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Government launches
second phase of Carol
Black review
The second part of
Professor Dame Carol
Black’s independent
review into illegal
drug use in England
has now been launched, the
government has announced. While
the initial phase looked at drug
supply and demand, the second
will study treatment provision,
recovery services and prevention.
The review will look at how drug
treatment interacts with housing,
employment, mental health and
criminal justice services, with the
overarching aim of ensuring that
vulnerable people get the right
support to ‘recover and turn their
lives around in the community and
in prison’. The final document will
contain policy recommendations
to government, including around
funding, commissioning and how
local bodies are held accountable
to ‘ensure they are effective’. The
review’s first phase concluded that
even if more money were made
available for drug treatment, there
would still be ‘a lot of work to do’ to
build up capacity and expertise in
the sector (DDN, March, page 4).
‘In my foreword to part one I said
that behind the thorough analysis of
the market for illicit drugs that we
had just completed lay a very tragic
human story – about the effect on
individuals, their families, youngsters
caught up in the trade, and the
economy,’ said Professor Black. ‘We
showed a decade-long erosion, under
previous governments, in almost
every aspect of drug addiction,
prevention, treatment and recovery.
We now have the opportunity to
correct this and build a better world.
To do this many stakeholders and
government departments must
work together as never before.’
Address lockdown ‘time
bomb’, urges Adfam
PEOPLE COPING
WITH A LOVED ONE’S
DRUG USE, drinking or
gambling have been
hard hit by the COVID-19
lockdown, according
to an Adfam survey.
Half of respondents to
Families in lockdown said
the situation had had a
negative impact on their
own mental health, while
85 per cent of
respondents
said lockdown
had made a ‘bad
situation worse’
28 per cent said they were experiencing more verbal abuse than
usual, and 13 per cent admitted to being concerned for their safety.
Around 5m people are thought to be dealing with the negative
effects of loved one’s alcohol or drug use in the UK, with 85 per
cent of respondents to the survey saying the lockdown had made
a ‘bad situation worse’. Many will need urgent additional support
as lockdown conditions ease, warns the charity. ‘When you are
already isolated, fearful or in poor mental and physical health,
lockdown takes an even bigger toll,’ said chief executive Vivienne
Evans. ‘Even when restrictions ease, people will need help and
support to recover. Now more than ever, we need a national
conversation about how we can help people to cope with the lifelong
impacts of a loved one’s alcohol, drug or gambling problem.’
Survey at adfam.org.uk
'We showed a
decade-long erosion,
under previous
governments, in
almost every aspect
of drug addiction,
prevention,
treatment and
recovery.'
Prof Dame Carol Black
A quarter
of drinkers
consuming more
MORE THAN A QUARTER OF PEOPLE who have
ever drunk alcohol think they have been drinking
more during lockdown, according to Alcohol
Change UK. Almost half said they expected
to continue drinking at the same rate as the
lockdown eases, while 17 per cent said they
anticipated drinking more. The figures are based
on a survey of more than 2,000 people, around
1,600 of whom were current or former drinkers.
Just under 20 per cent of this group said
they had been drinking to cope with stress or
anxiety, with parents of under-18s more likely
to cite this as a reason than non-parents or
parents of adult children. While 38 per cent of
those who typically drank seven or more units
a day said they were now drinking more, more
than one in three people had been taking ‘active
steps’ to manage their alcohol consumption,
including having alcohol-free days or looking for
advice online. ‘From the very start of lockdown,
charities and treatment services have warned
of the impact on people’s drinking,’ said chief
executive Richard Piper. ‘This research shows
that we were right to worry.’
Local News
PRIMARY PROJECT
A new London NHS
primary care gambling
service has been launched
by the Hurley Group
GP partnership and
GambleAware. Many
people with issues ‘don’t
necessarily talk about
their gambling,’ with their
GP, said service lead Dr
Clare Gerada. ‘We will be
exploring how to identify
them’ – and help them get
the right treatment. www.
primarycaregamblingservice.
co.uk
STRONG IDENTITY
The University of Brighton
is working alongside youth
researchers who have
experienced mental health
issues to understand if
activism can boost identity
and sense of belonging.
‘Research tells us that a
strong and positive civic
identity offers us direction
in life and indicates that we
matter in the world,’ said
principal researcher Angie
Hart. More information at
www.ukri.org
APPROPRIATE SUPPORT
Guidance on setting
up specialist alcohol
support for people from
the Punjabi and other
communities been
launched by Aquarius,
Manchester Metropolitan
University and
Birmingham University.
‘Far more attention is
needed to support our
diverse communities,’ said
project lead Sarah Galvani.
www.mmu.ac.uk/rcass/ourexpertise/suab
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JULY/AUGUST 2020 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • 5