Drug Strategy - England

Applicable to: England

In 1998, the Government launched its ten-year Strategy Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain (1998). This Strategy sets out four aims.

Young people: To help young people resist drug use in order to achieve their full potential in society;
Communities: To protect our communities from drug-related anti-social and criminal behaviour;
Treatment: To enable people with drug problems to overcome them and to live healthy and crime-free lives; and
Availability: To stifle the availability of illegal drugs on our streets.

In 2002, the Strategy was reviewed and updated, making use of the experience gained and lessons learned (Drugs Strategy Directorate 2002). The changes made to the Strategy are:

a tougher focus on Class A drugs;
a stronger focus on education, prevention, enforcement and treatment to prevent and tackle problematic use;
more resources. Planned direct annual expenditure for tackling drugs will rise from £1,026 to £1,344 million in the year starting in April 2004. New areas of spend include: a new education campaign for young people, reducing the availability of drugs on our streets, further expansion of treatment services, a major expansion of services within the Criminal Justice System (CJS) including new after-care and through-care services;
better targeting, focusing on the communities with the greatest need; strengthening capacity to deliver in those areas that have the greatest problems; improving services in those communities affected by crack; and
a renewed emphasis on delivery and revised targets that are challenging but achievable: reducing the use of the most dangerous drugs and patterns of drug use by young people, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable; tackling prevalence through a three pronged attack on supply; on dealers and traffickers; and on assets.

The Strategy will also work with the Afghan Government to reduce opium supply, reduce drug-related crime and continue to expand drug treatment whilst also improving its quality (Drugs Strategy Directorate 2002).

UK Drug Strategy aims to improve the country’s most deprived neighbourhoods by raising standards of employment, educational attainment, housing and health, and by lowering crime rates (Drugs Strategy Directorate 2002a).

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use their devolved powers where appropriate to formulate policies that complement the overall aims of the UK Strategy. Drug strategies in Scotland (The Scottish Office 1999), Wales (The National Assembly for Wales 2000) and Northern Ireland (NIO 1999) deal with drug-related problems specific to them. All three reflect the same four aims as the UK Strategy, relating to young people, reducing supply, communities and treatment, but with specific objectives and action priorities tailored to the particular problems and circumstances in each country. In Wales, the substance use strategy was launched in May 2000 and covers illegal drugs, alcohol, over the counter and prescription only medicines, and volatile substances.

The update also presented the results of a review of strategy targets. This led to revisions in the focus of some targets and the dropping of the ambitious objectives, for all but one target. Three out of four targets now only seek to achieve change that goes in the desired direction.

References
Drugs Strategy Directorate (2002a). Updated Drug Strategy. Home Office. London.

National Assembly for Wales (2000). Tackling substance misuse in Wales: a partnership approach. National Assembly for Wales. Cardiff.

Northern Ireland Office (1999). Drug Strategy for Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Office. Belfast. (Please click here to access the Strategy online.)

Scottish Office (1999). Tackling drugs in Scotland: action in partnership. The Scottish Office. Edinburgh. (Please click here to access the Strategy online.)

Tackling drugs to build a better Britain. (1998).The Stationery Office. London.

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