction in the harm that drugs cause to individuals and communities.
"However, we will need assurances that any measures introduced, such as the withdrawal of benefits, would not have a negative impact upon the already significant achievements in health and community safety.”
The drug strategy consultation can be completed or downloaded online at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications
For more information about tackling drugs and support services in Warwickshire visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/drugs.