Appeal for National strategy to fight drugs

by David Perry

Aberdeen MP's last night welcomed an appeal for greater coordination of
the fight against drug abuse.
It came from Dr Brian Potter, Scottish secretary of the British Medical
Association. He spoke in Edinburgh to publicise a BMA report on the misuse
of drugs.

Dr Potter hoped the Government would develop a coordinated national
strategy for the care of drug misusers.
That should involve health and local authorities, the prison and probation
service, and the health education authority. He complained: "We have been
muddling about with no national strategy."

Prime Minister Tony Blair has already set up a cabinet committee under
commons leader Ann Taylor to prepare for the appointment of a drugs tsar
for the operational role.

Grampian Chief Constable Ian Oliver is among leading contenders for the
post.

Aberdeen Central Labour MP Frank Doran led a delegation of all three
Aberdeen MP's to see Mr Oliver about the heroin crisis in the Northeast
last week. Mr Doran said: "We do need a very coordinated policy and that
is very high on the Government's agenda.

"Encouragement for that from any source is very welcome."

Aberdeen North Labour MP Malcolm Savage said: "This is a major national
problem and coordination and cooperation are of key importance in
tackling it."

He said MP's were deeply concerned about the five recent deaths and 12
nearfatalities from heroin overdoses, and claimed: "It could have been
worse."

Dr Roy Robertson, a member of the working party which prepared the report
and a GP with the Muirhouse Medical Group in Edinburgh, described the
report as a landmark document.

Included in the 28 recommendations are:

*Expansion of the Aids prevention budget to become a bloodborne virus
budget with a new emphasis on the prevention of Hepatitis C (in some areas
of the UK between 75% and 85% of injecting drug users are infected);

*Better training and support of GP's so that drug misusers can be treated
in general practice;

*Residential detoxification facilities in localities where needed;

*Prisoners to have the same standard of care as other drug misusers, with
injecting users having access to sterilising materials.

Dr Potter said, in many cases, the message was: If you are going to do it,
do it as safely as possible."
He added: "Nobody is saying 'Yes, go ahead. Go out and take drugs and see
how you get on'."

Shug

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