The strategy will take a genuinely cross-government approach to tackle the supply and demand for illegal drugs simultaneously…reports Asian Lite News.
The government has appointed Dame Carol Black as an independent advisor to drive forward progress in tackling drug misuse across society.
Dame Carol’s independent review on drugs exposed the scale of the challenge of illegal drug misuse and made clear that a joined-up approach across all parts of government is needed to tackle this issue.
The government has set out its initial response to parts 1 and 2 of Dame Carol’s review.
The response commits to a comprehensive, whole-system approach to tackling drugs – actively disrupting criminal supply chains which fuel illegal markets, supporting people through treatment and recovery, and ridding communities of the harm drug misuse causes, the government has announced.
Dame Carol will advise the government on the development and delivery of a new drug strategy – to be published by the end of the year– which will set out a full response to her review recommendations. The strategy will take a genuinely cross-government approach to tackle the supply and demand for illegal drugs simultaneously.
The response also includes immediate actions to deal with the problems of drug misuse, including by expanding Project ADDER – which combines targeted law enforcement against drugs gangs with improved treatment and recovery services – to eight new local authorities with £31m in new funding for the next 2 years.
Project ADDER sites will be set up in 2 London boroughs (Hackney and Tower Hamlets), 3 local authorities in Liverpool City Region (Liverpool City, Wirral, Knowsley), Bristol, Newcastle and Wakefield. The programme brings together partners across health, enforcement, employment and housing to tackle the problems of drugs misuse across the board.
“We will not let criminal gangs continue to cash in on vulnerable people, which is why we are setting up new targeted projects in eight areas in England to disrupt drug supply and support those in need with treatment and recovery,” Home Secretary Priti Patel said.
“With drug misuse costing society £19.3 billion a year, and deaths rising, the need to address this has never been more urgent. I welcome Dame Carol Black’s appointment to advise the government as we prepare to launch an ambitious strategy to tackle this problem at its root,” she added.
Dame Carol Black said the provision of services for those addicted requires a reformed whole-system approach.
“I am pleased that the government have signalled their intention to prioritise this by establishing the Joint cross-Government Unit which was one of my recommendations,” he said.
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