Substance Use Strategy.
How can we improve the provision of information on substance use?
Education is key.
Jersey's PSHE curriculum states in relation to drugs that Key Stage 3 & 4 students (aged 11-16) should be taught "how to make informed choices about health and wellbeing matters including drugs, alcohol and tobacco; maintaining a balanced diet; physical activity; emotional health and wellbeing and sexual health"
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Information provision on the subject of drugs on Government websites is currently limited to a single page on Gov.je and one page on the Youth Enquiry Service website.
The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine indicates that the majority of the Gov.je page on drugs was composed in 2014 or earlier.
The PDF of the Parent's Guide to Drugs, the 6th and final edition of which was published in 2015, was removed from the Gov.je website in the autumn of 2021.
In recent years, official advice on drugs in the community has generally been provided by the States of Jersey Police rather than the Health Department. However, this advice often lacks sufficient detail to be effective in reducing harm.
The provision of constructive information on illicit substances to assist Islanders in making informed choices is currently only available from the Weekend Welfare service.
Recommendation:
- Up to date and thorough information about substance use should be provided by Government to both educate the public and also contribute to the PSHE curriculum as soon as possible.