New drug strategy to safeguard vulnerable and stop substance misuse
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Each year in the UK, drugs cost society £10.7 billion in policing,
healthcare and crime, with drug-fuelled theft alone costing £6
billion a year. Research shows that for every £1 spent on
treatment, an estimated £2.50 is saved. In 2015/16, 2.7 million –
over 8% – of 16-59-year-olds in England and Wales took illegal
drugs. This is down from 10.5% a decade ago, but new threats are
emerging including new psychoactive substances such as ‘spice’,
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Each year in the UK, drugs cost society £10.7 billion in policing, healthcare and crime, with drug-fuelled theft alone costing £6 billion a year. Research shows that for every £1 spent on treatment, an estimated £2.50 is saved. In 2015/16, 2.7 million – over 8% – of 16-59-year-olds in England and Wales took illegal drugs. This is down from 10.5% a decade ago, but new threats are emerging including new psychoactive substances such as ‘spice’, image and performance enhancing drugs, ‘chemsex’ drugs and misuse of prescribed medicines. The new strategy confronts these threats and sets out new action to protect the most vulnerable, including the homeless, victims of domestic abuse and those with mental health issues. The comprehensive new approach brings the police, health and local partners together to support those most at risk. The strategy includes measures to:
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said:
The Home Secretary will chair a new cross-government Drug Strategy Board, to drive action and ensure the strategy is delivered by all partners. Under the strategy, police and law enforcement will continue to pursue a strong enforcement response to restrict the supply of drugs by adapting our approach to reflect changes in criminal activity and using innovative data and technology. Just ten days ago Border Force and National Crime Agency officers helped intercept a boat carrying 1.5 tonnes of uncut South American cocaine, with a street value of about £200 million, preventing it from entering the UK. In addition to a tough global and domestic law enforcement response, we will continue to promote the role of the police in referring drug-misusing offenders to appropriate services to maximise the significant benefits that investment in treatment can have on reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Drugs, Commander Simon Bray said:
Additional new action in the strategy includes improved measures to test the long-term success of treatment. As part of the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS), health services will now carry out additional checks to track the progress of those in recovery at 12 months, as well as after 6, to ensure they remain drug-free. Building on the successful impact of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, a new NPS intelligence system will ensure the treatment response stays one step ahead of the criminals pushing newly invented substances onto British streets. The system, being developed by Public Health England, will reduce the length of time between drug-related health harms emerging and effective treatment responses being prepared. A network of medical experts will analyse data from a new pilot system (RIDR - Report Illicit Drug Reactions) designed to gather information about adverse reactions and harms caused by NPS and other drug use, to identify patterns and agree the best clinical responses. Paul Hayes, Chief Executive of the Collective Voice, said:
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