Decision details

Jon Hobday, Public Health Consultant attended the meeting to update the Board with regards to the Greater Manchester drug and alcohol strategy as well as the approach taken in the Borough to address the issues raised.

This will be the first ever Greater Manchester drug and alcohol strategy setting out a collective ambition to significantly reduce the risks and harms caused by drugs and alcohol and help make Greater Manchester one of the best places in the world to grow up, get on and grow old. 

The Public Health Consultant reported that it is estimated that expenditure on alcohol related crime, health, worklessness and social care costs amount to £1.3bn per annum - approaching £500 per resident.

Alcohol places a significant burden on public services, causes health problems such as cancer, liver cirrhosis and heart disease, affects the well-being of families, and is a major contributor to domestic abuse, violent crime and public disorder.

The Public Health Consultant reported that there has been a long term downward trend in drug and alcohol use amongst adults and young people.  Locally our treatment services are more recovery focused than they used to be and that more people are successfully completing treatment, but there is much more to be done.

Questions were invited from those present and the following issues were raised:

Responding to a question from the Chair, the Public Health Consultant reported that prevention and early intervention is imperative to tackling substance misuse.  Services, including the Bury Lifestyle Service, have been encouraged to look and identify early signs of alcohol and substance misuse.  Data is available to identify the neighbourhood hot spots where substance misuse in particular is a problem.  It is envisaged that the roll out of neighbourhood working will lead to the development of an appropriate and proportionate approach in tackling these issues.

In response to a Member’s question, the six priorities identified within the GM strategy will be adapted to the specific requirements/need in the Borough, good practice will be shared across the region.

It was agreed:

The Board notes the information in the presentation and would like to put on record its support for the regional and local work being undertaken to address drug and alcohol related issues.