The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has published
a report on how to better prevent drug use among vulnerable
people.
This report was commissioned by the Home
Office following its publication of the Drugs Strategy in
December 2021 to provide advice on how these groups can be
prevented from using and becoming dependent on drugs.
The recommendations from the ACMD, directed at the
cross-government Joint Combating Drugs Unit, Department for
Health and Social Care, and Department for Education, are that
the government should:
-
reflect in its policies and guidance the drug prevention
approaches recommended by the United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime, the World Health Organization and the National
Institute for Health and Care Excellence
-
not pursue drug prevention activities that the ACMD has found
to be ineffective, for example approaches that cause fear in
the target groups or stand-alone mass media campaigns - only
activities that have been properly resourced and are based on
peer reviewed, evaluative research should be used
-
fund further research to improve understanding of adult
vulnerability to drug use, with resources to support this
identified within the innovation fund announced with the
Drugs Strategy
-
in consultation with professional bodies and prevention
experts, invest in and mandate workforce training and
resources to ensure that the professionals dealing with
vulnerable drug users are equipped to respond appropriately
-
not focus solely on vulnerable groups as this will limit the
reach of prevention activities and contribute the
stigmatisation and discrimination; instead, the government
should acknowledge the varied nature of vulnerability and
consider the impact of social environments on overall
well-being
The full report is available: Drug misuse prevention
review
