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See other news storiesMinisterial Football Match Kicks Off Search for Heroes Changing Lives in the Fight Against Drugs
23 May 2007
Marking today's launch of the 2007 Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Awards, Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker will captain a Ministerial football team in a five-a-side National Tackling Drug Daty match in south London.
As the whistle blows, Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker will team up with Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Education and Andy Burnham, Minister of State at the Department of Health to open the 2007 search for unsung heroes in the drug sector at a five-a-side match against Dads Against Drugs and Positive Futures,.
Anyone will be able to nominate the drug worker and team of the year who have made a real difference by reducing the harm caused by drugs. Successful nominees will receive £10,000 to support their local project.
National Tacling Drugs Day will witness many events across the country to celebrate the unsung work that reduces drug misuse. Ministers from across Government will be out and about visiting local drugs projects, in addition to:
a concert will be held in Gateshead where a local musician will perform a song he has written about drug addiction; and residents of Wigan will be able to visit a drop-in lorry with information on drug treatment services.
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said:
"Tackling drugs has been on e of this Government's priorities. I recognise there is no easy way to tackle drug misuse, but we do so in large part through commitment and dedication of fron tline staff. Today is al about the celebration of local success - recognising the hard work undertaken across the country in the areas of enforcement, education and treatment.
"Today also marks the fourth anniversary of FRANK, a key plank of our education and I am delighted to announce its higest ever levels of awareness - 83 per cent of young people are aware of FRANK and over 1,350 calls are made to the helpline each day.
"We have backed our drug strategy of enforcement, education and treatment with unparalleled investment: over £9 billion since 2001/02. In that time drug misuse has fallen by 16 per cent, while since the onset of the Drugs Intervention Programme recorded acquisitive crime - to which drug-related crime makes a significant contribution - has fallen by 20 per cent.
"We will shortly consult on our drug strategy but we are proud of our record in recent years".
Secretary of State for Education and Skills Alan Johnson said:
"Although football has always been a passion of mine, it is a while since I donned a football strip. But there can be no better reason to limber up agains than to join the fight against drugs. Drugs blight lives and destroy potential, numbing bright inquisitive minds. Parenthood is a blessing, but is also brings with it challenges and fears - one of the greatest of which is protecting your children from the world of drugs.
"The Government has done much to tackle the drug culture, but it is up to us all to take a stand and stamp it out"
Chief Constable Tim Hollis, Chair of the Association of Chief Police Officers - Drugs, said:
"Whilst recognising the need for an open and well informed debate on how to reduce the overall harm presented by illegal drugs to our local communities, the Police Service remains committed to tackling criminals who deal in drugs in a robust manner and we appreciate the support we receivd from Ministers to this end. We do accept that long term change must be based on sound partnership working and we welcome the wide range of initiatives being taken on this day which reflects a joint commitment to making our communities safer from the harms of ilegal drug use in all its forms".
Vivienne Evans, Chief Executive of Adfam said:
"Adfam is the only national charity working on behalf of families affected by drug misuse. We see and hear first hand the devastating impact that drugs have on individuals, families and communities".
"But we also see the commitment, fortitude and dedication of people working to support families and the difference they can make. The people doing this work truly are unsung heroes and I am delighted to support the Home Office's Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Awards, which honour and reward the amazing work being done to rebuid families and futures."
Gary Stannett, Director of the Positive Futures programme, said:
"Today's event shows the power sport has to bring people together to tackle problems that affect young people. Positive Futures works with thousands of young people to help them understand the dangers of drugs and alcohol by supporting them back into education, training and employment".
The Government launched the 10 year drug strategy in 1998 and will shortly consult on the futurre of tackling drugs to change lives.
Notes to Editors
1. For more information on the Government's drug straetgy go to www.drugs.gov.uk (new window)
2. For more information on the 2007 Tackling Drugs Awards and to nomiante an individual or team visit www.drugs.gov.uk/awards2007
3. The football game will take place at the Colombo Centre, Hatfields, Southwark SE1 8DP - a community facility in south London that is owned by a charitable trust.
4. Dads Against Drugs (DADs) are a Hull based charity who educate young people about the dangers of drugs through football coaching. DADs won a Tackling Drugs Changing Lives award in 2006. www.dadsagainstdrugs.co.uk (new window)
5. Last year's Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Award individual winner was David Gordon, of the Swaythling Clinic in Southampton. He gained his award for running a mobile needle exchange and for his work with over 400 people in promoting safer injecting and sexual practices and advising on harm reduction. He also worked with Southampton Working Women's Project and set up a needle exchange with the custody suites in Southampton's police stations.
6. The team award was won by Cyswllt Ceredigion Contact of Aberystwyth. The team provided one-to-oneand group counselling, after care support, three-stage treatment and help with housing, job-related training, employment, child care and travel dfor clients. They worked in partnership wth statutory and voluntary organisations including hosuing agencies, women's refuges, and regional and local NHS trusts and by giving presentations to GPs surgeries across the region. The team also ran drug awareness programmes for the families of clients and for schools.
7. Positive Futures is a national sports, arts and activity-based social incluision programme funded by the Home Ofice Crime and Drug Strategy Directorate. The Home Office provides just over £5 million per year for 126 Positive Futures projects nationwide. A further 24 projects are funded directly by the Football Foundation to the tune of £3 million over a two year perioed. The national crime prevention charity Crime Concern manages Positive Futures for the Home Office working in some of the country's most disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
8. There are four main strands to the Government's Drug Straetgy:
i. Prevention - reduce the use of Class A drugs and the frequent use of any illicit drug by all young people under the age of 25, especially the most vulnerable.
ii. Treatment - increase the number sof problematic drug users in treatment by 100 per cent by 2008, and increase year on year the proportion of users successfully sustaining or completing treatment.
iii. Tackling supply - generate a sustained impact on the supply of Class A drugs into the UK, while working to tackle local dealers and the availability of drugs into local communities.
iv. Reducing drug-related crime - substantially increase the number of drug - misusing offenders entering treatment through the Criminal Justice System.
9. There are 149 local Drug Action Teams/Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships responsible for delivering the Drug Strategy. Their work aims to tackle supply, target young people to prevent them becoming tomorrow's drug users, get more people into treatment and reduce the fear of crime that drug misuse can cause.
10. The current 10 year drug strategy ends in March 2008. The new strategy, which will be launched at the end of the year, will re-focus on the strategies and interventions that have had the greatest positive impact, maintaining a firm focus on drugs as a Government priority, while building on opportunities to develop and deliver the strategy as part of the wider policy framework. A substantive discussion document and details of the consultation process are being developed, and will shortly be posted on www.drugs.gov.uk
11. The Home Office launched the national 'Changing Lives Making Communities Safer campaign' in January 2007. Workingwith over 65 drugs and crime agenceis the aim is to communicate the work local agencies are doing to tackle crime, drugs, anti-social behaviour and alcohol miuse in their areas, and the impact this is having. The campaign aims to improve people's awareness of the action being taken, with the aim of helping them to feel safe in their community.
