The government published (following consultation) its new drug strategy, setting out a 'fundamentally different' approach to preventing drug use and in supporting recovery from drug and alcohol dependence. The strategy proposed:
• Putting more responsibility on individuals to seek help and overcome dependency.
• A more 'holistic' approach by addressing issues such as offending, employment, and housing.
• Reducing demand.
• Cracking down on those involved in drug supply, both at home and abroad.
• Putting power and accountability in the hands of local communities to tackle drugs and the harms they caused.
Source: Drug Strategy 2010: Reducing demand, restricting supply, building recovery – Supporting people to live a drug free life, Home Office
Links: Strategy | Hansard | Home Office press release | Impact assessment | Equality impact assessment | Consultation responses | Consultation document | Conservative Party press release | Alcohol Learning Centre press release | Alcohol Policy UK press release | Childrens Society press release | DEF press release | DrugScope press release | NTA press release | RCPsych press release | Turning Point press release | Guardian report | Community Care report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Dec
A report by a committee of MPs called for the adoption of a 'zero-tolerance' offence for illegal drugs that were known to impair driving.
Source: Drink and Drug Driving Law, First Report (Session 2010-11), HC 460, House of Commons Transport Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | BMA press release | Living Streets press release
Date: 2010-Dec
A new book examined recent policy on illicit drugs. Problematic drug use could only be understood in the social context in which it took place – a context that it shared with other problems of crime and public health.
Source: Alex Stevens, Drugs, Crime and Public Health: The political economy of drug policy, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Sep
An article examined some of the key policy and legal changes introduced by the Labour governments of 1997 to 2010 in order to manage drug use and misuse.
Source: Julian Buchanan, 'Drug policy under New Labour 1997-2010: prolonging the war on drugs', Probation Journal, Volume 57 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Sep
A study found that the extreme stigma attached to drug addiction represented a 'massive obstacle' to rehabilitation and recovery – hindering access to treatment, work, and housing, and to rejoining society.
Source: Charlie Lloyd, Sinning & Sinned Against: The stigmatisation of problem drug users, UK Drug Policy Commission
Links: Report | UKDPC press release | DrugScope press release | York University press release | Guardian report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Aug
The government began consultation on its drug strategy, around the themes of preventing drug use, strengthening enforcement, rebalancing treatment to support drug-free outcomes, and supporting recovery to break the cycle of drug addiction. One idea suggested was that people who were dependent on drugs and alcohol and who refused treatment could have their social security benefits withdrawn.
Source: 2010 Drug Strategy: Consultation Paper, Home Office
Links: Consultation document | Addaction press release | DrugScope press release | Turning Point press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2010-Aug
The government began consultation on options to overhaul the Licensing Act, including allowing local authorities to consider the views of the wider community, not just those living close to premises, when taking decisions about licensing permits.
Source: Rebalancing the Licensing Act: A consultation on empowering individuals, families and local communities to shape and determine local licensing, Home Office
Links: Consultation document | Hansard | Speech | Home Office press release | Addaction press release | Alcohol Concern press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Jul
A report gave an overview of the projects in a programme of research that explored the problem of illicit drugs – including the policing of drug possession, and the impact of drugs on the family.
Source: Charlie Lloyd and Neil McKeganey, Drugs Research: An overview of evidence and questions for policy, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2010-Jun
A joint inspectorate report said that youth offending teams (YOTs) had made good progress in identifying and addressing alcohol misuse in children and young people: but that further improvements needed to be made.
Source: Message in a Bottle: A joint inspection of youth alcohol misuse and offending, HM Chief Inspector of Probation/Care Quality Commission/Healthcare Inspectorate Wales/Estyn
Links: Report | CQC press release | YJB press release
Date: 2010-Jun
An official advisory body recommended that the government should not proceed with a pilot scheme (proposed by the previous Labour government) involving personalized support for benefit claimants who were undergoing drug treatment. A linked research report examined the experiences of problem drug users in relation to claiming benefit, looking for and being in employment, and dealing with Jobcentre Plus.
Source: Report of the Social Security Advisory Committee Made Under Section 174(2) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 on the Social Security (Welfare Reform Drugs Recovery Pilot Scheme) Regulations 2010, Social Security Advisory Committee | Linda Bauld, Gordon Hay, Jennifer McKell and Colin Carroll, Problem Drug Users' Experiences of Employment and the Benefit System, Research Report 640, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report | DWP press release (1) | Research report | DWP press release (2) | DrugScope press release
Date: 2010-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs said that measures to reduce problem drug use by young people were having a limited effect. It was 'unacceptable' that the Home Office had not carried out sufficient evaluation of the programme of measures in the strategy, and did not know if the strategy was directly reducing the overall cost of drug-related crimes.
Source: Tackling Problem Drug Use, Thirtieth Report (Session 2009-10), HC 456, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | DrugScope press release | Transform press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Apr
A report by a committee of MPs said that the police and other law enforcement agencies had failed to stem the ready availability of cocaine. The drug had became socially acceptable, and the view that it was a safe, 'middle-class' drug needed to be tackled.
Source: The Cocaine Trade, Seventh Report (Session 2009-10), HC 74, House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | DrugScope press release | Transform press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Mar
An annual report summarized research data and information on illegal drug use in the United Kingdom in 2009.
Source: Charlotte Davies, Layla English, Alan Lodwick, Jim McVeigh and Mark Bellis (eds.), United Kingdom Drug Situation: 2009 Edition – UK Focal Point on Drugs, Department of Health
Links: Report | DEF press release
Date: 2010-Mar
An article examined the development of alcohol policies in England under New Labour. It attempted to explain these policy developments with regard to the politics of the 'Third Way' and, in particular, relationships between New Labour and industry, 'better regulation', joined-up government, evidence-based policy-making, and the involvement of stakeholders within the policy process.
Source: Rob Baggott, 'A modern approach to an old problem? Alcohol policy and New Labour', Policy & Politics, Volume 38 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Feb
The British Social Attitudes survey found that public concern about the effects of cannabis had grown over the previous decade, and that a majority thought that the consumption of cannabis should remain illegal. But there was little enthusiasm for the idea of taxing alcohol more heavily in order to encourage people to drink less.
Source: Rossy Bailey, Elizabeth Fuller and Rachel Ormston, 'Smoking, drinking, drugs: reactions to reform', in British Social Attitudes: The 26th Report, SAGE Publications
Links: Summary | NatCen press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Jan
An article examined the use of research evidence in policy making, in the context of recent developments in drug classification policy.
Source: Mark Monaghan, 'The complexity of evidence: reflections on research utilisation in a heavily politicised policy area', Social Policy and Society, Volume 9 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jan
The government announced (following consultation) details of a new mandatory code for alcohol retailers in England and Wales. There would be a ban on 'irresponsible' promotions, and a compulsory requirement to check the identity of customers who might be under the minimum age.
Source: Written Ministerial Statement 19 January 2010, columns 10-11WS, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Hansard | Home Office press release | ACPO press release | RCN press release | LBRO press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Jan
An article examined the effects of a change in alcohol licensing policy on the practice of liquor retailing across a metropolitan urban region (designed to promote staggered closing times and reduce violent crime and disorder). There was great variation in the extent to which the provisions of the policies were implemented as intended: understanding and monitoring such variations was a vital prerequisite to the evaluation of outcomes.
Source: David Humphreys and Manuel Eisner, 'Evaluating a natural experiment in alcohol policy: the Licensing Act (2003) and the requirement for attention to implementation', Criminology and Public Policy, Volume 9 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jan
A study found that alcohol misuse in Scotland was costing taxpayers between £2.4 billion and £4.6 billion each year.
Source: York Health Economics Consortium, The Societal Cost of Alcohol Misuse in Scotland for 2007, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Summary | Scottish Government press release | SNP press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Jan