National Tackling Drugs Week

Purpose of the week

– Use communications to address local communities’ perceptions of drug use in their area and to build confidence in the work of local agencies

– Raise awareness of work undertaken by agencies and police forces to tackle drugs and reduce drug-related crime and harm
– Demonstrate to the public that tangible improvements are being made in communities across the country
– Launch the Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Awards 2009

This year partners from every region across England and Wales are running activities to show case the work that is being done to tackle drugs and reduce drug-related crime.  Here is a flavour of what is happening locally.

– Nottinghamshire Drug Action Team is recruiting sixth form students to participate in sessions linked to the drugs strategy i.e observe a drug dog search at Nottingham Forest Football Club and report on what they see and interview staff members; try out complementary therapies; spend a day with outreach drugs worker who work with under 18’s; design a youth byte banner on drugs that’ll go out on schools, colleges, and university web-sites; and meet the Chief Constable with their parents and Schools to receive prizes.  The Police are sending out ‘competition’ entry details to potentially 3,500 sixth form students.
– Essex are running a 5 aside football match at Colechester United with service users, service providers, local school children and businesses.  A photo exhibition with work from service users of drugs support group ‘ Open Road’ opened at Essex County Hall by the Lottery chief executive.
– Stockport Police ‘Pod’ in town centre providing information for the public as well as a Drugs Burn and Scrap the lamps used to grow cannabis with all proceeds going to Victom Support.
– Wigan are re-launching their Rat on a Rat campaign.
– East Sussex have organised for a local Women’s Institute (WI) to visit a drug treatment centre in Hastings and also to Lewes Prison. A grand reception at the new Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne (part of the TATE group) is also plannned were photographs taken by current service users will be exhibited to represent a day in their life.
– Suffolk Constabulary has arranged to provide all police officers with custody packs for detainees.  To provide signposting to services for those detained within the three main custody suites (Ipswich, Lowestoft, Bury) with a view to offering help and advice leading to a reduction in drug user and re-offending and delivering the key messages of National Tackling Drugs Week.

NCC Home Learning have 2 courses available relating to the study of drug and substance abuse.  please click the following links to find out more about these courses and gain recognised awards in these subject areas: Drugs Awareness Level 2 and Responding to Substance Misuse Level 3.