The article discusses the social and economic factors that shape the lives of the excluded and the linkages with these and the drugs/crime nexus. It explores the traumatic consequences of these relationships through discussion of one socially excluded place - a housing estate in northeast England - where crime and drug abuse thrive and where the agencies attempting to tackle the problems feel frustrated and powerless. The term "social exclusion" encompasses "processes (which) are dynamic and multidimensional in nature...linked not only to unemployment and/or to low incomes but also to housing conditions, levels of education, and opportunities, health, discrimination, citizenship, and integration in the local community." The article highlights the need for investing in people, not just buildings; involving communities; developing integrated approaches with clear leadership; ensuring that mainstream policies really work with the poorest neighborhoods; and making a long-term commitment with sustained political priority. Note, references