Eric Carlin on his blog gives us a preview of what the drug strategy will bring:
it seems unlikely that we will see at last the large scale investment in research and development of evidence-based prevention which is necessary if we are at last going to make a major impact on reducing the numbers of young people who get into trouble with drugs. Overall funding for drugs is not going to increase. Also, unfortunately, alcohol and drugs are still to be dealt with separately, with the rather lame excuse being given by one presenter that this had to be the case because one was legal, the other illegal.
In respect of children and families he’s been told to expect the following:
There will be more support for families, including families of drug users, extending family intervention partnerships and support for parenting. There will be more emphasis on providing support for young carers and targeted youth support. There will also be improved specialist treatment for young drug users. The role of schools and drugs education will be strengthened and reviewed and in particular there will be an assessment of how schools can support vulnerable young people.
Filed under: drug strategy
Cutbacks are hardly surprising when all the money that has been wasted on ineffective harm reduction methods sanctioned by the NTA, has demonstrably failed to achieve the treatment goals of that ineffective organisation.
They are unable to supply any data on those who have been ‘reintergrated into society’. The numbers who have found ‘gainful employment’. The numbers ‘in treatment’ with both mental health and substance abuse problems, or the number or scope, of the facilities essential for the succesful treatment of the latter.
In fact the meaningless statistics on which they claim success are the simplistic numbers in and numbers out, regardless of what has, or has not been achieved in between.
Never has so much been wasted to achieve so little.