Decision details

Key Decision identified as Telford & Wrekin Drugs & Alcohol Strategy 2019 – 2022 in the Notice of Key Decisions published on 15 May 2019.

Councillor R Mehta, Cabinet Member: Communities & Inclusivity, presented the report of the Assistant Director: Health & Wellbeing, which provided an overview of the Drug and Alcohol Strategy for Telford & Wrekin. A copy of the Strategy was appended to the report. 

The Strategy set out the intention to work with partners to reduce the harm caused by alcohol and/or drug misuse in local communities, and would make a key contribution to the Council’s priority to ‘Improve the health and wellbeing of our communities and address health inequalities’. It provided an update on the following strategy, following consultation with service users and partner agencies.

Cabinet Members welcomed the Strategy, and highlighted in particular the importance of prevention and early intervention. Investing in this work, particularly for young people, reduced local authority and NHS treatment costs, reduced the cost of crime in local communities and offered life-time benefits in terms of health, education and employment.

Cabinet Members noted the reduction in the public health grant and expressed that money spent on preventative work saved significant amounts in the long term.

In response to a question from the Conservative Group Leader, it was confirmed that, as outlined and highlighted in the report, education played an important role in the strategy, building on the schools programme in already place, which included events such as Crucial Crew, Loudmouth Theatre in Education productions. The refreshed strategy would look at opportunities linked to the development of mandatory PHSE. 

RESOLVED that the refreshed Telford & Wrekin Drug & Alcohol Strategy 2019 – 2023 be approved.