Studies show a high proportion of offenders misuse drugs

Labour had given schools the freedom to test, but not the necessary money, Tory leader Michael Howard said.

He also promised to allow young drug addicts who commit minor crime to avoid prosecution by agreeing to go on tough residential rehabilitation programmes.

Other plans include ensuring those who repeatedly deal in drugs are jailed for a minimum of seven years.

The party has already unveiled many of the proposals but offered more details on Tuesday.

To boost the number of drugs tests carried out in school, Mr Howard said he would give local councils the cash to buy testing machines.

'Fuel crime'

Highlighting his drug action plans at a housing estate in Camden, north London, Mr Howard said: "Drugs cause terrible damage to our society.

"They ruin lives. They fuel crime. And wholly innocent people, and the communities in which they live, are harmed.

"We could be doing more, much more.

"So we are setting out our action plan on drugs: to help stop the spread of drugs; to help reduce the crime which drugs fuel; and to help those, especially young people, who want to turn away from drugs"

Tory drugs policy Young addicts offered rehab instead of prosecution 10-fold increase in drugs rehab places Advertising and advice campaign Repeat drug dealers to get minimum seven years in prison Prison for dealers who sell to children Restore cannabis to Class B classification

Currently, offenders who commit so-called "trigger" offences like handling stolen goods are tested for drugs when they are charged.

But the government plans to expand the testing to offenders on arrest and introduce mandatory assessments of the drug use of those who test positive.

The aim is to ensure those who commit crime because of a drug habit get the treatment that they need.

Usually offenders are offered drug treatment as part of their sentence once they have been through the criminal justice system.

'Tough alternative'

The Tories would give the police the discretion to send youngsters who admit minor offences on six month rehabilitation courses.

But party officials are keen to stress that this is not a soft option.

They came up with the idea after seeing drugs-treatment schemes in the US where drugs use among the young has fallen dramatically.

"This would not be the kind of course where you just have to turn up and tick a box. It would be a tough alternative to prosecution," a spokesman said.

But there would be no automatic recourse to the criminal justice system if offenders returned to drugs use.

Instead, each case would be looked at individually by the police and lawyers.

The Tories also hope that by taking the young drug-user out of the criminal justice system that they would free up many hours of court time.