Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 86
Update the 10-Year Drugs Strategy to increase available harm reduction approaches for treatment.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government update the strategy to increase the range of harm reduction approaches available to support a person’s treatment and recovery from drugs in line with the approaches outlined in this report.
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted the recommendation, stating it already provides a broad range of harm reduction interventions, including increasing naloxone availability and supporting local provision of other medicines. It committed to continuing to update guidance on evidence-based harm reduction interventions.
Paragraph Reference:
86
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The Government partially accepts this recommendation. We already provide a broad range of harm reduction interventions, and these are enshrined within our Drug Strategy, ‘From Harm to Hope’. For example, we are increasing the availability of naloxone, including naloxone nasal spray, to prevent drug related deaths and committed to supporting local provision of a broader range of medicines including newer medicines such as long-acting buprenorphine injection. The Government is committed to supporting local partners to deliver harm reduction interventions that best meet their local needs. The Drug Strategy makes clear that Combating Drugs Partnerships have the flexibility to identify and implement interventions based on local priorities and needs and that they are able to invest in a comprehensive menu of interventions across the three pillars of the Strategy, including harm reduction interventions. Public Health England (PHE) and later the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) have consistently published guidance for local areas on evidence-based harm reduction interventions since 2013 and will continue to update this guidance with the best available evidence.