Conservatives will examine plans to establish so-called “shooting galleries” – special centres where drug addicts inject themselves under controlled conditions - David Cameron has signalled.
Visiting The Grove care centre in north London, run by charity Turning Point for people suffering from alcohol and drugs abuse, the Party Leader acknowledged that the current system of encouraging addicts into treatment is not working effectively enough.
And asked whether he backed proposals promoted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation for Britain to pilot a series of “drug consumption rooms”, like those operating overseas, Mr Cameron stated: “I certainly would not rule them out because anything that helps get users off the streets and in touch with agencies that can provide treatment is worth looking at. We should look at it as part of our policy review, and ask whether it will help get users off the streets and into treatment while cutting crime at the same time.”
He said he had spent some time talking with addicts and former addicts and declared: “If we can try and understand them, then we are some way to understanding how we can get people off drugs so they can lead more purposeful lives and cut crime for everybody else.”
Meanwhile, Shadow Home Affairs Minister Edward Garnier made a submission to the Party’s Social Justice Policy Group, requesting consideration of ideas designed to improve both access to and quality of care and treatment for drugs addicts.
These include how sources of rehabilitation and continuing support are made more available; how more treatment in the community can be encouraged; how to ensure there are procedures to continue support and incentives for criminals released from prison; whether there is a need for a department or central body that both drives policy and ensures productivity and output; and how work done by charities like TurningPoint can be replicated nationally.
Stressing that most crime is drug-related Mr Garnier said: “It is far too easy for drug-connected inmates to re-offend. But with more determination, focus, and better-directed resources we could make a start at reducing the level of re-offending, increasing the levels of divergence and deterrence, and thus reducing the prison population which between now and the end of the summer will outgrow the available accommodation. It is the only way we will start rebuilding lives and creating safer communities.”