The Government's Ten-Year Strategy for Tackling Drugs

Ann Taylor

John Prescott

Gordon Brown

Robin Cook

Jack Straw

David Blunkett

Donald Dewar

Frank Dobson

Mo Mowlam

Ron Davies

The Problem

Drugs are a very serious problem in the UK. No one has any illusions about that. Illegal drugs are now more widely available than ever before and children are increasingly exposed to them. Drugs are a threat to health, a threat on the streets and a serious threat to communities because of drug-related crime.

Some progress has been made. The last Government's strategy for England "Tackling Drugs Together" was an important step in the right direction. It has been implemented with some success. For the first time, Drug Action Teams set up partnerships to tackle the problem. We will build on that valuable work. But a fresh long-term approach is now needed.

Vision

There are no easy answers. To really make a difference in tackling drugs, goals must be long term. Our new vision is to create a healthy and confident society, increasingly free from the harm caused by the misuse of drugs. Our approach combines firm enforcement with prevention.

Drug problems do not occur in isolation. They are often tied in with other social problems. The Government is tackling inequalities through the largest ever programme to get people off benefit and into work and a series of reforms in the welfare state, education, health, criminal justice and the economy. And a new Social Exclusion Unit is looking at many of the problems often associated with drug taking.

The Government will promote action against drugs that makes substantial progress over the long term. Action will be concentrated in areas of greatest need and risk. All drugs are harmful and enforcement against all illegal substances will continue. And we will focus on those that cause the greatest damage, including heroin and cocaine.

Partnership is the key to the new approach, building on the good work that has already been done. This strategy is based on an extensive review by the UK Anti-Drugs Coordinator, Keith Hellawell and his Deputy, Mike Trace. They analysed all the available evidence and together consulted over 2,000 people and organisations.

The strategy has four elements:

This is a framework for designing and implementing policies to tackle drugs. It is just the beginning of a long-term strategy.

In the first year of the strategy, clear, consistent and rigorous targets will be set to help achieve our aims. The performance of the Government and its agencies therefore will be readily measurable against these targets. And the UK Anti-Drugs Coordinator will publish an annual report to check progress.

Partnership

Because of the complexity of the problem, partnership really is essential at every level. At government level, the work will be led by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Drug Misuse chaired by Ann Taylor and by other groups chaired by Keith Hellawell and his Deputy Mike Trace.

These will bring together key players in the field from the statutory, voluntary and private sectors and others with an interest. They will work closely with the local partnerships set up by Drug Action Teams. The Drug Action Teams are the critical link in the chain, ensuring that this strategy is translated into concrete action. To assist in that, detailed guidance notes are being issued to those working in the field putting this strategy into practice.

Resources

In central and local government alone, well over £1 billion a year is spent on tackling the drugs problem. And yet the number of addicts is going up and availability and drug-related crime are on the increase. We need to improve the efficiency and coordination of anti-drugs work. And eventually, we hope to achieve better results. If we invest wisely now, there is a real chance of breaking the cycle of drugs and crime which wrecks lives and threatens communities. Along with the obvious benefits of creating a healthier society, there could also be significant savings through big reductions in crime and health risks.

To achieve that, all government departments have committed themselves to the principles guiding the allocation of resources described in Keith Hellawell's report. There will be a progressive shift away from reactive expenditure, dealing with the consequences of drug misuse, to positive investment in helping prevent them ever arising. The Coordinator's report takes into account work currently being done on the comprehensive spending review of drugs-related spending which will be completed later this year. And for the first time, a proportion of assets seized from drug barons will be channelled back into anti-drug programmes to help those who have suffered at their hands and on whose misfortune they have prospered. The Government is considering how this can best be achieved. More details of these considerations will be issued later this year.

The Way Ahead

The strategy is a challenging work programme to which all relevant agencies will need to respond. Work must be properly coordinated. The Government will make clear what it expects from its key agencies with an interest - police forces and authorities, probation committees, prison establishments, health authorities, local authorities (including Directors of Education and Social Services), HM Customs and Excise, the National Crime Squad and the National Criminal Intelligence Service. Similarly, with Drug Action Teams.

Although the strategy focuses mainly on England, it is relevant to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and it highlights our international responsibilities. We will make sure it gets the widest circulation. And our international effort remains vitally important, working with our European and other partners, to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the UK.

The legal framework provided by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and other legislation provides some of the tools needed to crack down on the availability of drugs and reduce the misery they cause. But enforcement alone will never be enough. We need to ensure that young people have all the information they need to make informed decisions about drugs; that we follow up tough words with decisive action; and that there really is proper partnership to tackle the problem. If we can make our vision a reality, we have the chance to make Britain a better place. This new strategy presents a real opportunity to do that.