This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Minister outlines refocused drugs strategy
02/03/2007
Scotland's drugs strategy is to be refocused to place much greater emphasis on drug prevention and drugs education, it was announced today.
In a wide-ranging speech at the ACPOS Drug Conference in Turnberry today, Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said strong enforcement of the law, effective treatment and rehabilitation, and support for communities affected by drugs would all remain key parts of the strategy.
However, as the Executive moves to refine its drugs strategy, more emphasis will be placed on tackling the demand as well as supply of drugs - to stop more young people getting involved in drugs in the first place.
Key aspects to that work will include:
- An examination of the materials available for young people, including the Know the Score campaign, to develop more targeted, specific messages for those most at risk of moving from experimentation with drugs to drug addiction.
- More work to support young people growing up exposed to drugs through the actions of their parents, including piloting voluntary 'contracts' between service providers and drug-abusing parents. These will make sure those parents are clear about their responsibilities, the consequences of their actions if they let their children down, and the support and treatment they will receive.
- Improved drugs education in schools, as announced by the Education Minister Hugh Henry today. This will include better explaining the links between underage smoking and drinking and drug use, and drawing on the experience of recovered addicts and young offenders so young people can hear the damaging impact which drugs can have on real lives.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said:
"Crime in Scotland is falling and violent crime is at its lowest level since devolution. However, illegal drugs - all illegal drugs - still represent a serious threat to our communities. Tackling that needs a comprehensive approach that includes uncompromising enforcement, treatment and rehabilitation, support for communities suffering the effects of drugs, and prevention and education.
"The SCDEA is continuing to disrupt the supply of drugs into Scotland. We have made real headway in punishing the dealers through the Proceeds of Crime Act and initiatives like 'Drug Dealers Don't Care'. And we have plans to sharpen up the delivery of treatment and rehabilitation - aimed at helping more addicts achieve long-term abstinence.
"But it doesn't matter how successful we are at reducing the supply of drugs, if we don't at the same time reduce demand. That's why I want to give higher priority to prevention and education. Just as young people have become highly sophisticated consumers, we must be equally sophisticated in our drugs education messages - in our schools and through our Know the Score Campaign.
"And we must take action to support those young people put at risk because of the decisions made by their parents. That's why we want to develop voluntary supportive contracts for drug abusing parents which will ensure they are clear about their responsibilities to their children and the consequences if they let those young people down. This is not about taking children off drug users, but about being honest and recognising the real risks these young people face.
"As our campaign says, drug dealers don't care. But many people working to tackle Scotland's drugs problem do care. Our challenge is to channel that commitment into areas where it will have the greatest impact. We need to work together across organisations to make that a reality. But if we do, I believe we can prevent more young people from making drugs the biggest mistake of their lives."
Background:
The Executive's drug strategy was launched in 1999. Since then, significant progress has been made:
Problematic drug use is falling, including those who are injecting - 4,300 fewer in 2003 than 2000 (55,800 in 2000 and 51,500 in 2003);
- Use of drugs among school children is stable;
- More people than ever before are getting treatment for their drug addiction - another 13,791 new clients were reported to the Scottish Drug Misuse Database in 2005-6 up 30% from 2000-1;
- Investment in treatment has nearly doubled - £23.7m to Health Boards specifically for drug treatment compared to £12.3m in 2000-1;
- Record seizures of hard drugs - last year the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) seized 383.5 kg of hard drugs with a total street value of £22.3 million;
Detailed proposals for the contracts pilots are currently being developed and we hope to invite those areas interested in this approach to put forward a bid later in the summer. We expect the pilots to run for two years, after which they will be carefully evaluated.
When developing this approach, the welfare of each child will be paramount. We intend that the contracts will be part of a wider action plan for each child, setting out who needs to do what to support them. Ministers hope that a voluntary, supportive approach will produce the best outcomes for the child. However, if this is not the case, then other, more compulsory measures can be used including referral to the Children's Hearing System. Any contract would be subject to frequent review so that the impact of the parent's drug habit on their child can be carefully monitored and early action taken.
Improvements to Know the Score will form part of the action being outlined today to ensure a more effective and more integrated approach to drugs education. We will be looking carefully at the material available to our young people to ensure that it is complementary and that any gaps are identified and addressed. We intend that this work will start immediately and will be driven forward over the next few months.