POLICY
NEXT STEPS
Dame Black has spoken loud and
clear. How policy makers respond
will be crucial, says Oliver Standing
A
perception that ongoing increases
in drug-related deaths constitute a
serious failure of public policy and/
or political leadership. We must
harness the sense of outrage and
urgency that many of us feel to
bring about change.
So, in that spirit, I want to
point to some more positive policy
developments that may help build
the necessary momentum to make
that change happen. Though the
last Conservative manifesto was
light on detail around drug and
alcohol treatment, a subsequent
addendum was published laying
out plans to tackle addiction. This
included two crucial pledges – to
introduce a combined addictions
strategy and a ‘dedicated
monitoring unit at the heart of
government’. Collective Voice
welcomes both commitments.
The addictions strategy
should address the public health
emergency of drug-related deaths
by outlining a clear plan to enable
local authorities to fund and deliver
effective, evidence-based and
t the recent
Glasgow drugs
summit Dame
Carol Black shared
a number of truths
many readers
will be sadly all too familiar
with. Drug problems spring up
in areas of poverty and social
exclusion; successful treatment
and recovery is contingent on
effective, coordinated support
around housing, mental health and
criminal justice; and when people
leave prison they often miss out
on the vital support they need. She
also reminded delegates that our
world-class treatment and recovery
has been eroded and fragmented
by austerity and localism.
Some commentators may
look at the Glasgow summits
and conclude that no concrete
political outputs were agreed. At
a time when drug-related deaths
and other visible manifestations
of extreme inequality such as
rough sleeping are on the rise
this is understandable, as is the
12 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • APRIL 2020
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