The Brazilian government will allocate 410 million reais (230 million U.S. dollars) for immediate actions under the Comprehensive Plan to Combat Crack and Other Drugs in 2010, Paulina Duarte, national secretary for Policies on Drugs (Senad) announced Monday.

The money will be distributed among relevant ministries, and Senad will use the fund to promote prevention and coordination actions with other agencies, she said.

As part of the actions, community leaders and 10,000 professionals of health and education will participate in a training program starting from August, she said.

The official also announced that her agency will soon complete data collection on the abuse of crack, a highly dangerous drug that used to be consumed on the outskirts of Brazil's large cities, but now is spreading fast in poor cities and rural areas.

Duarte made the announcement at the international seminar, "Policies on Drugs", at the Chamber of Deputies (lower house of parliament), where government officials and experts from South American and European countries are expected to share experiences of their countries on the fight against drug abuse.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a decree in May establishing the national plan to combat drug abuse, which has become increasingly serious in the country in recent years.