Drug & Substance Misuse

Hastings & St Leonards Primary Care Trust (PCT) chairs the Substance Misuse Action Group.

The group brings together partner agencies across Hastings & St Leonards to form and sustain initiatives to meet the targets set in the Safer Hastings Strategy 2005-08. Their targets are:

• To reduce drug and alcohol misuse through the development of harm prevention and treatment interventions and improved aftercare
• To increase the number of Hastings residents who need treatment entering drug treatment by 30 per cent by March 2008
• To increase the proportion of Hastings residents who need treatment completing drug treatment from 12 per cent in 2003/04 to 20 per cent by 2007/08
• To ensure waiting times for all types of drug treatment in Hastings meet national targets
• To secure funding for alcohol treatment services
• To disrupt local Class A drug markets
• To identify resources in order to increase the number of Hastings residents (including street drinkers) accessing alcohol treatment by 10 per cent over three years

The group has a number of key tasks by which it aims to achieve these targets. These tasks are:

• Reduce housing management problems associated with drug and/or alcohol misusers to reduce the risk of homelessness
• Support parents and carers of those with drug and alcohol problems
• Identify funding to increase the number of Hastings & St Leonards residents accessing treatment
• Review current arrest referral schemes targeting all arrested drug and alcohol offenders
• Promote healthy lifestyle messages to young people who have started, or may be in danger of starting, experimenting with drugs/alcohol through targeted prevention work
• Implement National Treatment Agency Models of Care for Alcohol Misuse
• Work with Children’s Trust and Children’s Centres to ensure a reduction in parental drug and alcohol misuse and related offending within the family setting
• Reduce the number of drug users leaving treatment and relapsing, by improving through-care and after-care services
• Support the disruption of Class A drug markets by promoting the work of Sussex Police specialist Drug Intervention Unit
• Conduct research into the needs of chronic street drinkers and act on the findings
• Work with other agencies in prosecuting those who sell alcohol to those who are under-age

So far, an East Sussex Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy and an East Sussex Drug Strategy have been developed. A one-day conference for families and carers of drug and/or alcohol misusers was successful and treatment key performance indicators have been met.

In August 2005, partners launched the Safer Pubbing & Clubbing Campaign. It continues to promote responsible drinking.

To find out more about services, projects, events, publications and resources, visit the website of the East Sussex Drug & Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) at www.eastsussexdaat.org.uk.

Or contact the East Sussex Safer Communities Team on 01323 466549 or at safercommunities@eastsussex.gov.uk.