Treatment/Recovery – drugs

From harm to hope: first annual report 2022 to 2023 (2023)
The first annual report of the drug strategy sets out the progress from the first year of delivery, one year into the government’s 10 year plan. This report outlines progress on national delivery following the first full year of funding associated with the strategy, including delivery against commitments and goals, the key issues and challenges, including delivery of the recommendations made by the government’s Independent Advisor Dame Carol Black in her 2021 Review of Drugs | Home Office, UK

Official Statistics – Substance misuse treatment in secure settings: 2021 to 2022 (2023)
Statistics for alcohol and drug misuse treatment in prisons and other secure settings from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) | OHID, UK

National drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce census findings (2023)
The findings of the first-ever national drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce census completed in 2022 by Health Education England (HEE) and NHS Benchmarking Network (NHSBN). This census – which had an 83% response rate – covered the local authority (LA)-commissioned drug and alcohol treatment and recovery, LA commissioning teams and lived experience recovery organisation (LERO) workforce from 1st July 2021 to 30th June 2022. LAs will be receiving LA-level reports and employers that responded to the census have also received reports comparing LA- and employer-level findings to national findings | NHS Health Education England, UK

National statistics: Substance misuse treatment for young people: statistics 2021 to 2022 (2023)
There were 11,326 young people (people under the age of 18) in contact with alcohol and drug services between April 2021 and March 2022. This is a 3% increase from the previous year (11,013) but a 54% reduction in the number in treatment since 2008 to 2009 (24,494). Cannabis remains the most common substance (87%) that young people come to treatment for | OHID, UK

National statistics: Substance misuse treatment for adults: statistics 2021 to 2022 (2023)
The number of people in treatment for opiate use was very similar to last year (going down slightly from 140,863 to 140,558). Nearly half (49%) the adults in treatment were there for problems with opiates, and this remains the largest substance group. Section 2.1 has more information about what the different substance groups are | OHID, UK

Drugs strategy guidance for local delivery partners. From harm to hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives (2022)
Guidance outlining the structures and processes through which local partners in England should work together to reduce drug-related harm | Home Office, UK

Residential rehabilitation pathways: lived experience interviews (2022)
Explores pathways into, through and out of residential rehabilitation from the perspective of those with lived experience of having accessed residential rehabilitation. Part of a wider suite of research exploring residential rehabilitation across Scotland | Scottish Government, UK

Substance misuse treatment for young people: statistics 2020 to 2021 (2022)
Alcohol and drug treatment data for young people under 18, from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) | OHID, UK

Press release: Largest ever increase in funding for drug treatment (2021)
The government’s ten year Drug Strategy aims to tackle drugs and prevent crime, backed by the largest ever increase in funding for drug treatment | Department of Health and Social Care and Home Office, UK

From harm to hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives (2021)
The drug strategy sets out how the government and its partners will take action to tackle drug misuse and the harms it causes | Home Office, UK

Residential rehabilitation: Interim monitoring report on statutory funded residential rehabilitation placements [Scotland] (2021)
This is the first report on Residential Rehabilitation within the Monitoring and Evaluation Programme led by Public Health Scotland. The report presents information on the number of Alcohol and Drug Partnership statutory funded placements, with estimated costs, that were approved between 1st April 2021 and 30th September 2021 | Public Health Scotland, UK

Substance misuse treatment for adults: statistics 2020 to 2021
There were 275,896 adults in contact with drug and alcohol services between April 2020 and March 2021. This is a small rise compared to the previous year (270,705).The number of adults entering treatment in 2020 to 2021 was 130,490, which is similar to the previous year’s figure (132,124). The number of people entering treatment continues to be relatively stable after falling steadily since 2013 to 2014  | Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, UK

Making Rehab work: A report that identifies how to improve access to residential treatment (2021)
The report has been commissioned by Phoenix Futures and carried out by Mike Pattinson and Kevin Crowley, two experts with many years’ experience in the drug and alcohol treatment sector | Phoenix Futures, UK

Government response to the independent review of drugs by Dame Carol Black (2021)
Details the government’s response to parts 1 and 2 of Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs | Department of Health and Social Care and Home Office, UK

Review of drugs part two: prevention, treatment, and recovery [Dame Carol Black report, part 2], (2021)
This is Part 2 of Dame Carol Black’s independent review for government, setting out a way forward on drug treatment and recovery. Part 1 laid bare the extent of the illicit drugs market in the UK, worth almost £10 billion a year, with 3 million users and a supply chain that has become increasingly violent and exploitative. This is explored further in Part 2, which concludes that the public provision we currently have for prevention, treatment and recovery is not fit for purpose, and urgently needs repair | DHSC, UK

UK government Drug Recovery Champion annual report (2021)
The first annual report from the UK Recovery Champion outlines the work he has undertaken since his appointment and sets out his future work programme | Home Office, UK

Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2019 to 2020: report (2020)
There were 270,705 adults in contact with drug and alcohol services between April 2019 and March 2020. This is similar to the previous year (268,251). The number of adults entering treatment in 2019 to 2020 was 132,124, which is also very similar to the previous year’s figure (132,210 in 2018 to 2019). The numbers of people entering treatment for the first time now seem to have stabilised after falling steadily since 2013 to 2014 | PHE, UK

Treatment for drug addiction – how do patients cope in lockdown? (2020)
There are encouraging signs that people in treatment for drug addiction can manage their medication when they are entrusted with a substantial quantity of opiate substitutes and told to take it in small daily doses, finds a new ‘early insight’ report from researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Bath | University of Bristol, UK

United Kingdom drug situation: Focal Point annual report (2020)
Annual report and data tables from the UK Focal Point on Drugs on the national prevalence, impact, prevention and treatment of drug use | Public Health England, Home Office, Welsh Government, The Scottish Government, Public Health Wales, and Department of Health (Northern Ireland), UK

The new EU Agenda and Action Plan on Drugs 2021-2025, July 2020
On the path toward building up its internal security, on 24 July 2020, the European Commission adopted a new EU Agenda and Action Plan on Drugs 2021-2025 as part of the Security Union Strategy. The new EU Agenda and Action Plan on Drugs 2021-2025 sets out the political framework and priorities for action in the next five years | Europa, Belgium

State of the Sector 2019: Drug and Alcohol Family Support (PDF) (2020)
Almost one in three adults in Great Britain have been negatively affected by the substance use of someone they know, and one in ten describe themselves as currently affected. Providing support to families has been shown to improve the chances that their loved one will enter, and remain in, treatment. But equally important is the right to support for themselves. Adfam’s State of the Sector Family Support Survey aims to shine a light on current circumstances and practice | Adfam, UK

EMCDDA trendspotter briefing – Impact of COVID-19 on drug services and help-seeking in Europe
As Europe grapples with the unprecedented public health threat posed by COVID-19, how is the outbreak affecting drug users and service providers? In a new study  — Impact of COVID-19 on drug services and help-seeking in Europe — the EMCDDA reports signs of a drop in the availability of drug services during the pandemic and in the numbers of those seeking help | EMCDDA, Portugal

International standards for the treatment of drug use disorders, 2020 (PDF)
This document is the work of UNODC and WHO to support Member States in their efforts to develop and expand effective, evidence-based and ethical treatment for drug use disorders. The Standards are intended for all those involved in the policy development, planning, funding, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of treatment services and interventions for drug use disorders. This document is based on currently available scientific evidence on treatment for drug use disorders and sets out a framework for the implementation of the Standards, in line with principles of public health care | UNODC and WHO, Austria and Switzerland

Substance misuse treatment for young people: statistics 2018 to 2019
Alcohol and drug treatment data for under-18s from PHE’s National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS). There were 14,485 young people in contact with alcohol and drug services between April 2018 and March 2019. This is a 7% reduction on the number the previous year (15,583) and a 40% reduction on the number in treatment in the year 2008 to 2009 (24,053) | PHE, UK

Prescribed medicines review: report, 2019
Report of the review of the evidence for dependence on, and withdrawal from, prescribed medicines | PHE, UK

ACMD report: ageing cohort of drug users, 2019
Report from the ACMD providing advice to the government on the changing age profile of people accessing drug treatment and the challenges faced by this cohort in the UK. The number of older opiate users in treatment in England has tripled in just 12 years | ACMD, UK

Alcohol and drug treatment in secure settings: statistics summary 2017 to 2018
This National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) statistics report presents information on specialist treatment interventions for drugs and alcohol misuse in secure settings during 2017 to 2018. The report contains information on adults (aged 18 and over) in contact with treatment services in prisons, including youth offender institutions (YOIs) for 18 to 21 year olds, and immigration removal centres (IRCs) | PHE, UK

Substance misuse treatment for young people: statistics 2017 to 2018
Alcohol and drug treatment data for under-18s from PHE’s national drug treatment monitoring system (NDTMS) | PHE, UK

European Drug Report 2018
What are the latest drug market trends and what are the factors driving them? What drugs are causing the most concern today? What are the most recent developments in drug prevention, treatment and policy? These, and other, questions will be explored by the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) on 7 June in its annual overview of the European drug situation | EMCDDA, Portugal

Changing Lives: using peer support to promote access to services for family members affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use, 2018
Over the last five years, we have worked with families affected by drugs and alcohol in Greenwich to provide them with the training, resources and support to understand the impact of drugs and alcohol on their lives, and to build sustainable relationships and positive futures | Adfam, UK

Substance misuse treatment in secure settings: statistics 2016 to 2017
Alcohol and drug misuse treatment in prisons and other secure settings from PHE’s national drug treatment monitoring system (NDTMS) | PHE, UK

State of the Sector 2017: Beyond the Tipping Point
This is the fourth in the series of reports written about the drug and alcohol treatment sector in England. For 2017 we have taken a more narrative approach, focusing primarily on interviewing key stakeholders and highlighting their experiences in the sector, current concerns and thoughts for the future. We have concluded that our treatment system has moved beyond the tipping point identified last year into worrying territory | Adfam, Recovery Partnership, UK

Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management, 2017
Updated. How clinicians should treat people with drug misuse and drug dependence problems | DoH, UK

Substance misuse and treatment in adults: statistics 2016 to 2017
National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) annual publication of alcohol and drug treatment activity statistics for adults in England | PHE, UK

Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide, 2017
This guide and the associated package of online materials provides a reference point for planning or delivering health and social responses to drug problems in Europe. The most appropriate responses will depend on the specific drug problems, the contexts in which these occur and the types of intervention that are possible and socially acceptable. By providing key information on some of the most important drug issues for Europe and the responses available, this guide aims to assist those involved in tackling these challenges to develop new programmes and improve existing ones | EMCDDA, Portugal

Evidence review summary: drug demand reduction, treatment, and harm reduction, 2017
This short report presents a brief overview of recent evidence for the most effective approaches in the fields of drug use prevention, drug use treatment and harm reduction. It discusses the strengths and limitations of the evidence and some challenges for the implementation of the approaches, and it summarises the principles underpinning the successful knowledge transfer that supports the use of evidence in the development and delivery of policy and practice | EMCDDA, Portugal

Commissioning impact on drug treatment, 2017
This independent report by the ACMD investigates the impact of commissioning on drug treatment. It looks at: commissioning structures, contracting arrangements and the financial environment, the impact on recovery outcomes for individuals and communities | ACMD, UK

Charter for change, 2017, (PDF)
The Drugs, Alcohol & Justice Cross-Party Parliamentary Group provides an interface for professional providers of drug and alcohol treatment with parliamentarians of all parties who share an interest in these issues. We seek to focus attention on addiction issues and advocate evidence-based policies, enabling treatment services to save and transform more lives | Drugs, Alcohol & Justice Cross-Party Parliamentary Group, UK

Guidance: Widening the availability of naloxone, 2017
Naloxone is the emergency antidote for overdoses caused by heroin and other opiates/opioids (such as methadone and morphine) | DoH et al, UK

Take-home naloxone for opioid overdose in people who use drugs (PDF), 2017
Advice for local authorities and local partners on widening the availability of naloxone to reduce overdose deaths from heroin and other opiate drugs | PHE, UK

Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management, 2017
Often called the Orange Book, this is guidance for clinicians treating people with drug problems. This 2017 version offers new guidelines on:

  • prison-based treatment
  • new psychoactive substances and club drugs
  • mental health co-morbidity
  • misuse of prescribed and over-the-counter medicines
  • stopping smoking
  • preventing drug-related deaths, including naloxone provision

DoH, UK

Young people’s statistics from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS): financial year ending March 2016, 2017
Results from the NDTMS on the number of young problem drug and alcohol users in contact with specialist treatment agencies and general practitioners between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016 | PHE, UK

Specialist substance misuse services for young people, 2017
Public Health England (PHE) commissioned The Children’s Society to undertake scoping research in early 2016, to understand some of the opportunities and challenges currently facing those now responsible for commissioning and delivering young people’s specialist substance misuse services and to outline some critical good practice principles | PHE, UK

An Independent Review into the impact on employment outcomes of drug or alcohol addiction, and obesity, 2016
The government asked Professor Dame Carol Black to undertake an independent review into how best to support people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs, or are obese, to start, return or remain in work. This review provides an evidence-based analysis of the factors that stand in the way of employment and recommends practical interventions to help overcome them | Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, UK

State of the Sector: Drug and Alcohol Family Support, 2016
Adfam has released a ground-breaking new report providing an overview into the state of the drug and alcohol family support sector. The field has seen a huge amount of change over the past few years, with dramatically reduced budgets, services being commissioned in different ways and changes to the way people use drugs and alcohol and the harm it causes to them and their families | Adfam, UK

European Drug Report 2016: Trends and Developments, 2016
What are the latest trends in drug supply to Europe? What drugs are causing the most harm and concern today? What are the most recent developments in drug prevention, treatment and policy? These and other questions are explored by the EMCDDA in its European Drug Report 2016 | EMCDDA, Portugal

Drug Treatment Matrix, 2016
The DrugTreatment Matrix maps the domain of treatment of problem drug use among adults and for each sub-domain (a cell) lists the most important UK-relevant research and guidance | Findings, UK

State of the Sector 2015, 2016
This report provides a third annual snapshot of a sector still in flux and faced by multiple challenges. The report finds: A continued trend of reduced funding reported by both community and residential services across the last three years; Funding changes reported as having a significant negative impact on the delivery of core services, workforce development and case-loads; Dual diagnosis remains a key challenge, with links with mental health services varying; Passion, innovation and resilience exist in many services across the country | Adfam and Recovery Partnership, UK

Club Drug Use Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) People (PDF), 2016
This report has been written as part of the wider suite of clinical guidance and tools that aim to provide evidence-based knowledge to inform the management in clinical practice of harms related to the use of ‘club drugs’. It is a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, Guidance on the Clinical Management of Acute and Chronic Harms of Club Drugs and Novel Psychoactive Substances (www.neptune-clinical-guidance.co.uk) | Neptune Project, UK

Evaluation of Four Recovery Communities across England: Interim Report Summary, 2016 (PDF)
Since September 2014, Comic Relief has been working with the Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University, to find out how the recovery communities are contributing to ambitions of improved and sustained recovery. This report summarises the results | Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University, UK