LONDON TREATMENT SCHEME

Robin Wales On A Scheme In East London Aimed At Offenders With Drink, Drug
And Mental Health Problems

Which side of the fence do you sit on in the great drugs debate? Do you
believe that all drugs should be banned, with stiff prison sentences for
those who use or deal in them? Or are you at the other end of the spectrum
and believe that soft drugs such as marijuana should be legalised?

And where does alcohol and mental health come into this debate? No matter
where your sympathies lie, there is no doubt that misuse of hard drugs is
fuelling the crime wave. Addicts steal to pay for their daily hits.
Equally, people who abuse alcohol are more likely to become involved in
fights.

Last week, Newham Drugs Action Team, responsible for co-ordinating drugs
work across the east London borough, launched the combined arrest referral
scheme. It targets both adult and young offenders with drug, drink or
mental health problems - or a combination of these. Other registered
schemes in England and Wales target only adult detainees with a drugs
problem, ignoring alcohol and mental health problems, and young people.

Referral schemes arrived from the US 10 years ago and have been
demonstrated to be effective in fast-tracking offenders with a drugs habit
into treatment services. Long-term studies in the US and UK show that
treatment works for drug addicts.

Detainees using the service will not be able to avoid the normal process of
law as the scheme works in parallel with the criminal justice system. Based
in police stations, arrest referral staff work closely with custody
officers in identifying potential candidates for the scheme who are then
confidentially assessed for onward referral to a treatment service, or
provided with information, advice or counselling.

To gain an understanding of the scale of the problem, consider the
following statistics:

- - Almost four-fifths of arrests in Newham are due to drugs, alcohol, mental
health problems, or a combination of these.

- - Property crime accounts for nearly half of all offences by illicit drug
users.

- - Just over one in 10 have had contact with a treatment service, leaving
89% who have had no contact.

Ali Osman (not his real name) forms part of this 89%. Ali is 21 years old
and lives in overcrowded conditions with his mother, brothers and sisters.
At 16, he started tak ing cannabis and became involved in petty crime.
Within a year, he had progressed to class A drugs such as crack cocaine and
heroin - to the tune of pounds 400 per week. To finance his habit he would
embark on crime sprees for which he served time.

Following a recent arrest for car theft, he was referred to the combined
arrest referral scheme and then directed to a local drugs agency. Ali
obtained bail and made his first contact with a treatment service.
Previously, he had never heard of treatment agencies that could help people
like him. Ali is now engaged in a structured rehabilitation programme.

Problematic alcohol use has been identified as a big issue in over a third
of all detainees, a significant number being arrested for violent crime.
Few, if any, problem drinkers have access to treatment services.

Newham's scheme is an attempt to ensure that people with multiple problems
receive support for all their needs. For example, one in 10 problem
drinkers have a history of mental health problems, and yet the majority of
these are treated for their mental illness only.

Young people are affected as well. We estimate that 1,400 people under 18
are arrested each year for taking drugs, and drug-related crime accounts
for the highest proportion of offences by young arrestees.

The scheme, funded by the health authority, social services, the probation
service and the Stratford Development Partnership, aims to assess more than
1,000 adults and young people in its first year.

Drug and alcohol treatment services in Newham are prioritising clients from
the scheme and seeing people within a week. Treatment agencies have
guaranteed that up to 33 new referrals per week can be seen. People with
acute mental health problems will be admitted to mental health services
straight away.

Drugs are the scourge of many societies. Abusing alcohol increases violence
on our streets. And people with mental health problems can commit crimes
because of their illness, no matter what their age.

Many of these people will go on to re-offend. We can begin to break the
cycle by providing support for their addiction or health problem.

Robin Wales is the leader of Newham council. A conference called Tackling
Drugs in Newham will take place on Friday at Stratford Town Hall, east
London. Further details from Cindy Bolstridge, Drugs Action Team (tel:
0181-472 1430, ext 23434).