§ Dr. Michael Clarkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on the current position of the Government's drug misuse education and information campaign.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe campaign of information and education about the misuse of drugs, and in particular heroin misuse, has been running since February. It features a set of leaflets for parents, two television commercials and a series of poster and press advertisements.
As the next stage, the Government have launched a video training package entitled "Working with Drug Users" for professionals likely to encounter drug misuse in the course of their work. The package consisting of almost three hours of video material with associated notes and handouts is designed for use in training courses. The 156W primary objectives of this material are to demystify drugs and to encourage and assist professional workers such as general practitioners, social workers and probation officers to work with drug users. "Working with Drug Users" is intended to fill a significant gap in existing materials and will be available for loan or purchase anywhere in Great Britain.
An announcement about the next stage in the campaign will be made early in the new year.