Pubdate: Sun, 1 Dec 2002
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: 2002 Guardian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author: Martin Bright, Home Affairs Editor

HARD DRUGS COST UK 320BN UKP A YEAR

(The Observer)

The use of of Class A drugs such as heroin, crack and cocaine costs
the nation almost 320 billion UKP a year, according to new research to be
published this week. The study estimates that serious addicts account
for 99 per cent of the total social and economic costs of drugs.

The report will be published to coincide with the release of the
Government's Drugs Strategy, which will prioritise the treatment of
addicts and the fight against hard drugs. The University of York study
estimates the annual economic costs to the health service and the
criminal justice and benefits systems at between 33.7bn and 36.8bn UKP.
The social costs of crime to victims boost the figure to between
310.9bn and 318.8bn UKP.

The research also shows the costs of different types of drug user:
recreational users without a habit cost an average 320 UKP a year, while
problem drug users cost 311,000 UKP. Home Office sources confirmed the
strategy would concentrate on problem users, with an emphasis on new
Drug Treatment and Testing Orders, which have proved popular with
courts and enjoy a 50 per cent success rate.

But drug campaign groups last night accused the Government of
double-standards by conducting a U-turn on cannabis. Although cannabis
will be downgraded to a Class C drug, the new Criminal Justice Bill
will extend the power of arrest for possession to all drugs in that
category.

Roger Howard, chief executive of DrugScope said: 'The Government is
sending out mixed messages and diffusing the focus of their drugs
strategy. On one hand they publish a study saying 99 per cent of costs
come from the most seriously addicted, yet at the same time they widen
the power of arrest to a whole new group of drug users using the least
harmful drugs. Danny Kushlick, of the Transform Drug Policy Institute,
said: 'Drug use does not cause crime per se; it is the illegal markets
and inflated prices of street drugs under the policy of prohibition
that causes it.' 
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