Evidence supports Drug Treatment Orders

Drug Treatment and Testing Orders were introduced as part of the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act. They compel drug addicts who fall foul of the law to undergo treatment at a specified place for between six months and three years and to be tested regularly for drug use, and they give the courts powers to review people's progress where necessary. A 1-year study of the orders in Portsmouth and Southampton compared their effectiveness to the standard treatments for people with a drug problem. By the end of the study the researchers found that those people given the orders had significantly reduced their drug use and were more satisfied with their treatment than those in the comparison group.

Naeem, Farooq ... [et al] - A controlled trial of the effectiveness of drug treatment and testing orders (DTTO) with standard care Journal of Substance Use August 2007, 12(4), 253-265