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Tackling drugs misuse
06/03/2008
Scotland can't afford to tackle the problem of drug misuse in isolation, Minister for Community Safety Fergus Ewing will tell the ACPOS Drugs Conference in Turnberry today.
He pledged that the Scottish Government's fresh approach to drugs would look at tackling the underlying causes of drugs misuse by growing the economy, providing better experiences for children in their early years, reducing deprivation, and improving the nation's mental health.
Mr Ewing is expected to say:
"We intend to publish a new Drugs Strategy for Scotland before the summer. People want a new vision, a new vigour and determination to deliver, Many want a new emphasis on recovery. They want us all to raise our aspirations and believe that people who use drugs can and should recover and move on.
"A priority for our new strategy is children and young people. We must get better at preventing people taking illegal drugs in the first place, or intervening early with those who start to experiment, before their use becomes problematic. This is the only way of reducing long-term demand for drugs.
"We will sharpen up the delivery of substance misuse education in schools. A partnership approach with the police, youth work and health professionals is essential to ensure quality teaching with accurate, credible information and messages. It is important though that drugs education does not stop with schools. We also need to support families and parents to help them help their children.
"We need also to recognise that action on drug misuse alone is not enough. Drug misuse is a symptom of the failure of other policies. I strongly believe that if we can successfully grow the economy allowing more opportunities in work; enhance children's experiences in their early years; reduce deprivation; and improve our nation's mental health we will have a positive impact on drug misuse.
The Minister also praised police for the work being done in tackling the supply of illegal drugs.
"The police are making a real impact with record numbers of drug seizures - up by over 50 per cent since 1999. But despite these tremendous successes, there is continued availability of illegal drugs.
"The Government and the police must work in partnership to ensure that Scotland can respond robustly to the threat posed by serious drug and other organised crime. That is why we have set up the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to provide a strategic focus for this work and to ensure co-ordinated and targeted action.
"One of the areas identified by the Taskforce to strengthen further is the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 - one of the most powerful tools in the fight against organised crime. Over £17million has been recovered already and all the agencies involved should be congratulated for making this happen.
"We are exploring the possibility of extending the investigation periods in both criminal confiscation and civil recovery investigations - to ensure that a lifetime of crime should be open to a lifetime of asset recovery. And we want to capture those lower level offenders who are affiliated to wider and bigger organised criminal networks.
"Our new National Drugs Strategy will be about building upon, and improving on, the good work the police are already doing."