In some areas, where crime prevention measures have made burglary more difficult, addicts have turned to robbery. But it is foolish to believe that a drugs test on everyone arrested would resolve this dilemma. Pot stays in the bloodstream far longer than heroin. A government which has set its face against decriminalising soft drugs could find itself pushing thousands of soft drug users through the courts. Under the last Labour crime and disorder bill courts were given new powers to introduce treatment and testing orders.
Most addicts do want to give up their addiction.
Britain's problem has not been too many treatment programmes but too few. Even though all health authorities are now required to include anti-drugs measures in their health improvement programmes, the budget is still too geared to law enforcement. Treatment programmes have been shown to be far more effective. But there is already a long waiting-list in the UK for treatment programmes. Mandatory testing on arrest could increase the demand for such programmes by a factor of five or more.