The government's outgoing drug tsar Keith Hellawell admitted in his final annual report last week that drug use in general has remained steady and has increased among 11 to 15 year olds.
But he added that he was proud of setting up drug action teams, increasing referrals to treatment programmes, and creating community-based partnerships.
Hellawell's three-year contract has not been renewed and the implementation of the government's drug policy is now shared among Home Office ministers.
Home Office minister Beverley Hughes praised Hellawell for leading "away from dealing mainly with the consequences of drug misuse to an increased focus on education and prevention, on treatment and on disruption of the supply chain".
- Annual report from www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs
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