Duncan Smith promises tenfold rise in drug rehabilitation places

The next Conservative government would guarantee a rehabilitation place for every young drug addict in Britain, Iain Duncan Smith promised yesterday in a speech on crime.

The Tory leader declared that tackling the link between drugs and offences would be the centrepiece of his party's "tough but tender" policy on the issue at the general election. Under the £482m-a-year plan, the number of rehabilitation places for those hooked on heroin or crack cocaine would rise from just under 2,000 now to more than 20,000.

Youngsters caught with drugs would be given a choice of going to jail or accepting treatment in rehabilitation centres, most of which would be provided by community groups rather than the state.

While identifying hard drug use as a "conveyor belt" towards crime, Mr Duncan Smith said young users should be seen as "victims" of the drug barons and needed to be helped. In a speech in Leeds, Mr Duncan Smith also highlighted his party's pledge to put 40,000 more police on the streets to tackle serious crime but also combat vandalism, petty offences and antisocial behaviour.

"Crime is infecting our nation and hard drugs are making our condition worse. It's no longer good enough simply to contain the problems of crime and drugs," he said. "We have to defeat them. We want to give a fair deal for victims of crime, and a fair deal for victims of drugs."

The policy, which was drawn up after visits by the Conservatives to Sweden and the Netherlands, came under attack from drugs charities and the Government.

Roger Howard, chief executive of DrugScope, warned that the plans could prove very expensive. "Any investment in residential rehabilitation for drug treatment is expensive. Increasing it to 20,000 is a massive increase," he told BBC Radio 4's Todayprogramme. "There are nowhere near enough treatment workers, nurses, doctors and psychiatrists available to provide the care that these young people will need."

David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, said the policy had been first launched at the Tory party conference last year. "The Tories will never be taken seriously until they attach realistic price tags to their policies," he said.