Ministerial meeting to discuss key drugs issues
Crime and Policing Minister Kit Malthouse and Public Health Minister Jo Churchill today (Thursday 17 September) hosted a meeting to discuss key issues around illicit drugs.
Building on the Drugs Summit held in Glasgow in February, the meeting brought together academics, experts and government ministers from across all four nations of the UK.
Topics discussed included reducing drug deaths, treatment and recovery and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on illegal drug taking.
There was also a focus on opportunities to work together to tackle drug harms.
Kit Malthouse, Minister for Crime and Policing, said:
Illegal drugs ruin lives and corrode the foundations of society.
We are continuing to work closely across all nations within the UK to tackle drug misuse and the harm that it causes.
Minister for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care Jo Churchill said:
Drug misuse can have a tragic impact on people’s lives, health, and families, causing untold pain and suffering for some of the most vulnerable in our society.
It is essential we tackle the root causes of substance abuse, to prevent drug use in our communities, help people recover and stop lives being lost needlessly.
I am committed to ensuring that illegal drug users are able to access appropriate services and treatment and to understanding the impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on this important issue.
Those attending the meeting included Dame Carol Black, Professor Catriona Matheson, a professor in substance use at the University of Stirling and Chair of the Ministerial Drug Deaths Taskforce for Scotland, and Professor Owen Bowden-Jones, chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
In February, the Home Office hosted a UK-wide Drugs Summit, which brought together a variety of experts from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to discuss the best ways to tackle problem drug use.
The Summit coincided with the publication of the first part of Dame Carol Black’s Independent Review of Drugs. The second part of the independent review is focusing on prevention, treatment and recovery.