In 1998, the UK (United Kingdom) 1 launched the National drug strategy 2, the cornerstone for tackling problematic drug use. A massive increase in funding expanded treatment and as a consequence waiting times for addiction treatment were significantly reduced.
As we, in Vancouver are now embarking on a similar strategy, let us look at how effective is the UK national drug treatment strategy.
Results: In NW England outcome data on effectiveness shows that despite spending a lot more money, and engaging a lot more addicts in treatment the addiction treatment industry managed to cut their success rate (drug free at discharge) by more than 1/3rd and they actually decreased the number of people successfully treated (drug free at discharge) 3.
Aren't Vancouver taxpayers continually told that the solution is to spend more on addiction treatment?
NW England "is the only area of the UK that has consistently collected treatment outcome data 4, 5 on all clients of drug services annually since 1996." 6 The treatment outcome to measure a drug treatment program's effectiveness is drug free at discharge (stopped using drugs and/or alcohol). Let's look at their drug free at discharge from treatment outcome results from 1998 to 2002.
| Year | Number Addicts in Treatment | Discharged drug free | % discharged Drug Free |
| 1998 | 7594 | 443 | 5.8% |
| 1999 | 7261 | 718 | 9.8% |
| 2000/01 | 8166 | 360 | 4.4% |
| 2001/02 | 8061 | 281 | 3.4% |
3 to 4 addicts out of 100 addicts were clean and sober after addiction treatment in NW England in 2001/2002. 8
Increasing capacity of drug treatment programs in the UK has actually made things worse. We are planning on doing the same. In 2005 and 2006 BC had 21,538 people accessing publicly funded alcohol and drug treatment services 9. There is no meaningful monitoring or measuring of the effectiveness of current addiction treatment programs in British Columbia.
This is why NIABY does not support any large supportive housing or treatment facilities for drug addicts in residential neighbourhoods. Dismal addiction treatment success (drug and alcohol free) rates put communities at risk and squander scarce health care dollars.
Published August 28, 2008.
