National Drug Control Minister Wayne Perinchief last night underscored Government policy to get tough on ?millionaire? drug dealers ? and improve treatment for recovering addicts.

Speaking at a PLP meeting in West Pembroke, Mr. Perinchief said the aim was to slash the supply of narcotics, while stemming demand.

?We now have to understand drug abuse as an illness,? he told party members, outlining what he called a ?change in mindset? on the long-standing problem.

He added. ?We have to move away from a war on drugs to treatment, and look at it as a health issue.?reported yesterday how the Minister backed the downgrading of cannabis, in a bid to stop criminalising ?victims? of drug pushers.

And last night?s speech contained many similar themes. Echoing comments recently made by senior Police chiefs, Mr. Perinchief said there was going to be ?much stronger enforcement? on the drug supply side.

?We are not going to be dealing with people selling nickel bags. Of course, they will be stopped. But we are going to step back a couple of layers to the real shakers and movers who are making large amounts of money from people who are abusing drugs.

?They are millionaires. They are literally millionaires ? and they do not necessarily wear three-piece suits. Many of the dealers are the ordinary guys on the street. There are loads of people who start off as small players who very quickly become millionaires from selling drugs.?

Money seized from dealers will be pumped into rehabilitation and education and be ploughed back into the community, added the Minister, to help ?clean up some of the mess that person (the dealer) left behind?.

Mr. Perinchief said that somebody attending the Turning Point programme had told him that an estimated 100 people were in treatment there ? but that 300 addicts were not getting help they needed. Plans were in the pipeline to improve rehabilitation in key areas, he told the meeting.

Government was currently looking at a larger base for Camp Spirit, which he said currently closes for two months every year.

And plans were in hand to make Turning Point a round-the-clock operation, extending its opening hours from the current 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ?Addicts want instant treatment when they need it,? the Minister concluded.