Pubdate: Fri, 30 May 2008
Source: Daily Record (UK)
Copyright: 2008 Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/111
Author: Dave King
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

EVERY DRUG ADDICT COSTS SCOTS UKP50K TO LOOK AFTER, MSPS TOLD

DRUG addicts cost Scotland a shocking UKP50,000 each every year, it 
was claimed yesterday.

Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing said the bill in policing, 
social work and medical care for the country's estimated 50,000-plus 
addicts was UKP2.6billion a year.

Ewing revealed the figures to MSPs as he launched a new strategy to 
tackle the blight of drugs.

The Scottish government have earmarked UKP94million over the next 
three years for the campaign, which aims to shift the emphasis from 
just treating addicts to getting them into recovery and drug-free.

Every parent in Scotland is to be sent a pamphlet warning of the 
dangers of drugs and detailing the tell-tale signs to look out for.

He said: "It is difficult to measure the precise impact that 
prevention efforts, education and information campaigns have.

"Scientifically, it is not really possible to do that. But let me 
make one simple example. The cost to society of one drug addict in 
Scotland a year with a problematic habit is UKP50,000.

"Over 10 years, that person will cost Scotland half a million pounds. 
That is more than the exercise of providing every family in Scotland 
with this booklet.

"This booklet does provide information to parents which I believe 
they will not have.

"If that helps 10 or 100 parents address earlier the problems that 
they see in their son or daughter, who is starting to get into the 
grips of addiction, then the cost will be paid many times over."

Ewing said there would still be a role for the heroin substitute 
methadone but there had to be an improvement in moving people on to 
recovery rather than leaving them "parked on methadone."

He also said the law would be changed to compel drug dealers to prove 
they acquired their assets legally, rather than the onus being on the 
Crown to prove otherwise before assets are confiscated.

But Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill complained there was 
no mention of a Drugs Commission as promised by the SNP.

And she said the government had not explained why they had not met 
the proposed 20 per cent increase in the anti-drugs budget.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom