WASTED BILLIONS

A STAGGERING UKP3.5 billion is wasted on Scotland's drug addicts EVERY
YEAR, shock new figures revealed last night.

Cash pours out of the national coffers to pay for healthcare,
policing, court time and looking after addicts' shattered families -
as well as wider costs to the economy and society.

And with more than 55,000 Scots now hooked on drugs - it works out at
more than UKP63,000 per addict.

Incredibly, the spiralling bill is equivalent to more than a quarter
of the Scottish Government's health spending and nearly THREE TIMES
the justice budget.

At the same time, junkies also help fund an illegal drugs trade worth
UKP1.4billion a year.

That means each addict feeds a UKP19,000-a-year habit - mostly with
money stolen from the rest of us.

The cost of crimes committed by junkies is more than UKP1.1billion -
with Scots hit by huge numbers of burglaries and assaults.

Offences like shoplifting, fraud and criminal damage also hit the
country hard.

Last night, Tory community safety spokesman John Lamont said:
"Scotland is still in the grip of the disaster of drug abuse."

The horrifying extent of the problem emerged after experts at Glasgow
University used police records, court social inquiry reports and
hospital records to estimate the size of our drug problem.

They found 55,328 adults across the country were using heroin, illegal
methadone or other drugs - up almost 4,000 from 2003.

Worst-hit is Glasgow, where 3.27 per cent of adults (13,256 people)
are on drugs.

Next is West Dunbartonshire at 2.61 per cent (1,601 addicts), then
Dundee where 2,454 junkies make up 2.6 per cent of the city.

But, worryingly, the figures date back to 2006 - and experts say the
true scale of the problem could be almost TWICE as bad.

In May, Tayside's then-Chief Constable Kevin Mathieson revealed there
are more than 4,000 junkies in Dundee alone - almost double the
official estimate.

Reacting to the new study last night, Community Safety Minister Fergus
Ewing said: "Dealing with Scotland's drugs problem involves a
combination of education, prevention, treatment and enforcement - and
shared determination.

"Our National Drugs Strategy sets out our commitment to get people off
drugs. Key to this is making sure people can recover from their
addictions by accessing the treatment and support they need."

He added: "While progress is being made, it is unacceptable that some
people are still having to wait months to get help.

"That is why we are working closely with our partners to develop a
waiting times target for services."

The latest figures are contained in research carried out for the
Scottish Government and NHS information and stats division. It found
an estimated 23,933 addicts were injecting drugs. The researchers
estimated just over 90 per cent of problem drug users are on heroin -
as many as 50,077. But 15,697 were also said to use crack cocaine,
while 18,019 take methadone. In addition, 40,294 problem drug users
took cannabis, 6,136 amphetamines, 12,049 ecstasy and 14,813 cocaine.

Researchers also calculated that problem drug users spent just over
UKP900million feeding their habit in 2006, while recreational drug
users spent around UKP518million.

That puts the total value of the illegal drugs market in Scotland at
about UKP1.4billion.

About 321,352 Scots used cannabis recreationally, with 100,111 taking
cocaine.

Ecstasy was taken recreationally by 89,867 people and 63,791 people
took amphetamines.

Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker claimed the figures were
"simply shocking".

He said: "It is becoming increasingly clear the SNP are simply not
taking action against drug abuse."

Mr Baker claimed the Nats were investing less money in rehabilitation.
And he added: "At a time when drug misuse is increasing, it is wrong
to be cutting budgets that are designed specifically to help people."

Lib Dem justice spokesman Robert Brown said the figures had revealed
the "staggering cost of drug abuse in Scotland".

Mr Brown added: "Drug use blights the lives of users, their families
and communities.

"A twin-track approach is vital if we are to rid Scotland of the
scourge of drug addiction.

"We must cut demand by prevention through prosecution of drug
pushers."

But he added: "There also needs to be a proper support structure in
place so that rehabilitation of drug addicts can offer a path back to
a fulfilling role in society."

And Tory Lamont added: "Every UKP1 spent on treating addicts saves
nearly UKP10 in other budgets.

"We have to expand the range of rehabilitation services on offer and
move to abstinence and recovery. "Scotland has suffered for far too
long from the effects of drugs abuse. It ruins lives, destroys
families and scars communities."