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Drugs: Advisory Services

Volume 472: debated on Wednesday 20 February 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on advertising the national drugs helpline in each year since its inception. (186788)

The National Drugs Helpline ceased in England in March 2003 and was replaced by the FRANK helpline in April 2003.

None of the promotional output for FRANK, including advertising, is exclusively designed to promote the FRANK helpline. All FRANK printed and broadcast output delivers messages to young people while always signposting the FRANK helpline and website.

The following table provided by the Central Office of Information shows total campaign expenditure and total advertising expenditure for FRANK from the years 2003-04 to 2007-08. The Department did not directly allocate money for campaigns on drug misuse prior to 2003.

£ million

Total campaign expenditure

Expenditure on advertising only

2003-04

4.25

3.7

2004-05

4.3

1.9

2005-06

6.17

1.8

2006-07

9.18

4.57

2007-08

15.85

13.49

1 Estimated.