§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those projects his Department supports which are engaged in highlighting the dangers of drug abuse to children and young people. [137339]
§ Ms StuartWe are committed to a 10-year strategy of joint action to tackle the problem of drug misuse. One of the aims of the strategy is to ensure that young people have access to all the information and support they need in order to resist drug misuse and thus to achieve their full potential in society.
The Department is contributing to this objective through a wide range of projects and initiatives that are listed in the United Kingdom Anti-Drugs Co-Ordinator's 45W Annual Report 1999–2000, copies of which are available in the Library. One example is the "Primary Care and Primary Schools" programme that was launched earlier this year. This project will enable healthcare professionals to support primary school teachers in the delivery of drug education. We are also supporting drug prevention work in the 26 Health Action Zones. This work is targeted at young people who are particularly at risk of developing problems with drugs.