Source: Independent, The (UK) Contact: http://www.independent.co.uk/ Pubdate: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 Author: Jason Bennetto, Crime Correspondent CHILDREN OF FIVE TO BE GIVEN LESSONS IN DRUGS Children as young as five will be taught about the dangers of drugs in a 10-year-plan to overhaul Britain's drug policy. The Government will today unveil a package of measures aimed at tackling the drugs epidemic, including emphasis on the greater use of treatment and counselling for people caught with illegal substances. Tackling the rising problem of heroin abuse is also to be a priority. One of the key aspects will be educating children. As reported in The Independent at Christmas, government advisors want primary pupils to be taught about drugs in the belief that a better-informed society would find it easier to say no. Keith Hellawell, Britain's new anti-drugs co-ordinator who has helped draw up today's 10-year-plan, said: "Young people are already being informed about drugs and their dangers in many of our schools . There is no evidence to support the argument that more knowledge encourages drug misuse. So I believe that schoolchildren should receive appropriate drugs education from the age of five." The drugs White Paper, which will be presented by Ann Taylor, Leader of the Commons and the government ministerial drugs co-ordinator, will stress the importance of providing treatment for drug offenders, rather than just punishment. The proposals are expected to include greater government spending on treatment centres and giving some users who steal to fund their habits "drug treatment orders" instead of jail terms. Police chiefs will be encouraged to adopt a policy of cautioning people caught for a first time in possession of cannabis. Mr Hellawell said: "Treatment works. Research on those referred to drug treatment after their arrest shows that one in four no longer uses any form of drugs and more than half reduce their use." The Government will re-emphasis its opposition to any form of legalisation of drugs. Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, yesterday insisted that Britain was not losing the war against drugs and highlighted evidence that drug taking among young people was stabilising. But his comments came as a new report disclosed that hard drugs were damaging more young people at an earlier age than ever before. The drugs charity Turning Point said the number of people it helped last year had increased by 12 per cent to about 30,000.