Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Updated Drugs Strategy 2002

The Home Office has published an updated drug strategy, which focuses on delivery and evidence of what works on the ground. The new strategy updates the 1998 strategy and is being published alongside research about levels and costs of drug use.

Title: Updated drug strategy 2002
Author: Home Office
Number of pages: 82 (summary=7)
Date published: December 2002
Availability: Download full report PDF 4.84Mb

Key elements of the strategy include educating young people about the dangers of drugs, preventing drug misuse, combating the dealers and treating addicts. A major increase in direct annual funding will underpin the government's commitment to tackle drugs and the harm they cause. A significant proportion of the funding will be targeted on getting drug-using offenders into treatment. Every opportunity from arrest, to court, to sentence, to parole will be used to get offenders into treatment and out of trouble.

Starting from 2003 the Government will roll out a comprehensive end to end approach in the highest crime areas with the worst drug problems. This will ensure that every drug-addicted offender is identified through drug testing at the point of arrest and charge and given the choice at their bail hearing of entering treatment rather than entering custody. All this will be backed up by extra resources for arrest referral, drug treatment and testing orders, treatment in prison and YOIs and for post-release treatment and support for those leaving custody.

The updated strategy is based on what works best to deal with drug problems. It includes:

• A tougher focus on Class A drugs.

• New cross-regional Police 'hit squads' to break-up middle drug markets, the link in the chain between traffickers and local dealers.

• A stronger focus on the 250,000 Class A drug users with the most severe problems who account for 99% of the costs of drug abuse.

• Better targeting, focussing on the communities with the greatest need.

• Expansion of treatment services tailored to individual need, including residential treatment where appropriate and reduced waiting times.

• New improved treatment for crack and cocaine users, heroin prescribing for all those who would benefit from it and more harm minimisation - with improved access to GP medical services. Funding for treatment services, including prisons, will increase by £45 million in the next financial year, £54 million for the year starting from April 2004 and £115 million from April 2005. This will be boosted by treatment funding associated with Drug Treatment and Testing Orders of nearly £10 million in the next financial year, £12 million in the year starting from April 2004 and £16 million from April £2005 - bringing the total direct annual spend on treatment up to £589 million by 2005.

• An innovative advertising campaign, to be launched in the spring to educate the young about the dangers of drugs and prevent them from falling into drug misuse.

• More support for parents, carers and families so they can easily access advice, help, counselling and mutual support, and expanded outreach and community treatment for vulnerable young people.

• Improved services in those communities affected by crack, fast track crack treatment programmes in the worst affected areas and new police initiatives to close crack markets.

• New aftercare and throughcare services to improve community access to treatment and ensure that people leaving prison and treatment avoid the revolving door back into addiction and offending.

The Home Office will be working with the Strategy Unit to review the impact of enforcement work on the drug supply chain from international production to distribution in the UK so that work can be focused where it will do the most damage to drug dealers.

Getting a copy

• Download Updated Drugs Strategy 2002 PDF 4.84Mb

• Download Executive Summary: Updated Drugs Strategy 2002 PDF 67Kb

Further information on the updated drugs strategy is available on the drugs.gov.uk website.

Last update: Friday, September 05, 2008