Online report 07/07 - Evaluation of Drug Interventions Programme pilots for children and young people: arrest referral, drug testing and Drug Treatment and Testing Requirements

The DIP pilot interventions for children and young people aimed to identify young people at risk of problematic drug use and refer them to appropriate programmes of help to:

• reduce substance misuse, particularly Class A drug use
• reduce drug-related crime; and
• improve other factors related to their drug use/criminal behaviour

Arrest referral schemes and on-charge drug testing were piloted in ten areas and drug treatment and testing orders were piloted in five areas. The evaluation found that arrest referral provided an intervention to a potentially vulnerable population of young people at a point when there is no other specific service input. In relation to drug testing the evaluation concluded that very few of the young people tested after charge were found to have used Class A substances and that drug testing only improved access to substance misuse and other services when combined with effective arrest referral. Little change was found in drug use patterns or offending behaviour after arrest referral or drug testing. Due to the limited implementation of Drug Treatment and Testing Requirements at the time of the evaluation the evidence was limited although local stakeholders perceived DT(T)Rs as a tool to improve access to substance use services.