#IDURD Nottingham 2016
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The document discusses the human costs of the war on drugs, including broken families, socioeconomic problems, poverty, homelessness, unemployment, and 28,000 drug-related deaths since 2002. It also describes harm reduction services that provide current street-level insights as an early warning system, meet service users' needs, challenge providers through quality reviews, and help retain users through peer support groups.
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#IDURD Nottingham 2016
- 2. “While the government measure the cost of the so called ‘War On Drugs’ in monetary value. I look at it and I see….. • Broken Families. • Socially Economic Problems. • Poverty. • Homelessness. • Unemployment. • And 28,000 drug related deaths since 2002 what price would you put on that?
- 13. DDN Naloxone advocacy conference Feb, 2015
- 15. • The added insight of what was current on the street, like an early warning system. • A service that provided the latest needs in a way that was designed to meet the service users needs. • Things like the Quality circle that kept challenging all involved in provision and care. • Maintained retention and also User groups would bring people in improving penetration levels.
Editor's Notes
- Counting the real costs of the whole drug and alcohol agenda, not just the monetary value, has so far turned out to be quite a harrowing experience that would have anyone scratching their heads in disbelief? And yet year in, year out we still churn out the same old stuff, it’s like a groundhog day, a very painful one. Surely decades of increased risk, increased deaths, increased costs, increased crime, etc has increased the awareness of the policy makers…..you’d have though?
- The emotional and mental cost of the constant barrage of idealogical nonsense, that has no relevance at all to the underlying issues that we struggle with daily is getting tedious, monotonous, degrading, desensitising and dehumanising. As policy makers take from us with one hand until we have nothing left, then, point the finger at us with the other and blame us when we react like someone who has nothing left to lose. Is it any wonder that high numbers of the community take drugs. The underlying issues that lead to addiction are isolation, alienation, underlying mental health issues, poverty, unemployment, homelessness, broken family life, bad education, social inequalities, etc, Addiction is a product of all those things amalgamated into one. Yet the government seem to think that addiction is the cause of the majority of those exact same issues.
- In 2002, Cameron stated that current drug policy was not fit for purpose and declared it a priority need, until he took power that is now it’s not even on the agenda, seems to work just fine now? But then people not accessing services, and people dying at an alarming rate, unfortunately translates into successful closures when reduced to a statistical scenario. And those who don’t die merely show that more needs to be done? It’s such a manipulative approach and systematic design over decades of media coverage, propaganda, stigma and discrimination means that the general public, in the majority are drawn to the light from the torch shone on addiction while the real dangers happen in the shadows. The last attempt at controlling the scourge that is addiction gave us the Roadmap, in typical council neglected state it was disputed, but still it came.
- We warned the powers that be that this was heading for a landslide and there would be casualties but they didn’t listen and in 2010 focus went from public health approaches based on harm reduction principles, to fast track cattle market recovery, and an abstinence push that has had devastating affects in our communities. Much needed services have been lost through disinvestment, and crushed under the sheer weight of the big guns, who fight relentlessly in the race to the bottom, and in doing so become more and more remved from the actual realities of their primary stakeholders needs. The person centred approach swallowed up by the corporate beast that dehumanises people into commodities. Churning them through a process that is neither welcoming, inspirational or indeed effective?
- The agenda has not been effective in any way, shape, or form so far leaving a trail of failed policies, Standard operational procedures that put excess strain on staff, and more relevant a trail of failed individuals who have chosen to take their chances out in the community mutual aid support networks than access service, as it is no longer fit for purpose. Drug related deaths are evidence enough for me to see that it’s dangerous practice these days, far from meeting the needs of the consumer. This has been replaced by the desperate need to please the Corporation at the top. The introduction of the NPS bill has been another area where there was quiet a lengthy and at times frustrating debate. This could potentially have a devastating effect. Pushing those that need support most into the long grass out of sight.