'PATCHY' TREATMENT DRIVES DRUG ADDICTS TO CRIME

DRUG addicts are having to wait up to five months for treatment, raising
fears that many will continue to turn to crime to finance their dependency,
according to a report by the Audit Commission published yesterday.

It said the Government planned to spend around UKP 3.5 billion on the costs
of drug abuse in the current financial year, of which less than a fifth will
go on treatment, education and other prevention projects.

The result was that services for addicts were "patchy and fragmented", with
many people reluctant to seek help because of long waiting lists and red
tape.

Addicts had to wait on average 35 days for prescribing services, in which
drugs are given under supervision. But in three areas the wait was more than
100 days, according to the survey of 16 community drug teams.

In one area, where addicts routinely waited five months for an appointment
with a community drug team, only one in three people offered a consultation
actually turned up. Andrew Foster, the commission's controller, said
discouraging addicts from seeking help had a knock-on effect on crime. In a
recent study, 69 per cent of 506 people arrested tested positive for drugs.

"Effective support will not only help more drug misusers to rebuild their
lives but also improve the quality of life in many communities," he said.