Drug strategy overview
The September 2007 Addiction Today informed readers about the new 10-year drug strategy and the opportunity to influence it with their views. That strategy has now been released. Aiming "to restrict the supply of illegal drugs and reduce the demand for them”, the four strands of work are:
protecting communities through tackling drug supply, drug-related crime and anti-social behaviour preventing harm to children, young people and families affected by drug misuse delivering new approaches to drug treatment and social re-integration public information campaigns, communications and community engagement.
KEY DOCUMENTS
Drugs: protecting families and communities – 2008-2018 strategy (1Mb pdf file)
Drugs: protecting families and communities - Action plan 2008-2018 (1Mb pdf file)
The strategy’s delivery is underpinned by a series of three-year action plans, which run concurrently with the spending review cycles.
Public information leaflet.
KEY POLICIES INCLUDE:
Embedding action to tackle drugs within the neighbourhood policing approach, to gather community intelligence and to increase community confidence
Targeting the drug-misusing offenders causing the highest level of crime, improving prison treatment programmes and increasing the use of community sentences with a drug rehabilitation requirement
Strengthening and extending international agreements to intercept drugs being trafficked to the UK
Extending powers to seize the cash and assets of drug dealers, to demonstrate to communities that dealing doesn't pay
Focusing on the families where parents misuse drugs, intervening early to prevent harm to children, prioritising parents' access to treatment where children are at risk, providing intensive parenting guidance and supporting family members, such as grandparents, who take on caring responsibilities
Developing a package of support to help people in drug treatment to complete treatment to to re-establish their lives, including ensuring local arrangements are in place to refer people from Jobcentres to sources of housing advice and advocacy and appropriate treatment
Using opportunities presented by the benefits system to support people in re-integrating into society and gaining employment, with a commitment to examine further how claimants can be incentivised to engage with treatment and other services
Piloting new approaches which allow a more flexible and effective use of resources, including individual budgets to meet treatment and wider support needs
FOUNDATION RESEARCH
The strategy was informed by several pieces of research:
Ipsos MORI report on the 2007 drug strategy consultation (1Mb pdf file)
Drugs: our community, your say – the 2007 drug strategy consultation (almost 1Mb)
Equality impact assessment.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
The drug strategy is delivered as a cross-government initiative. While the Home Office has overall responsibility for delivery, the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Department of Health and many other government departments are also key.
For more information click here.
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