Substance Use Strategy.
Where is the substance use strategy?
What is the current situation?
Despite relatively high rates of alcohol and drug consumption in the Island, "it could be argued that we do not have [a substance use strategy] presently"
.
Following the adoption of the Working Together Against Drugs strategy in 1996, a harm reduction strategy was introduced by the Substance Misuse Strategy 1999-2004:
"With the introduction of its 1999 Responding to Substance Misuse (RSM) strategy, the English Channel Island of Jersey joined a small number of countries worldwide to have a psychoactive substance use strategy premised on a harm reduction philosophy."
Responding to Drug Use in Jersey: findings and outcomes from a multi-method rapid assessment,
Imperial College School of Medicine, April 2001.
The principle of harm reduction with regard to substance misuse was latterly combined with the issue of community safety in the formation of the subsequent Building a Safer Society strategies from 2005-2019.
The BaSS Strategy concluded in 2019 without review or replacement.
We need to prioritise the new strategy.
The new substance use strategy is intended to be a Public Health initiative based on harm reduction principles, with responsibility shared between the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Health and Social Services.
The strategy is now being developed by the Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance Department, with the Chief Minister as the Ministerial Lead.
Unfortunately, the new Drug and Alcohol Strategy has been delayed due to recruitment issues and will not be produced in the current term of the States Assembly.
Recommendation:
- The production and implementation of a progressive replacement substance use strategy focused on the principle of harm reduction should be a priority of the next Government.
Recommendation:
- Thorough research into international approaches to substance use and consumption patterns in the Island should be undertaken in the development of the new strategy, together with consultation with academics, NGOs and the public to ensure that best practices are implemented.
The proposed Jersey Care Model for Health and Community Services simply states that "services like Drugs and Alcohol can be provided through external partners".
Recommendation:
- Adequate resources should be provided in the Government Plan to support the new substance use strategy into the future.