OPINION
EMERGENCY MEASURES
I
Although Wales has largely escaped significant treatment
budget cuts, drug deaths are still rising to alarming levels.
Access, and evidence-based treatment, are key to tackling this
public health emergency, says Martin Blakebrough
n 2017 Donald Trump
labelled US drug addiction
a national emergency,
following a fourfold increase
in drug-related deaths
over just two decades. In
Scotland, the rate of drug deaths
relative to population and resources
now mirrors the US crisis, and in
England and Wales – while the
situation may not be as alarming –
the number of drug deaths are now
at their highest level ever.
In Wales we have some of the
worst affected areas in the UK for
drug deaths. The number of people
who have died in Wales as a result
of drug misuse has increased by 84
per cent over the last decade. This
is particularly distressing when
we consider that in Wales, unlike
England, drug treatment budgets
have remained largely the same. In
fact on many initiatives, such as the
roll-out of naloxone, Wales has led
the way.
Significant progress has also
been made thanks to the Welsh
Government’s support of a
collaborative and recovery-focused
approach to housing and drug
treatment packages, explored
through initiatives such the Housing
First scheme which has attempted
to meet the specific and complex
support needs of rough sleepers.
The number of drug deaths among
Wales’ rough sleepers, in spite of
these efforts, is frightening. Data
published by the Office for National
Statistics (ONS) estimated the
number of deaths of homeless
people in England and Wales in
2018 at 726. Of these, two in five
were related to drug poisoning – a
55 per cent increase since 2017
(DDN, October 2019, page 4). The
mean age of death for men was 45,
and for women 43. In Wales, the
ONS data estimates 34 people died.
Kaleidoscope believes this crisis
should be seen as a national state
of emergency. As the sixth-largest
national economy in the world it is
unacceptable that the UK continues
to fail its most vulnerable people.
And while it is heartening to see
some progress being made, there
is still plenty more that can and
should be done to meet the needs
of service users.
Increasingly, research into
addiction intervention is providing
evidence of access to treatment’s
critical importance, and the
effectiveness of well-delivered,
evidence-based treatment for drug
misuse is now well established.
Matt Jukes, chief constable of South
Wales Police, has highlighted the
issue in recent weeks and recognised
the need to explore alternative
intervention methods such as safe
consumption rooms and heroin-
assisted treatment. I echo this
sentiment and am in no doubt
that radical action is needed across
Wales. People must have access
to basic treatment options quickly
and with ease, such as substitute
prescribing within 24 hours.
To achieve this, I believe the
Welsh Government must work
either with area planning boards
to fully understand the barriers
that prevent this approach, or take
bolder action and create a national
prescribing service, with a clear
charter of providing rapid access to
services in a collaborative NHS and
third sector initiative.
In Wales we need to look at
safe places for people who will not
2019: Tents used
by homeless
people outside
an empty retail
unit in Cardiff,
city centre.
Credit: Matthew
Horwood/Alamy
6 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • FEBRUARY 2020
The Office for
National Statistics
estimates the
number of deaths
of homeless people
in England and
Wales in 2018 at 726.
Of these, two in
five were related to
drug poisoning – a
55 per cent increase
since 2017
engage with traditional treatment
to inject their drugs. The current
model, in which services knowingly
provide clean needles and syringes
to the homeless – who are certain
therefore to consume their drugs in
a public space and in a dangerous
way – is nonsensical. As the updated
2017 guidelines advice considers,
options of heroin prescribing may
also need to be invested in.
However we navigate this crisis it
is certain that bold steps are needed,
as failing to provide rapid access to
treatment services is costing lives.
This is not acceptable, and the need
for a proper focus on reducing drug
deaths with a radical approach is
now more urgent than ever.
Martin Blakebrough is CEO of
Kaleidoscope Project and ARCH
Initiatives
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