Buckinghamshire Drugs and Alcohol Strategy 2023 to 2028

Drugs and alcohol are linked to an increasing number of deaths in England. The health harms from drug misuse depend on the type of drug and how it is taken, but particular issues can include infections or stopping breathing. The number of deaths from prescription medication, such as benzodiazepines, has also been rising across the country. Drinking alcohol long-term can cause liver disease, heart disease and increase the risk of cancer including breast cancer. Both drugs and alcohol affect mental health, and people may be injured while under their influence.

Drugs and alcohol are often linked to crime. The organised criminality behind the drugs trade also makes neighbourhoods less safe. Half of all homicides are linked to drugs, and heroin and crack cocaine addiction are linked to almost half of all acquisitive crime including burglary, robbery and theft. Custody cares for some of the most challenging and vulnerable people in society at a critical point in their life when we can act positively to promote safety. Alcohol is also an important factor in road traffic collisions. Slowed reaction times increase the stopping distance, impair the judgement of speed, and reduce hazard awareness.

Measures can be taken to reduce the harms associated with drugs and alcohol use. For example, naloxone can reverse life-threatening breathing difficulties in an opiate overdose. Widespread community availability of naloxone, such as being carried by street wardens and hostels, can save lives if given early while waiting for an ambulance.

• Opiates are implicated in 85% of drug-related deaths in Buckinghamshire
  
• Half of estimated opiate and crack cocaine users in Buckinghamshire are not receiving specialist treatment, similar to the national proportion
  
• Half of all those in opiate treatment in Buckinghamshire have access to naloxone, better than the one quarter nationally
  
• 1% of eligible clients entering drug treatment in Buckinghamshire complete a course of hepatitis B vaccination, although it is only 3% nationally

Evaluate the success of the Blue Light project in proactively engaging with people with substance misuse who have a very high use of emergency services to re-orient them to more planned care and reduce their need for and use of emergency health and police services

Lead Agency: Buckinghamshire Council – Public Health

Conduct an audit of Buckinghamshire drug-related deaths occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic and compare with other areas and pre-pandemic Buckinghamshire audits. This will help us to understand the driver(s) in the reduced number of drug misuse deaths registered in 2021 locally

Lead Agency: Buckinghamshire Council – Public Health

Establish a Local Drug Information System (LDIS) to rapidly share warnings on new, potent or contaminated drugs between services

Lead agency: Buckinghamshire Council – Public Health

With partners, review the opportunities to reduce the number of patients dependent on prescription medication. This may include scoping the feasibility of a service to treat prescription medication dependence for those not currently covered by specialist drug treatment services

Lead Agency: Buckinghamshire Council – Integrated Commissioning and Buckinghamshire Council – Public Health

Increase the screening of hepatitis C for clients based in High Wycombe to successfully prevent transmission of the virus (achieve ‘micro-elimination’ status for our drug treatment service)

Lead Agency: Adult Drugs and Alcohol Treatment Service (One Recovery Bucks)

Increase the provision of hepatitis B vaccination to injecting drug users and their household and close family contacts

Lead Agencies: Adult Drugs and Alcohol Treatment Service (One Recovery Bucks) and Integrated Care Board

Enhance the identification of people who are responsible for a disproportionate amount of neighbourhood crime. By understanding the triggers for this behaviour interventions can be provided to divert them away from this behaviour

Lead Agency: Thames Valley Police

With partners, introduce a consistent drugs and alcohol intervention service across all six of the Thames Valley custody suites given that an arrest provides an opportunity to intervene at a reachable moment

Lead Agency: Thames Valley Police

Develop the use of out of court disposals conditions to support the use of interventions which may be driving criminality – diverting people into drug treatment services as an alternative to custody

Lead Agency: Thames Valley Police