GOVERNMENT 'SOFT ON HARD DRUGS'

The Government Is Accused of Ignoring the Drug Problem

The man who led the government's war on drugs has accused Labour of
turning its back on the issue.

Former drugs tsar Keith Hellawell says ministers are "closing their
eyes" to a problem that caused pain across all parts of society.

The Home Office rebuffed the claim, saying recorded drug offences were
down in the quarter to June 2004.

However, the Conservatives say "complacency" over the spread of hard
drugs had contributed to gun crime.

'Off the Radar'

Mr Hellawell, who quit his role three years ago over plans to
downgrade cannabis, said: "What we are seeing is that drugs have gone
off the radar of the Labour government.

"Labour came in 1997 with this [drug abuse] as part of their
manifesto.

"Now you never hear anything about it. It is as if they are turning
their back on it, closing their eyes to it, believing that perhaps it
will go away, but it doesn't."

Mr Hellawell said drugs caused pain and damage "right across the
spectrum of our society" but ministers were pushing the issue "into
the long grass".

He told the BBC's Today programme that drug dealers were deliberately
targeting children under the age of criminal responsibility who could
not be prosecuted.

"Unless society and unless government actually gives a much stronger
message than it's doing at the moment about drugs then this sort of
thing is just going to spread."

'Complacency and Confusion'

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "Drugs are not on the radar
for this government.

"Their complacency and confusion over the growth in hard drug use has
been a direct contributor to the dramatic increase in gun crime and
other violent crime."

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The number of recorded drug offences
decreased 2% in the quarter to June 04 compared with the quarter
ending June 03.

"The government is tackling drugs by strengthening policing to better
disrupt local drug markets and reduce use of drugs.

"Intelligence-led targeting of local drug markets is beginning to
produce results."

She added that new powers to close crack houses were "being used to
good effect".