Government ministers and experts from across the home nations
came together yesterday to discuss new ways to tackle illegal
drug use across the UK, and the devastation it causes.
Held in Belfast, the Home Nations Drugs Ministerial focused on
strong collaboration across the nations as crucial for finding
solutions to all aspects of drug misuse.
Key issues discussed included cutting off supply routes for
drugs, effective treatment and recovery systems, and how to end
county lines networks – where vulnerable children and adults are
exploited by organised crime gangs to transport drugs and cash.
The Ministerial was chaired by the Crime and Policing Minister,
, who said:
This was our third Home Nations drug summit and the collective
determination to confront the harm and degradation that drugs
bring was strongly reaffirmed.
This is a complex and deep-rooted challenge, and there was strong
recognition that we all benefit from working together to prevent
drug deaths and build stronger neighbourhoods.
The Crime and Policing Minister was joined by Northern Ireland
Executive’s Health Minister, (MLA) and Justice Minister,
(MLA), the Scottish Government’s
Minister for Drugs Policy, (MSP) and the Deputy
Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, (MS) from Welsh government.
Experts in the field of drug misuse were also present, including
Professor Dame Carol Black, the government’s independent adviser
on drugs, and Professor Catriona Matheson, Chair of the Scottish
Drug Deaths Taskforce, who provided further insight on reducing
drug deaths and harms.
Representatives from several police forces across the UK shared
their perspectives from the frontline.
The meeting follows the UK Drugs Summits held in Glasgow in
February 2020 and virtual UK Drugs Ministerial which took place
virtually in September 2020. The UK government has a
comprehensive strategy for addressing the problems associated
with drug misuse in action, which includes:
- appointing Dame Carol Black as an independent adviser to
drive forward progress in this area
- setting up Project ADDER, an innovative approach which
combines tough, targeted law enforcement with improved treatment
and recovery services – the project is now up and running in 13
areas across England and Wales
- supporting the police to expand capability to drug test
suspects on arrest, in order to help develop an evidence base of
the links between drugs and criminality and identify those who
may need support or treatment
- commissioning the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to
review the drivers of young people’s powder cocaine use in order
to inform further action
- announcing £148 million of new investment to cut crime and
protect people from the scourge of illegal drugs – the package
includes the largest increase in drug treatment funding for 15
years, as well as additional money to help police forces shut
down county lines gangs
