Courts across Scotland will be able to impose DTTOs

Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said drug testing and treatment orders (DTTOs) would be extended after positive trial schemes in Fife and Glasgow.

The non-custodial option is available in cases where crime is committed to fund a drug habit.

Mr Henry stressed that it was not a "soft option" - and would not be used for serious crimes.

DTTOs are an attempt to break the cycle of addiction and criminality caused by drugs.

They are imposed on drug users who would otherwise be sent to prison for crimes such as theft and robbery.

Drug courts

The offender has to take regular, random drug tests and return to court regularly to review progress.

A Stirling University study suggested that the average expenditure on drugs fell from �490 per week to �57 per week after six months on a DTTO.

More than 700 orders have been made since they became available for the pilot drug courts sitting in Glasgow and Fife.

Serious drug dealers... will continue to do serious time for their serious crimes Hugh Henry Deputy Justice Minister

Mr Henry told a Scottish Executive and Drug Action Team Association conference in Grangemouth that there had been a "positive" evaluation of these two schemes.

Now every sheriff court in Scotland will be able to impose the orders.

"Let me be clear, DTTOs are not a soft option, they are a smart option," he said.

"Any breach of an order is highly likely to result in prison.

"For serious drug dealers there will be no respite. They will continue to do serious time for their serious crimes."

He said that about 70% of cases in Scottish courts had a drug-related aspect.

Mr Henry also announced that more than �1m will be allocated towards voluntary arrest referral schemes which offer treatment and support for addicts before they come to court.

The two-year pilots schemes will take place in Glasgow, Dumfries and Galloway and Lanarkshire from January.

Existing schemes in Renfrewshire, Tayside and Edinburgh will be extended.

"Arrest referral schemes can offer relatively minor offenders the opportunity to agree to treatment as an early alternative to being dealt with through the criminal courts," he said.