Pubdate: Tue, 07 May 2002
Source: Courier, The (UK)
Copyright: DC Thomson & Co Ltd
Contact:  http://www.thecourier.co.uk/febcourierrede/index.htm
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/802
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

MORE CASH TO SPEND ON TREATING DRUG ADDICTS

Health boards in Tayside and Fife will spend more than UKP 2.2 million 
treating drug addicts next year.

NHS Tayside will spend nearly UKP 1.5 million on treating drug addicts next 
year-the third highest amount in Scotland.

Research has shown that Dundee had the second highest rate in the country 
for heroin and tranquilliser abuse.

The Scottish Executive will award the board UKP 1,483,000 for the treatment 
of problem drug users during 2002-03.

The Executive defines a problem drug user as someone with a dependence on 
opiates or benzodiazepane tranquillisers.

It will represent an increase of over UKP 140,00 from the previous year. 
Over the last five years spending per annum has increased by over UKP 
550,000 to tackle the growing problem.

Fife Health Board will receive the relatively smaller figure of UKP 
783,000-up from UKP 698,000 the previous year.

Only Greater Glasgow Health Board and Lothian Health Board have been 
allocated more cash than NHS Tayside, with the boards receiving UKP 4.48 
million and UKP 3.54 million from the Scottish Executive respectively.

In Tayside this will work out as a spending of UKP 344 per patient over the 
coming year, over UKP 40 per year over the national average, which is UKP 
303 per year. However, in Fife only UKP 275 will be spent per problem user.

A report commissioned by the Scottish Executive last year discovered that 
almost 2700 people in Dundee were taking opiates or benzodiazepanes-an 
alarming 3.5% of the population aged between 15 and 24.

At the time they awarded an extra UKP 1.3 million of extra cash-over and 
above existing spending-to fight the problem.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl