LABOUR CONSIDERS PLAN TO FORCE DRUG ADDICTS NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN

DRUG addicts face having to sign an agreement not to have children to
qualify for treatment under plans being considered by Labour.

Hard drug users would have to sign a "social contract" agreeing to
remain childless in order to continue receiving free methadone and
housing payments.

The idea, which has been fed into Scottish Labour's manifesto
discussions for next year's Holyrood election, is the brainchild of
Duncan McNeil, convenor of Labour's 50-strong parliamentary group.

The MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde sparked controversy earlier this
year by suggesting that contraceptives should be put in methadone to
prevent addicts from reproducing.

McNeil believes the current system of treatment is too heavily focused
on the rights of drug users and does not spell out their
responsibilities.

His policy paper states: "These responsibilities are either
non-existent or entirely unknown to those supposedly subject to them."

As part of his proposal the social contract would also oblige addicts
to attend a drug cessation programme, with a strict timetable set out
to help each individual become drug-free. "There comes a time when we
have to challenge addicts' behaviour," he said. "I can't see that we
are asking for any commitment at all from them. Addicts just turn up
and the support is automatic. We need to do better than harm reduction."

A Labour insider said: "Duncan is on the extreme end of the debate but
there is a lot of sympathy for his position. The party will go some
way toward the areas he is talking about."

The proposal was welcomed by Annabel Goldie, leader of the Scottish
Conservatives, who said: "At long last someone from the Labour party
has woken up to the spiralling drugs problem."

However it was criticised by social workers and other opposition
politicians.

Stewart Stevenson, drugs spokesman for the SNP, said: "These proposals
are totally unacceptable. What we must be focussing on is helping
addicts get free of their addictions, not dictating to them, which
might make them more reluctant to turn to their only source of help in
the first place."

Ruth Stark, spokeswoman for the British Association of Social Workers
in Scotland, said: "One is reminded of some of the ghastly things that
have happened in terms of ethnic cleansing -- are we talking about
ethnic cleansing of people who are drug addicts?" A spokesman for the
Scottish Drugs Forum said: "There is a vicious tenor to these
proposals. What is proposed dehumanises people who are in need of help
and support simply because their problems are seen as too difficult
and complex for society to deal with."

A Scottish Labour spokesman said: "Drugs have scarred so many
communities in Scotland, and Labour have shown they are prepared to
take the tough decisions to tackle drugs and the associated crime
where necessary, while providing support for addicts to recover and
play a fuller role in society."