DRUGS TSAR BEGINS WORK IN EARNEST

Britain's new "drugs tsar" formally took up his post yesterday. Keith
Hellawell has been working two days a week since October at his new role of
UK Anti-drugs Co-ordinator while continuing as Chief Constable of West
Yorkshire.

He is due to report his recommendations for action to the drugs minister
George Howarth and to the Cabinet committee in April.

Labour MP Paul Flynn, chairman of the Commons drug misuse group, said that
Mr Hellawell's job came with a "derisory budget and his task is to
repackage failed policies".

He will be helped in his £102,000-a-year post by a deputy, Michael Trace,
36, currently director of the Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners' Trust,
and a staff of six.

Mr Hellawell arrived at his new Whitehall offices overlooking St James's
Park for his first day in the post yesterday morning making no comments on
the task ahead of him as he posed for photographs.

Mr Hellawell has warned against seeking "simplistic" answers to the problem
of drugs.

Paul Cavadino, principal officer of the National Association for the Care
and Resettlement of Offenders, urged him to use his role to shift resources
away from law enforcement and towards treatment of addicts.

He said: "Of the resources currently allocated to dealing with drugs,
two-thirds are spent on enforcing the law and just one-third on education,
prevention and treatment."