Website of the Department of Health

Every £1 spent on drug treatment saves £9.50 to the rest of society.  The Government has made substantial investment in drug treatment with £604 million being spent in 2008/09.  Out of this investment £398 million is distributed directly to Drug Action Teams (see link below to Local Delivery).  This is known as the pooled drug treatment budget. 

Further details of drug treatment funding by local area can be found by following the link below for the Pooled Drug Treatment Budget 2008-2011. The remaining £206 million is spent by local NHS services and other local agencies on drug treatment. 

Improvements to the treatment system have delivered major benefits.  The number of drug users receiving treatment has expanded from 85,000 in 1998 to 195,000 in 2006/07.  Drug related crime has reduced by 20% since 2003 among those referred for drug treatment through the Criminal Justice System, and the sharp increases in drug related deaths identified in the 1990s have been stopped.

The Department of Health has also invested additional funding of £54.3 million to increase the availability of inpatient and residential detox and rehab services. These services help drug users beat their addiction and support abstinence from drug use.  Further details of the allocations can be found by following the link below.  

• Pooled Drug Treatment Budget 2008-2011
• Download Funding allocations for detox and rehab services 2007/08 and 2008/09 (PDF, 300K)
• Treatment Services and Advice