Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 99
Devise and publish a cross-departmental action plan and UK-wide campaign to tackle drug stigma.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Combating Drugs Minister leads on devising a cross- departmental action plan to tackle stigma. In devising the action plan, the Government must engage with people with lived experience of drugs and stakeholders in the drug treatment and recovery sector to understand fully how stigma can affect people and how best to tackle it. The action plan must be published before the end of February 2024. We further recommend that the Government work with the devolved administrations to roll-out a coordinated, UK-wide campaign to tackle stigma.
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, agreeing on the importance of reducing stigma and committing to cross-government work and collaboration with devolved administrations. However, they reject the specific request for a published cross-departmental action plan, instead tasking OHID to lead a workstream and publish a report on stigma's impact.
Paragraph Reference:
99
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
Partially accept. The Government accepts the importance of reducing stigma in tackling drug misuse and will work across government to address this. Stigma around drug use can be a barrier to people accessing treatment and recovery, and it makes it harder to reduce drug-related deaths. That is why the Government is continuing to build a world-class treatment and recovery system, which is one of the three key strategic priorities in the Drug Strategy. We have expanded and improved the treatment workforce and launched a ground-breaking addiction mission. While we accept that a cross-government approach is important in addressing stigma, the Government does not intend to publish a cross-departmental action plan as requested by the Committee. The Combating Drugs Minister, Chris Philp MP, has already been holding roundtables across government and with people with lived experience to discuss how stigma can be tackled. OHID, as part of its work to lead the delivery of the treatment and recovery mission, will lead a workstream on stigma, which will include identifying examples of good practice and publishing a report into the drivers of drug-related deaths. The report will consider the impact of stigma and how it can be addressed. The Government also recognises the importance of taking a UK-wide approach to tackling stigma and will continue to work with the devolved administrations on this issue. The UK Government and the Devolved Governments continue to engage on the issue of synthetic drugs. The Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire will be meeting with representatives from the Devolved Governments in November for the next UK Drugs Ministerial meeting to discuss how we can continue to work constructively and collaboratively together.