Drugs tsar: 'He has had to grasp the wider social issues'

THE news that former deputy chief constable Tom Wood is to step down after three years of leading the city's fight against drugs and alcohol will be a blow.

And the decision not to replace him with an independent person of equal experience and stature will raise questions, as the war against substance abuse will remain a massive problem for many years to come.

Despite record seizures by police in recent years the scale of the task grows almost daily, with a recent report by the Scottish Government indicating that a third of people in Scotland have tried illegal drugs. Almost 6000 drug addicts are being treated by support services in the Capital alone, following a massive influx of cocaine, crack and other designer drugs.

The changing patterns of abuse mean approaches have to be changed and while heroin misuse was the biggest problem in the city in the 80s and again in recent years Mr Wood warns that the latest cycle is coming to an end.

In its place he expects psycho-stimulants like cocaine and crystal meth to become more popular and warns that the more discerning and higher-earning users who indulge in such substances will be harder to detect.

But regardless of the trend, the tremendous social cost of the abuse of drugs and alcohol will remain – and not just to addicts themselves. Around half of those battling addiction of one type or another have children at home who are at risk of abuse and neglect, while for many homelessness and unemployment go hand in hand with problems of narcotic dependency.

And what must be of concern is that, despite all the efforts being made, Mr Wood is convinced things will continue to get worse, with a rise in drug taking leading to an increase in child protection cases and further stress on the city's social services.

The success of Mr Wood's tenure has been his ability to draw together various agencies to launch pilot abstinence programmes aimed at the likes of expectant mothers in areas such as Leith. And perhaps that is where his replacement, council health chief Peter Gabbitas who will have the role included in his brief, should come into his own. His experience in social services could do a lot to ensure the proper deployment of staff so that this type of programme is extended – but only if, like Mr Wood, he can win the funding required to do so.

Mr Wood admits today that since taking the role he has had to stop thinking purely as a policeman and grasp the wider social issues.

The challenge for Mr Gabbitas in taking over is surely to divorce himself from his role as a council official and ensure that red tape and those who have their own agendas do not get in the way of him carrying on the work effectively.