The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) has today (Friday 13 March 2009) welcomed the findings of a new poll and report by leading drug charity DrugScope ‘Drug treatment at the crossroads – What’s it for, where it’s at and how to make it even better.’

 

Opinion poll findings by ICM, commissioned by DrugScope, demonstrate strong public support for availability of drug treatment for people who need it. 88 per cent of the 1,039 surveyed said that ‘drug treatment should be available to anyone with an addiction to drugs who is prepared to address it', and 76 per centagreed that 'investment in drug treatment is a sensible use of government money, so long as it benefits individuals, families and communities'.

 

The report makes a series of recommendations to further improve drug treatment and calls for informed and refreshed debate on how to make treatment even better. The NTA has welcomed the publication of the report as an important contribution to progressing drug treatment, and has said that it will consider all its recommendations.

 

Paul Hayes, NTA Chief Executive said:

 

“The poll shows that the public supports investment in drug treatment as long as it benefits individuals, families and communities. It is the NTA’s job to ensure that it does.

 

“The NTA is committed to leading the improvement of the quality of a balanced treatment system, and in the coming year will ensure that local drug action teams continue to focus their efforts on moving the record numbers of clients safely through treatment, to help them recover from dependency and re-integrate into society.”