DRUG ADDICT SERVICES ARE A SHAMBLES

DRUG treatment services in England and Wales are a shambles, providing
little value for the UKP 234 million spent on helping addicts and
misusers, according to a report published today by the Audit Commission.

Waiting lists of up to 100 days give drug users more opportunities to
continue thieving to get cash to feed their habits and the delay can
drive them away from getting help.

Ministers have promised to increase spending on treatment to UKP 401
million over the next three years as part of a drive to tackle the
drug problem that is estimated to cost the country UKP 4.5 billion a
year.

The report found long waiting lists, treatment that failed to deal
with drug misusers' social problems, inconsistent treatment and
patchy working between drug teams and psychiatric hospitals, prisons
and GPs. It also said that services failed to minimise the risk from
drugs to individual users and to the wider community.

Andrew Foster, the Controller of the Audit Commission, said: "There
is fragmentation, not very good value for money, and certain people in
great need in our society are falling through the net."