Agenda item

Report of Liz Gaulton, Acting Director of Public Health

The Board considered a report of the Acting Director of Public Health and received a presentation on the Coventry Drug and Alcohol Strategy 2017-2020, a copy of which was set out at an appendix to the report. A copy of the Drug and Alcohol Strategy Action Plan for 2017-2020 was tabled at the meeting. Councillor Ali, Deputy Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport attended the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The report informed of the Drug and Alcohol Strategy for 2017-2020 and updated on the progress made to address drug and alcohol misuse against the previous strategies. Alcohol and drug misuse was a significant issue for individuals and communities alike with the harms being complex and wide ranging. The Coventry vision, to reduce the harms caused by alcohol and drug misuse making Coventry a healthier, wealthier and happier place to live, linked to all three of the priorities within Coventry’s 2016-19 Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The report provided information about the numbers of residents drinking alcohol and taking drug in the city. Although the number of people using alcohol and taking drugs was reducing nationally and locally, the needs of alcohol and drug users were becoming increasingly complex and there was a strong link between high risk substance use and deprivation.

The Board were informed that the development of the city’s Drug and Alcohol strategy coincided with the recommissioning of drug and alcohol recovery services in the city. As drug and alcohol was a cross-cutting issue requiring a multi-agency response, the three year strategy was developed by and involved partners and covered a wide range of issues. It covered both young people and adults and had three strategic priorities:

i) Prevent people from taking drugs or drinking harmful levels of alcohol and intervene early to minimise harm

ii) Support those with drug and/or alcohol problems and those with multiple complex needs

iii) Promote sustainable recovery and enable people to live healthy, safe and meaningful lives.

The strategy was to be reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Drug and Alcohol Strategy Steering Group which included representatives from the partner organisations. The Steering Group reported to the Health and Wellbeing Board. The report highlighted the main milestones to be met in the first 12 months.      

The presentation set out how the three priorities of the strategy were to be achieved; informed of the future drug and alcohol recovery services model; highlighted the overarching system objectives and provided information on governance.

Members raised several issues arising from the presentation and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  Clarification about the support available for other family members when an individual has alcohol and or drug issues

·  How were young people represented on the Steering Group

·  A suggestion that health needed to be added to the licensing objectives

·  Whether there were particular problems that were specific to the city.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The report summarising the actions to date on the Coventry Drug and Alcohol strategy be noted.

(2) The Coventry Drug and Alcohol Strategy 2017-2020, as set out at Appendix 2 to the report, be noted.

(3) Consideration be given as to how young people can be represented on the Steering Group.

(4) Consideration be given as to how lobbying can be undertaken to request that an additional objective for health be added to the licensing objectives.