Blaby District Council

Summary

Blaby District Council’s Community Safety Partnership has put together a 3 year community safety plan that outlines the partnerships priorities. One of the main priorities is around drugs and alcohol and reducing the harm they cause in our community.

To reduce the harm that drugs and alcohol cause in our community

Objectives:

• Reduce alcohol related violent crime by 15% by 2011
• Contribute to countywide increase in drug users in effective treatment (NI40)
• Reduce the % of people who perceive people being drunk in their local area to be a problem by 5% by 2011 (APACS)
• Reduce the % of people who perceive drug dealing and the use to drugs to be a problem in their local area by 5% by 2011 (APACS)

How we will do this:

• Ongoing identification of priority locations, offenders and vulnerable victims
• Deliver education and awareness programme to young people and adults regarding drugs & alcohol
• Undertake intelligence led enforcement activities regarding drugs and alcohol
• Increase the number of young people and adults accessing drug & alcohol treatment services
• Work to prevent underage sales of alcohol/tackle issue of alcohol and ASB among young people.(Links with ASB priority)
• To produce a local Alcohol Harm Reduction Plan that supports the Leicestershire Alcohol Strategy and the National Strategy Safe. Sensible. Social.

Further information

There are serious risks associated with using drugs:

Effects and risks

In theory, many drugs can be grouped by their physiological effects, such as stimulants (drugs that increase brain activity), depressants (drugs that slow down brain activity), hallucinogens (drugs that distort a user’s perception of reality), analgesics (pain-killing drugs) and anabolic steroids.

However, the effects of drugs can be extremely unpredictable, even on individuals from dose to dose. They can depend on the user’s mood, surroundings, sex, physique, actions, mental state or any number of other factors.

This becomes even more complicated because illegally supplied drugs often contain varying amounts of their active chemicals, or have other substances or drugs mixed into them, which can be even more harmful.

The law

Controlled drugs can be grouped according to the way they are classified by the law.

Drugs which may be lawfully supplied in this country, such as alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs, are also carefully regulated by the law.

Controlled drugs are divided by the Misuse of Drugs Act into three classes, which gives guidelines for penalties:

• Class A (includes cocaine, crack, ecstasy, heroin, LSD (acid), magic mushrooms whether fresh or prepared for use, speed (amphetamines) if prepared for injection.
  Maximum penalties:
  • possession - seven years’ imprisonment and/or a fine
  • Supply/possession with intent to supply - life imprisonment and/or a fine.
• Class B (includes speed (amphetamines))
  Maximum penalties:
  • possession - five years’ imprisonment and/or a fine
  • Supply/possession with intent to supply - 14 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine.
• Class C (includes cannabis, GHB, benzodiazepines such as temazepam, (Rohypnol) and diazepam (Valium) and ketamine. Class C also includes anabolic steroids: although possession of anabolic steroids for an individual's own use is not an offence, unlawful/possession with intent to supply is an offence.)
  Maximum penalties:
  • possession - two years’ imprisonment and/or a fine
  • Supply/possession with intent to supply - 14 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine.

Related pages on this website

• Community Safety Partnership

External websites

• Leicester City Council Drugs Advice Centre (external link)
• NHS Direct (external link)
• Drug & Alcohol Action Team (external link)
• FRANK (external link)
• The Tackling Alcohol Proxy Purchasing Project (external link)

Contact us

Officer / Team	Community Safety Team
Postal address	Blaby District Council Council Offices Desford Road Narborough Leicester LE19 2EP
E-mail address	community.safety@blaby.gov.uk
Telephone	0116 272 7785
Fax	0116 272 7602

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This page was last updated on 8th June 2011