HEROIN ON THE NHS AND A DOCUMENT TOO HOT TO HANDLE

Secret Home Office Brief To Tony Blair And David Blunkett Urges
Dramatic Steps To Counter Rising Criminality

Some of the proposals are political dynamite, so it is small wonder
the Home Office briefing paper is marked "restricted".

Its contents dare to say what ministers cannot. On drugs, for
example, it reports: "There is mounting evidence of the impossibility
of winning the war against drugs supply." Furthermore, if the
"Government did succeed in cutting the supply of heroin" the price of
the street drug would rise, driving addicts to more desperate and
dangerous criminal acts to pay for their habit.

The warning is alarming, and undermines the policy of targeting drug
smugglers. Perhaps this is why the report containing this damaging
analysis has never been published, particularly since its authors
were the Home Secretary's own policy advisers.

The Home Office strategic policy team's plan to reduce crime contains
other startling conclusions. One way to reduce drug-fuelled burglary
and muggings was for the Government to take control of the drugs supply.

The strategists say: "There is a strong argument that prohibition has
caused or created many of the problems associated with the use or
misuse of drugs. One option for the future would be to regulate drugs
differently, through either over-the-counter sales, licensed sales or
doctor's prescription."

This radical policy recommendation in the Final Report of the Crime
Reduction Review has not been adopted by Downing Street. But other
proposals, unthinkable when they were presented to David Blunkett and
Tony Blair in May 2004, are now very much part of Whitehall policy
formation. Among them is the suggestion that pure heroin be given to
hard-core addicts who steal to pay for drugs.

"The Home Office should consider wider rolling out of injectable
heroin prescription for highly dependent users through the NHS," the
report says. "A system of controlled availability of drugs would
allow the Government to exert a much greater degree of influence over
the way in which substances are used than is currently possible."

Within months of the report, NHS trials were set up in London,
Brighton and the North-east to test the efficacy of prescribing
heroin, rather than methadone, to "the most chaotic and dependent users".

The trials end this summer. It is believed that by next year, John
Reid, the Home Secretary, will have approved a scheme for heroin
addicts who have failed to respond to other forms of treatment to be
offered injectable heroin on prescription.

The 100-page blueprint has the immediate aim of helping the
Government meet its goal to reduce crime by 20 per cent by 2008. But
it questions one of the Government's flagship schemes, SureStart,
which was set up by Labour to give poor pre-school children a better
start in life. The report says "SureStart only reaches a third of the
poorest young children in the country." It was often used by
middle-class families from outside the catchment areas, says the
report. "There are indications that those most in need are not always
accessing the programme."

The officials do not flinch from damning other crime-fighting
programmes, including CCTV.

"CCTV was associated with a 41 per cent reduction in crime in car
parks, but provided little evidence of an effect in other settings," it says.

With some prescience it warns that drugs, peer pressure and desire
for expensive clothes, including running shoes, was leading to a
burgeoning gang culture in the UK, particularly among Afro-Caribbean
boys. It urges the police to work with local communities to stop
gangs gaining a foothold.

It also cites evidence that children who bully their classmates are
more likely to end up as thugs. "By taking early action to really
address the behaviour of bullies, including working with parents,
schools should tackle anti-social behaviours before they escalate to
more serious criminality and violence."

Tried And Tested: Prescribe Heroin For 'Chaotic' Users

Proposal

Prescribe pure heroin instead of methadone to "the most chaotic and
dependent users" who commit crimes to feed their habit. Concludes
that "wider roll-out" would "reduce drug-related crime" and improve
the health of addicts.

What Happened

Three trials have been set up by the National Health Service to see
if giving addicts injectable heroin instead of methadone reduces
crime and improves their health. Trials end this year and the
programme is likely to be extended across the country to the most
dependent users.

Left On The Shelf: Legalise And Regulate All Drugs

Proposal

Legalise and regulate drug use to reduce organised crime and cut out
the profits made by dealers. The Government should consider
over-the-counter sales of currently illegal drugs, licensing drug
retailers or allowing doctors to write prescriptions.

What May Happen

Legalising drug supply has been firmly rejected by the Government
because it would sanction the use of drugs. The policy of targeting
drug smugglers and dealers continues, despite the report's warning
that reducing the drug supply drives up the price and increases crime.