BURY North MP David Chaytor has welcomed the Government's announcement of ambitious new targets amid new evidence of spiralling drug abuse.

Jack Cunningham, the minister responsible for co-ordinating the Government's drugs strategy, has presented the first annual report on the work of the Drugs "Czar" Keith Hellawell.

The targets will focus particularly on reducing young people's addiction to hard drugs, like heroin and cocaine.

Mr Chaytor says there is evidence of what he described as a "mounting tide of drugs imports as demand increases and prices fall". He added: "More and more lives are being torn apart by drug abuse - and as much as one third of all crimes in this country are committed by addicts trying to fund their habit.

"A year ago, this government appointed Keith Hellawell to spearhead its new drugs strategy. "His first report shows that good progress has already been made, with more work on drug education and 111 local drug action teams providing anti-drugs programmes.

"But progress has been patchy and we need to do more."

He welcomed the Government's decision to spend £217 million over the next three years to halt the rise in drug abuse.

"I'm also glad to see the main focus will be on cutting heroin and cocaine abuse among the under 25s by a quarter by 2005 and by a half in 2008," he went on.

"The Government will also be stepping up drug education in schools and expanding drug treatment services."

Mr Chaytor concluded: "Drug abuse is a tragedy which blights the lives of drug takers, their families and the victims of their crime.

"The Government's new targets are another important step towards breaking the destructive cycle of drugs and crime."

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