2004 - Mid-Term Review of the National Drugs Strategy Submission from CityWide Drugs Crisis Campaign

The anger of local communities and the campaigns that grew out of that anger played a major role in finally making the drugs crisis a political priority in 1996. At that time, we saw the recommendations of the Ministerial Task Force on Drugs being implemented without delay and budgets being put in place to facilitate prompt delivery of plans. For the next few years, it seemed that the political will was there to tackle the drugs crisis and many projects and programmes came into being, offering hope for a better future for our drug users and their communities.

A significant number of people in local communities are directly involved both in the delivery of services to drug users, which have expanded in a major way since 1996 and many are also involved in local structures like the LDTFs. They are clearly aware of and have been directly involved in much of the progress that has been made, in partnership with a range of state agencies. Communities are now involved in structures, where there were no structures for them in 1995.

Yet, the overall impression at this time of the Mid-term Review is of communities that are tired, disillusioned and worried.