Drugs Prevention Initiative (Hansard, 29 March 1999)

We are publishing on 30 March the Home Office Drugs Prevention Initiative's eighth and final progress report.

This report reflects the initiative's valuable contribution to advancing the case for effective community based drugs prevention over the last nine years. That contribution was fully recognised in the Government's White Paper on drugs, Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain, published in April last year. The work of the initiative, in terms of its good practice findings from its rigorously evaluated demonstration projects, has helped influence thinking and improve the evidence base for drugs prevention.

The initiative reaches its planned conclusion on 31 March 1999. The White Paper recognised the need for successor arrangements to the initiative to support the Government's 10-year anti-drugs strategy. We are pleased to announce that the Home Office Drugs Prevention Advisory Service (DPAS) will replace the Drug Prevention Initiative (DPI) from 1 April 1999. The new service will cover the whole of England and will work closely with all drug action teams to encourage good drugs prevention practice and to support their work in delivering the national strategy.

A copy of the final DPI report will be placed in the Library tomorrow at 10.30 am.