CURRENT AND FUTURE WORK
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REDUCING DRUG-RELATED HARM THROUGH ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY
The stated aim of enforcement efforts is to reduce the harm caused by drug markets. Enforcement activity is usually measured through simple indicators such as
- the number and volume of seizures,
- the price and purity of drugs,
- the number of offenders brought to justice,
- assets recovered from producers and traffickers,
- the closure of premises used for the production and/or supply of illegal drugs.
Following on from the 'Tackling Drug Markets' report, we will consider what 'harm reduction' might mean in enforcement terms, and how this might be measured. See also the UKDPC special edition of 'Safer Communities' where some of the issues are explored in a series of essays.
THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY
We have commissioned a group of leading UK academics to consider the impact of an individual’s problem drug use on adult family members. The research, led by Alex Copello, Professor of Addiction Research at the University of Birmingham, will estimate the number of adults affected by problem drug using family members and will attempt to place a ’value’ in financial terms on the support and care they provide and the cost to society of the harm they experience. The review will also identify effective practice, both in terms of how family members can be involved in the treatment and recovery of their relatives, and how their own support needs can be met. The research will be published in mid-2009. For more information, please read the research specification.
OTHER POTENTIAL AREAS OF FOCUS
These include:
- the differing needs of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups;
- effective local commissioning of treatment services;
- stigma, media and politics and how these impact on drug policy making;
- interventions for vulnerable young people.
