MP, Shadow Health and
Social Care Secretary, is today confirming that the next
Labour Government will introduce a full strategy to support
children affected by parental substance and alcohol misuse.
Labour’s pledge for a major expansion of addiction services under
a Labour Government includes:
- Pledging to help vulnerable children and families by
committing a Labour Government to a fully resourced
strategy to support children and families affected by substance
misuse, underpinned by national minimum standards
- Committing to a Substance Misuse Strategy to inform the next
Labour Government, working with professionals, experts and
service users, including a review into the drug and alcohol
treatment workforce.
- Demanding that Ministers reverse cuts to services in the
upcoming Spending Review, and that drug and alcohol misuse
services are mandated within public health local authority
budgets.
- Calling for better links between addiction services and
mental health services
.
MP, speaking in the House of Commons at
the David Stafford Memorial Lecture during international
Children of Alcoholics Week, will say:
“The sad truth is there are millions of people in the UK who have
had to cope with the alcohol or drug problems of a loved one –
father, mother, sister brother or child. And thousands have
experienced the ultimate misery of watching their family member
die. For a child growing up in a household where a parent abuses
alcohol or drugs can be devastating and traumatic experience that
impacts them for the rest of their lives. We know that such
children are more likely to experience problems at school and
more likely to develop mental disorders or consider suicide
“Two years ago I spoke out about my own circumstances as a child
of an alcoholic and while I was lucky I remain determined to
ensure children need not suffer in silence in the future
“Thanks to MPs like , significant progress has
been made to support children of alcoholics in the last year but
we still have so much further to go.
“Substance misuse treatment services are set to be cut again by
£34million at a time when admissions to hospital are increasing
by 13 per cent.
“The next Labour government will put in place a fully resourced
strategy to support children affected by parental alcohol and
substance misuse starting with ending the cuts to local treatment
services.”
Ashworth will also confirm he is running the London Marathon
again for the third time to raise funds for the children of
alcoholics charity NACOA
“Helping those with an addiction and offering real support ton
their loved ones is a passion a personal priority in govt. I’ve
already raised over thousands running two London marathons for
NACOA so yes I today can conform I will be running the London
marathon for the third time to support NACOA.”
