Drugs Tsar Keith Hellawell praised students for turning out to hear his anti-drugs message - and urged them to help stamp out the problem, writes Madeleine Pennell.
Mr Hellawell, the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator, gave a speech called "Drugs in Contemporary Society" to Oxford University's Oratory Society at Trinity College last night. He told students that drugs misuse was a menace to society. He spoke about the Government's ten-year strategy to tackle the menace of drugs misuse - "Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain" - and stressed the importance of taking a partnership approach to the problem. He said: "I am always pleased to address debates such as these - it gives me heart to know that there are many young people who care about our communities and are keen to make a difference.
"A co-operative approach, encompassing all the agencies involved in anti-drugs work, is essential to carry forward the implementation of the national strategy at a local level. "Only by working in partnership can we be sure to reach the key goal of the Government's strategy - a healthy society increasingly free from the harm caused by the misuse of drugs.
"Drug misuse is a menace to society and we must all work together to see results."
He also spoke about the impact the drugs problem has on society.
"There is no simple solution to tackling the problem of drug misuse. Drug misuse affects each and every one of us, through the damage it causes to health, to the family and to our communities. "The Government, through its anti-drugs strategy, recognises that joined-up problems need joined-up solutions. I am pleased to see from this gathering that young people do take the issue of illegal drugs seriously."
The Oxford Oratory Society was formed earlier this summer by students at Oxford University for those interested in public speaking.
*Next term, Dr James Shea, the Nato spokesman during Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, will be attending a workshop hosted by the society.
Story date: Wednesday 01 December
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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