Drugs

The National Drug Strategy (NDS) outlines the Government’s approach to focusing on the most problematic drugs, the most damaged communities and the drug users, who cause the most harm to themselves, their families and their communities. The NDS is supported by several Public Service Agreements (PSAs) from a number of Government departments, which clearly demonstrates the cross-departmental approach to addressing drug misuse and related issues.

The strategy has the following four themes:

• Protecting communities through robust enforcement to tackle drug supply, drug related crime and anti-social behaviour
• Preventing harm to children, young people and families affected by drug misuse
• Delivering new approaches to drug treatment and social re-integration
• Public information campaigns, communications and community engagement

Why are we tackling drugs?

Drug misuse is damaging to communities, it ruins lives, destroys families, and is linked to a range of criminal activity including burglary and robbery at a local level, and at an international level the drug trade is linked to the trafficking of firearms and people. The crime and health costs to the nation are around £15.4 billion a year for the most dangerous drugs, including crack cocaine and heroin.

The use of illegal drugs often affects the most vulnerable and socially excluded individuals in our communities the greatest. It is therefore a Government priority to continue to do everything it can, internationally, nationally and locally, to reduce the harm caused by drugs. The complexities of the drug trade and drug misuse can only be tackled by close working between a wide range of partners including local communities.

Partnerships

There are 9 multi-agency Drug & Alcohol Action Teams (DAATs) in the East Midlands that operate as partnerships within unitary and county boundaries.
The 9 Drug Action Teams (DATs) in the region submit treatment plans to the National Treatment Agency (NTA) in January of each year. These plans show how treatment services will be developed to meet local need during the next financial year. The DAATs also work closely with other partner agencies to deliver other aspects of the National Drug Strategy locally.

GOEM has encouraged the region’s DAATs to work closely with their Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) counterparts, responsible for delivering the Government's Crime Reduction Strategy. Several DAATs and CDRPs in the East Midlands have now merged to become partnerships that work on both crime and drugs issues.

The Drug Interventions Programme

A critical part of the Government’s strategy for tackling drugs is The Drug Interventions Programme (DIP). (NTA’s role in the region – leading on DIP)

DIP began in 2003 with the aim of getting adult drug-misusing offenders out of crime and into treatment. DIP is a multi-agency initiative and involves criminal justice agencies, treatment agencies and other services, all working collaboratively with adults who misuse Class A drugs and commit crime to fund their drug misuse.

Archived Documents

 Custody to Community (982kb)
   Examining developmental opportunities for the resettlement of problematic drug users across the East Midlands

 Housing Services for Drug Users in the East Midlands Report (485kb)
   Report examining the issues relating to the housing of drug users in the East Midlands. It aims to assist Drug Action Teams (DATs) to develop joint strategies for housing drug users with key housing service providers in the East Midlands Region.