Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Not Addressed
Establish specific drug use reduction targets for young people and other vulnerable cohorts.
Recommendation
In the year ending June 2022, 9.2% of 16–59-year-olds in England and Wales reported having taken drugs at least once within the past year, with 2.7% having taken Class A drugs. These proportions are higher for younger adults, with 19% of 16–24-year-olds reporting having taken drugs within the past year, and 5% reporting having taken Class A drugs.67 We asked if there were specific targets for reducing drug use for young people. The JCDU told us it had a target to reduce overall drug use to a 30 year low of 8.2% but did not have a specific target for young people, or other cohorts. We emphasised the importance of setting more specific targets, tracking behaviours over a longer timeframe and considering how to influence behaviours.68 The NAO’s report highlights the importance of this as the number of under 18s in treatment fell by 50% between 2010–11 and 2021–22.69
Government Response Summary
The government's response outlines existing and ongoing work to monitor impacts, address diverse needs, and reduce drug demand through education and research, but does not commit to setting specific drug use reduction targets for young people or other cohorts as recommended.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
5.2 The Drug Strategy sets out the government’s overall ambition to ‘monitor impacts across the strategy’s whole system approach to track progress towards better outcomes and avoid any unintended consequences, such as widening inequalities’. This commitment has included specific work on addressing different patterns of use and service access needs in treatment and recovery experienced by people from protected groups. Work commissioned by DHSC found that while some of the differences could be explained by other factors, such as age and deprivation, there are cultural barriers to accessing and engaging with treatment and support services, including stigma and lack of culturally competent services. This is why the strategy sets out the ambition for a system that will promote equality and meet the needs of all communities, including people from ethnic minority backgrounds and women. 5.3 The role of local partnerships is essential here. Drug Strategy guidance for local delivery partners, published in June 2022, sets out how ‘equality of access and quality’ should be adopted as a key principle by Combating Drugs Partnerships. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning services which meet the needs of different groups and populations. Current work by DHSC to support them to do this includes: • enhancing data tools to better inform local needs assessments; • providing targeted support to local areas; • supporting workforce development; • implementation of a new commissioning quality standard; • commissioning relevant research; and • sharing good practice. 6.2 The Drug Strategy highlighted the need to build the evidence in the initial phase to support the government’s thinking on what more can be done to reduce the demand for illegal drugs over the longer-term. Alongside this, the government has and will continue to invest in a range of activities both that are specific to drugs, and which take a broader focus but support the ambition to reduce demand. This includes: • ensuring drug education is compulsory as part of the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum in state-funded schools; • primary research exploring the drivers of drug use in young people; • secondary research on how best to reduce recreational drug use amongst adults; • supporting vulnerable children and families with their holistic needs, including through family hubs; and • developing a guide for local Combating Drugs Partnerships (CDP) setting out evidence-based approaches, interventions, and resources that can be employed to support the implementation of local prevention activity. This draws out the important role of the CDP in working with other linked areas, such as children’s services.