SORRY FOR UKP 10,000 DRUG-LAW LEAFLET

A public agency partnership has apologised to the Government after spending
UKP 10,000 of taxpayers' money on leaflets telling drug users how to avoid
the law.

The Safe2Dance handbook, produced by the Coventry Community Safety
Partnership - which includes the city council, police and health authority
- - advocated snorting cocaine from ceramic surfaces to avoid leaving
forensic evidence for the police.

It also advised drug users to use high grade cannabis rather than varieties
containing greater levels of harmful toxins.

The partnership, set up to tackle crime and substance abuse in the area,
promised to destroy all 5,000 of the leaflets after being criticised for
encouraging criminal activity.

Stella Manzie, secretary of the CCSP and chief executive of Coventry City
Council, said: "Fortunately no copies of the leaflet had been distributed
or issued to the public.

"The community safety partnership is now destroying this edition of the
leaflet 'Safe2Dance - Clubs, Drugs and Being Safe'.

"Some of the advice in the leaflet was wholly sensible, but parts were
absolutely unacceptable - in particular those parts which appeared to
encourage criminal activity."

Ms Manzie has written a letter of apology to the Department of Health which
provided the UKP 10,000 to produce the booklet.

She added: "The community safety partnership does some fantastic work in
the city but on this occasion its support team produced a leaflet which
completely misrepresents its views."

Coventry City Council is a leading partner, along with the West Midlands
Police Authority, the Coventry Primary Care Trust and the Coventry Youth
Offending Service, in the project.

Other members include University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS
Trust, West Midlands Fire Service, the youth advice quango Connexions and
the Magistrates' Court Service.

The 52-page guide advises: "Always use a mirror or ceramic tile to snort
your coke off. Other surfaces can leave valuable forensic evidence for the
police!"

It also includes tips on washing your nose after snorting cocaine and
avoiding food before taking a horse tranquilliser used by drug addicts.

Chief Superintendent Steve Dugmore, the chair of the partnership, said:
"This unfortunate error should not have happened, but I am pleased that no
leaflets have been distributed."

Bob Ainsworth, Labour MP for Coventry North East, branded the leaflets a
waste of taxpayers' money.

He said: "I have had an explanation from the chief executive of Coventry
City Council. It was a junior person who wrote the leaflet and it wasn't
checked.

"It was an error which is why they banned it. As soon as I saw it and read
it I thought they have got someone who has knowledge - maybe an ex-user and
they hadn't properly edited the information."

Mr Ainsworth said he supported attempts to provide people who are going to
take illegal substances information about personal safety.

Drug abuse has increased in Coventry in recent years.

In the 12 months ending January 2003, there were 683 arrests in the city
for drug offences. In the year ending March 2002 there were three deaths
caused by overdoses.