APCC Substance Misuse Lead response to planned landmark review into drug use and illicit markets
Responding to the Home Secretary’s announcement of a landmark review of drug markets, PCC Hardyal Dhindsa, APCC Alcohol and Substance Misuse Lead, said:
“The link between expanding illicit drug markets, organised crime and serious violence is clear and well-evidenced, and today’s announcement is a welcome signal that the Government intends to explore what more needs to be done to tackle this threat by limiting supply and driving down demand.
“The answer to drug misuse cannot come from policing alone, and so it is right that we look at how other agencies can do more to address these issues, particularly when they overlap with other issues such as poor mental health and homelessness. Drug treatment and support services have a critical role to play, and a serious appraisal of the challenges facing those services is needed to ensure that they can continue to do what they do best; save lives and help the most vulnerable escape addiction.
“As APCC Alcohol and Substance Misuse Lead, I look forward to working with the Home Office and others to ensure that the best available evidence informs this review, alongside all aspects of the ongoing strategic response to drug misuse. I encourage Ministers to ensure that this review takes evidence on drug policy itself, so that learning can be shared and put into practice – from innovative local approaches embedding diversion in the criminal justice system, led by PCCs working with local partners, through to the evidence of what works internationally to reduce harm, abuse and exploitation.”