BUSINESSES URGED TO JOIN DRUGS BATTLE

Scottish businesses were yesterday urged to play a more active role in
the fight against illegal drugs.

At a special breakfast meeting of around 100 businessmen and women,
organised by Scotland Against Drugs (Sad), a panel of influential
speakers detailed how drugs misuse could increase costs in the
Scottish corporate sector and damage inward investment.

Mr Alistair Ramsay, director of Sad, and Sir Tom Farmer, the group's
chairman, said drugs misuse could adversely influence the ability of
business to attract competent local labour, and destroy the
communities in which businesses operate.

Mr Ramsay added: "Businesses can get involved and help fight drugs
misuse in kind or in cash. They can lend their expertise or their
business skills."

Chairman of the Greater Glasgow Drug Action Team Chris Spry said: "The
Glasgow Development Agency has expressed concern to us on a number of
occasions about how the image of Glasgow in the UK and abroad is
damaging to investment in the city. It's a problem that has a real
effect on businesses.

"A key goal will be to give people who are trying very hard to sustain
a drug-free life a real opportunity to get back into employment.

"The business community can help by providing real job opportunities
and giving hope back to socially excluded people."

Mr John Kerr, regional director of Hewden Plant Hire and chairman of
Greater Easterhouse Business Support Group, said businesses needed to
work to build self-belief among youngsters in deprived areas, many of
whom had the potential for successful careers.

Meanwhile, drugs tsar Keith Hellawell yesterday denied his 10-year
anti-drugs strategy was failing, as new figures showed a sharp rise in
the number of drugs-related offenders.

Mr Hellawell met Prime Minister Tony Blair at Downing Street to
discuss new ways to step up the Government's fight against drugs.
Government figures published yesterday showed more people in the UK
being arrested for drugs offences, and police and customs making more
seizures.

Nearly 128,000 drugs offenders were either fined, cautioned or jailed
in 1998, the majority for the possession of cannabis. The figure is a
13% increase on the previous year. Mr Hellawell insisted the figures
showed his strategy was working.

"In one way these figures prove that we are clamping down on drugs
with the arrest of more offenders and more seizures," he said.

The Scottish Executive is due to release the latest general statistics
on drugs misuse in Scotland next week.