and other towns in the county to disrupt the dealers. but, despite decades of such activity, drug gangs still control in illicit business which costs billions £20 billion a year and reaches into almost every community. the government wants to demonstrate it's taking on the dealers and the addicts who bring fear and misery to neighbourhoods like this. but those who work in the field say the key to reducing drug harms is to see the problem as a public health issue, not a criminaljustice one. on the estate a few years back, there was quite a lot of drug use. marie started injecting heroin to escape the reality of a violent domestic life on this southend estate. in and out of prison, her children were taken into care. now, after treatment, she is clean and runs a charity helping other drug users in the city. if you were the prime minister, what would you do to solve britain's drugs problem? chuck a load of money into treatment facilities. open up the 30—odd treatment centres that have been closed down