William Eichler 22 February 2017

Councils should work with venues to tackle drug abuse, guidelines say

Local authorities should work with nightclubs, gyms and festivals to prevent the misuse of drugs, new national guidelines recommend.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has urged councils to work closely with appropriate venues to tackle drug use by targeting those most at risk of using with social media campaigns, leaflets and posters.

NICE, which provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care, also recommended information be made available at sexual health services and supported accommodation for homeless people.

Between 2015 and 2016, around one in 12 adults took an illicit drug, equating to 2.7 million people. For children and young people aged 11-15, statistics from 2014 show that 10% of school children had taken drugs.

Guidelines produced by NICE and Public Health England (PHE) also suggest offering skills training to children and young people, and their families, who are vulnerable to drug misuse.

‘We want to help prevent people at risk of drug misuse from taking drugs,’ said Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive at NICE.

‘We also want to prevent people who already use drugs from using them regularly and to excess.’

‘Local authorities, and public health teams in local government, will play an important role when helping to implement our recommendations on drug misuse prevention,’ she continued.

‘We hope to see them bridging the gap and working together with venue owners, local health services and social care to help prevent drug misuse in people, including children and young people, who are at risk.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Director of Public Health

Royal Borough of Greenwich
Up to £131,210
The Public Health department is at the heart of the council’s business. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Head of Regeneration and Growth

Plymouth City Council
£68,387 - £74,411 (MFS and relocation available, pay award pending)
This is a unique opportunity to lead our award-winning development team and directly deliver hundreds of millions of pounds of projects. Plymouth, Devon
Recuriter: Plymouth City Council

Director of Adult Social Care

Wiltshire Council
£119,390 - £127,137
Join us as the Director of Adult Social Care and make a real difference to people’s lives. Wiltshire
Recuriter: Wiltshire Council

Assistant Director Planning, Performance & Engagement

East Sussex County Council
up to £97,700
With strong local communities, unspoilt countryside and vibrant coastal towns, East Sussex offers an exceptional quality of life to many. East Sussex
Recuriter: East Sussex County Council

Director of Finance & Commerce

Lancashire County Council
Up to £114,339
You will play a critical role in driving the organisation through complex change and innovation. Lancashire
Recuriter: Lancashire County Council
Linkedin Banner