Drug addicts could lose benefits

By Peter Griffiths and Andrew Hough

LONDON (Reuters) - Drug addicts who refuse to accept treatment will lose their state benefits for up to six months, under new measures announced on Wednesday.

The plans, part of the Home Office's wider drugs strategy, have been denounced by critics, who labelled them flimsy and unlikely to achieve any real change.

Unveiling the 10 year-strategy, "Drugs: protecting families and communities", on Wednesday, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said almost one billion pounds would be invested to help tackle drug-related crime and social problems.

Along with threatening cuts to benefits payments, other proposals include:

* New laws to allow seizure of drug dealers' assets on arrest rather than conviction.

* Encouraging grandparents to help care for children of drug-addicted parents.

* More and better drug education for primary students.

* A crackdown on international drug trafficking and money laundering.