TOWER Hamlets council’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team is among the top two performers in London for helping people kick the habit.

Last year it helped more than 1,500 Class A drug users into effective treatment, 17 per cent more than in 2007/08.

The council says that getting more people into rehab has also had a knock-on effect for re-offending, which has gone down by 42 per cent.

Rachael Sadegh, Joint Commissioning Manager for Tower Hamlets Council, said: “Our aim is to engage drug users in treatment as early as possible and deliver a range of interventions that are effective in helping them deal with their addiction and successfully reintegrate with the wider community.”

Unique treatment services have been set up, including an in-patient detox unit for Bengali people who, research says, are more likely to smoke Class A drugs, rather than inject them, and seek help earlier.

The council says improvements to the Drug Interventions Programme have helped re-offending levels decrease, as drug using offenders are required to engage in an assessment process and given structured help to get clean.

Anyone arrested for a ‘trigger’ offence, such as shop lifting or car theft, automatically gets drug tested.