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Drug abuse centre 'best in country'
By Nicola Porter - South Wales Evening Post Tuesday September
26 2000
A leading drugs czar has praised a Swansea-based drug abuse treatment
centre as the best and most effective in Britain.
UK deputy anti-drugs co-ordinator Mike Trace addressed an audience
at the annual meeting for the West Glamorgan Council on Alcohol
and Drug Abuse.
He said similar London-based treatment centres were not performing
as highly as the West Glamorgan Council.
But he said that, although funding for English treatment centres
had been increased, it was up to the First Secretary Rhodri Morgan
and the Assembly to ensure the council was given the money it needed
to progress its treatment into the 21st Century.
Disgust
WGCADA Director Norman Preddy later voiced his disgusted at the
withdrawal of funding for the Domino Project.
The project, funded for the last three years, helps both alcoholics
and drug abusers beat their addictions by taking up a hobby such
as gardening - but is now being kept going by volunteers.
Mr Trace works under drugs czar Keith Hellawell.
Working from Whitehall, his job is to secure funding by convincing
Parliament that treatment centres across England are helping to
reduce drug-related crime and also deaths from drug overdoses.
"I had no hesitation in saying yes to this invitation and
see for the first time how a Welsh treatment centre works,"
said Mr Trace.
"This is the only treatment centre in the UK to deliver such
a united service."
Later he told members: "Treatment centres in London could learn
from the methods used here in West Glamorgan to tackle drug abuse.
Balance
"The council has found a balance between using former drug
addicts and people with educational backgrounds to make an unbeatable
team."
Mr Trace's Swansea speech followed a visit by Keith Hellawell in
January 1999. During he visit Mr Hellawell also praised the council
for its ground-breaking work.
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