DRUGS WAR HAS LITTLE IMPACT

Keith Hellawell, the Government's drugs czar, admitted yesterday that the
availability of cocaine and heroin had not been reduced since he was
appointed by Tony Blair two years ago.

Mr Hellawell, former Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, also said that the
cost of the drugs had not increased despite more seizures. But he rejected
claims that he was losing the war against drugs. Mr Hellawell told The
Times that he expected some success in April next year - 12 months after a
ten-year strategy was launched to reduce the number of addicts. The
strategy focused on educating young people about the dangers of drugs as
well as increasing treatment services.

Mr Hellawell held a meeting yesterday with General Barry McCaffrey, his
American counterpart, who is touring Britain. The pair launched a drug
education website called ResourceNet, funded by the Health Department, at
Goldsmiths College, in southeast London.

General McCaffrey tried to leave immediately after the launch but was
jeered by protesters, denouncing hardline US drug policies.

Steve Rolles, a protester, said that both Britain and the United States had
failed to fund treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. But a Cabinet
Office spokeswoman said that Mr Hellawell had spent two years developing
the ten-year strategy. During that time, he had also announced UKP217
million in funding for anti-drugs initiatives. Home Office figures have
shown an increase in arrests for cocaine possession from 3,400 cases in
1997 to 4,500 last year.