The hard-hitting initiative is run by the West End Drug Partnership, whose members include homelessness charity Thames Reach Bondway.
It warns that money given to beggars is often spent on drugs and has indirectly led to a number of deaths caused by overdose (HT 8 August 2003, page 17).
But the first campaign caused controversy because of the implied link between homeless people and drug use.
In a study of last winter's campaign, 40% of the 1105 people surveyed said they'd stop giving to beggars as a result of the posters.
Jeremy Swain, chief executive of Thames Reach Bondway, said: "We are very pleased with the results and we will continue to run the campaign because people are beginning to get the message that the link is not between begging and homelessness but between begging and drug misuse. This campaign stops people dying on the streets."
The research was done by Camden council on the street and through the campaign's website in October and November last year, during the first campaign.
Researchers found that 35% of people who gave to beggars were visitors to the area, 40% were workers, 31% were residents and 38% were students.
The West End Drug Partnership had predicted that most of the givers would be students.
The study also established a link between drug use and begging.
In the last week of October and the first week of November, there were 24 arrests for begging in Camden. Of the people arrested, 80% tested positive for class-A drugs. In the same period there were 98 arrests for begging in Westminster. Of those arrested, 77% tested positive for class As.
During the last campaign, which was funded by grants from the Home Office and Government Office for London, there was no increase in crime rates or referrals to treatment and accommodation.
Camden and Westminster councils will pay for this summer's campaign. No estimates of the cost are currently available.
Source
Housing Today
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