ALCOHOL TREATMENT SHOULD NOT BE CINDERELLA TO DRUGS TREATMENT - KRAMER

4.33.57pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Apr 2008

As part of "Alcohol Awareness Week", Susan Kramer MP for Richmond Park has met with the Addiction Support and Care Agency (ASCA) for Richmond and Kingston.

Following the meeting, Kramer has called for funding for alcohol treatment to be given the same priority as funding for drug abuse.

Kramer said:

"The Government fails to recognise that in our area alcohol problems are far more prevalent than drug problems. But so much of the available money for supporting people in changing risky behaviour is ring-fenced for drugs rather than alcohol.

It is totally unacceptable that most of ASCA's programmes of individual counselling rely on fees from users so that the service is continually struggling.

"In the long-term, the Department of Health is costing the taxpayer money by leaving people struggling with alcohol without adequate access to treatment.

"Treatment is also part of the key, along with firm licensing and good policing, to prevent the disruption of our town centres from weekend binge drinkers."