THE Prime Minister should assume a greater role on the drugs front, a campaigner urged yesterday.
Mr David Macauley, campaign director for Scotland Against Drugs, said given his present popularity and ''potential for clout in the market'', Mr Tony Blair should engage personally in the drugs debate, rather than taking part via Mr Keith Hellawell, the Government-appointed drugs tsar.
''Blair has the ball at his feet,'' said Mr Macauley, who was addressing the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents' Conference at Peebles Hydro.
Mr Hellawell will appear at the conference today.
Mr Macauley said Scotland Against Drugs could not get the sports brands on board because they saw drugs as ''bad news''.
He said: ''They will not touch drugs - all the brands that you want that young people aspire to like Nike and Adidas.
''If mum and dad say don't do it, it doesn't mean anything, but if Nike says don't do it, it becomes seriously uncool for youngsters.''
Mr Macauley said he had spoken to the boss of a soft drinks manufacturer who was told by the marketing department not to become involved in the drugs issue.
Asked about Mr Hellawell's drugs strategy, Mr Macauley said it was good but it had all been seen before.
''It's good stuff but I was looking for the hook. I was looking for the wee magic thing that takes it beyond just another raft of initiatives.
''What I now need from Hellawell is the confidence that they can get the Whitehall departments to look at things. If they have the clout to move the money around in response to good practices and what works, and take it away from those people who are wasting it and under performing, then I think they will get everybody's support.
''But he is up against people in the Treasury and I have seen chancellors crumble with that sort of pressure.''
Referring to the recent budget cut in his group's funding, Mr Macauley said the ''guts'' of their resources had been taken away on the grounds that they could get the money from the business sector.
''Our role is now fund-raising and that is a shame,'' he said.
As well as urging the Prime Minister to take a greater role, he also expected more involvement from broadsheet newspapers.
He said: ''There is space in the news agenda for a slightly more serious look.''
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