Local News
Over a third of Welsh prison leaver deaths
‘ are drug related’
Tobacco industry‘ exaggerating’ size of illegal market to fight stricter legislation
News
DDN ONLINE See longer versions of these stories at www. drinkanddrugsnews. com
Government pledges extra £ 430m to end rough sleeping
Local News
The government has announced new funding of £ 432m to end rough sleeping, taking the total investment to £ 874m. The prime minister had‘ set out his confidence that everyone sleeping rough will be offered a route off the street or wider support before Christmas’, the government states, with the extra £ 432m extending support to the end of this Parliament.
The government also held the first rough sleeping summit at Downing Street, attended by housing providers, businesses, charities and others. The National Housing Federation is working with housing associations and local councils to identify at least 2,000 potential homes and bedspaces, including empty homes for people moving off
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the streets, while the Salvation Army is also developing social housing and move-on options –‘ including provision for people with complex needs for whom mainstream accommodation may not be suitable’.
According to the Museum of Homelessness, more than 1,700 people died while homeless last year – almost 7 per cent up on 2024 – with over 30 per cent of the deaths either on the streets or in rough sleepers’ accommodation. More than half of the total number of fatalities were classed as‘ deaths of despair’ – the result of drugs, alcohol or suicide.
The doubling of funding was a‘ vital step towards sustaining progress for years to come’, said St Mungo’ s CEO Emma Haddad. However, the key would be
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More than 1,700 people died while homeless last year – almost 7 per cent up on 2024...
‘ to build trusted relationships with people facing the most complex barriers to ending their homelessness and rebuilding their lives. Whether that’ s poor physical or mental health, domestic abuse, or alcohol or substance use support needs, we know from our work that this takes time. Offers of a route off the streets will need to be person-centred and go hand in hand with patience and the right kinds of support.’
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FAMILIAR FACES More than 220 people attended the annual Abbeycare recovery gathering in Gloucestershire, with contributions from clients, family members and staff.‘ Seeing so many familiar faces come back through the door, looking healthy, happy and full of hope, is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do,’ said Abbeycare Gloucester manager Tim Pope.( See feature in DDN, October, page 24.) |
Over a third of Welsh prison leaver deaths
‘ are drug related’
THIRTY-SEVEN PER CENT OF DEATHS AMONG PRISON LEAVERS supervised in the community in Wales last year were the result of drug poisoning, according to a report from Cardiff University. The proportion is‘ substantially higher’ than for England and Wales as a whole, the researchers point out, where the figure stands at 21 per cent.
There was also an almost 25 per cent increase in prison leavers supervised by the Welsh probation services sleeping rough on the day of their release, to almost 700 people. Overall, there were nearly 420 drug poisoning deaths registered in Wales in 2024, 288 of which were drug misuse deaths – the highest number ever recorded.
‘ No one should lose their life to drug use whether inside or outside of prison,’ said operations director for Kaleidoscope, Mike Vigar.‘ Everyone should be able to access effective support, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or experience of the prison and criminal justice system.’
Prisons, punishment and sentencing in Wales is available at www. cardiff. ac. uk
Tobacco industry‘ exaggerating’ size of illegal market to fight stricter legislation
TOBACCO COMPANIES are exaggerating the scale of the UK’ s illegal cigarette market to lobby against tobacco taxes and tougher smoking legislation, claims a report from ASH.
The number of illicit cigarettes smoked in the UK has fallen by almost 90 per cent since 2000, the charity states, despite cigarette prices more than tripling over the same period. While HMRC estimates that around 12 per cent of UK cigarettes are illicit, a KPMG report from June commissioned by Philip Morris International puts the figure at 45 per cent.
‘ Exaggerated claims’ about the black market and legitimate concerns about organised crime involvement in the illicit tobacco trade are being used by the industry to undermine taxation and new legislation designed to create a‘ smokefree generation’, says ASH, with tobacco companies repeatedly warning that higher taxes and tougher laws will lead to a dramatic rise in illegal sales. Organised crime involvement in the illicit tobacco trade has led to violent turf wars in Australia and elsewhere. Claims from industry-funded reports have been‘ widely reported’ in the media as well as repeated in Parliament during debates on the Tobacco and Vapes Act, says ASH.
Beyond the headlines: the reality of illicit tobacco in the UK available at ash. org. uk.
OUT IN FORCE Op COURAGE, a specialist mental health team for veterans in the South East, has developed a new pathway that includes peer support recovery groups led by lived experience practitioners. The team recently showcased its approach at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. www. opcouragesoutheast. nhs. uk / treatments
SURREY SUPPORT A new app has been launched in Surrey for people sleeping rough or at risk of homelessness. Created by i-access, which is run by Via and Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, it offers treatment options, BBV testing, Citizens Advice Bureau support and more.
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