Local authorities in England will receive nearly £267m funding next year to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services, the Government has said.
It will come as part of the Government’s 10-year drug strategy intended to up the quality of and access to these services by reducing drug use to a 30-year low.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the funding will allow local authorities to:
- Recruit more specialised staff
- Support prison leavers into treatment and recovery services
- Reduce crime by increasing the number of people receiving structured drug and alcohol treatment.
The funding – which will be rolled out from April 2024 – comes in addition to the £95.4m made available in 2022 to 2023, and £154.3m for this year.
The Association of Directors of Public Health’s policy lead for addiction, Alice Wiseman, said: ‘At a local level, directors of public health and their teams work together with a range of services, including amazing organisations and people from the voluntary and community sector, to deliver effective, life-changing drug and alcohol treatment services.
‘As well as supporting people to overcome addiction, the programmes we support really empower people by listening to those with lived experience to shape treatment so that it makes a difference not only to individuals, but to the whole community.
‘We know this work is incredibly valuable, both for individuals and communities, but it does require the long-term commitment of this 10-year strategy. The extra funding announced today is very welcome and will enable us to support more people in this way.’
