Doctors warn UK Government drug strategy fails to tackle crucial issues

The UK Government's National Drug Strategy misses a crucial point by failing to tackle drinking and smoking early in
life, warned public health doctors at the British Medical Association yesterday (2 June 2005).


Doctors at the BMA's Conference of Public Health Medicine and Community Health in London voted for the Government to set up
accessible addiction services for young people, and focus on smoking prevention - as part of an overall strategy for tackling
drug addiction.


Dr Vasco Fernandes, a consultant physician in alcohol and drug addiction, said:


"The National Drug Strategy was set up with crime-reduction in mind - and for that reason it's designed to tackle illegal
drug use only.


"But most drug addicts don't progress straight to heroine or crack cocaine. They show signs of trouble to come in early life,
by smoking and drinking alcohol at a young age.


"The Government's drug strategy doesn't properly recognise the importance of these 'gateway' drugs in young people, leaving
it to other agencies to deal with these problems separately.


"If we are serious about preventing addiction to both legal and illegal drugs, we must have better services to tackle these
problems among young people, and they must be co-ordinated into the national drug strategy.


"Otherwise we are spending our time locking the door after the horse has well and truly bolted."


The conference also called for a review of Government plans for 24-hour drinking, and demanded a public debate on the
proposals.


Dr Noel Olsen, Chair of the Alcohol Education and Research Council, said "The problems caused by alcohol abuse far outweigh
problems caused by illegal drugs in health terms for the population as a whole."


A motion for a ban on proposed super-casinos in local communities was also passed, as doctors felt they would promote
addictive and damaging behaviour, and increase poverty.


The conference also voted for a 'fairness doctrine' for advertising, where media space given over to the promotion of
unhealthy foods must be matched with airtime for public health messages.


Dr Olsen, who proposed the motion, added:


"I think that industries which promote unhealthy foods, many of them aimed at children, should contribute to the cost of the
public health view being heard. Personally I also feel these companies shouldn't be allowed to write off such advertising
against tax."


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