UK Drug Policy (original) (raw)

During the New Labour years (1997-2010), significant redirection of drugs policy took place, especially in the area of treatment: new institutions and policies were developed under the guidance of the National Treatment Agency. However in 2010, when the Coalition (Conservative and Liberal Democrat) government was formed, with its goal to prioritise 'recovery', there were still an estimated 400,000 problematic heroin and crack cocaine users in the UK. The consensus then among drug treatment experts was that the priority should be to build on what had been achieved but develop better links between different health, social care and other services to support recovery. The new direction of policy towards recovery was accepted but the challenges had to be recognised: many of the people who were using drug services arrived at the door with multiple problems and needs. Often their drug use was linked to experiences of childhood abuse or adult trauma, to mental health problems, homelessness, family breakdown and other problems. 1 Under Coalition and Conservative administrations since, the emphasis in drug treatment policy has been on 'recovery' but the wider context has