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Shields Gazette is a key force in the drugs war

Drugs Tsar Keith Hellawell has praised the Shields Gazettefor its efforts to fight the menace of drugs.

The man in charge of the Government drive to tackle drug-related problems said the paper was a key force in defending SouthTyneside from the spread of illegal narcotics – and the crime that goeswith them.

The Gazette was one of only a handful of organisations singled out forpraise in Mr Hellawell’s second annual report on progress towards theGovernment’s 10-year blueprint for controlling drug problems.

He said the paper’s award-winning campaign to inform readers of drug issues -particularly health problems – had helped educate parents about the truedangers of illegal substances, their availability on the street, and howthey could protect children against them.

A two-week campaign, run with the local Drug Action Team (DAT), gaveyoung people and their parents information about drugs, local servicesand an interview with Mr Hellawell himself.

A specially-commissioned booklet, funded by local health chiefs, washanded out with the paper, and distributed to all local secondary school pupils.

“The feedback received by the DAT from the agencies involved indicatedthat parents were better-informed and felt more confident as a resultof the campaign,” Mr Hellawell said in his report.

“The editor has maintained his involvement with the Drug ReferenceGroup and, through the project, the paper has been nominated for acommunity involvement award.”

Mr Hellawell’s report aims to show that the Government is beginning towin the war on drugs in Britain, meeting its targets for seizure of themost damaging drugs and breaking up trafficking rings.

Education Secretary David Blunkett announced a £10m rise in spending ondrug education from 2003 to help teachers inform children about thehazards of drug use.

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