Greater support to tackle drug addiction in Cambridgeshire thanks to extra government funding

Greater support to help tackle drug addiction in Cambridgeshire will be possible thanks to £2.2 million of extra government funding over the next three years.

The funding has been provided as part of the new government drugs strategy: From harm to hope, which was produced following an independent review on policy by Dame Carol Black.

The extra money will supplement investment from the county council’s public health budget - which already provides drug and alcohol prevention and treatment services – and will be spent in a variety of ways, including:

Significantly increasing the number of front-line workers supporting people who need help to address drug and alcohol misuse by 12.

Diverting drug users who are committing crime into treatment services, funding specialist criminal justice drug and alcohol pots working with probation, courts, prisons and the constabulary.

Significantly increasing funding for residential rehabilitation to help people address the underlying causes behind their drug and alcohol use.

The current Cambridgeshire Adult Integrated Drug and Alcohol Treatment contract is with Change Grow Live (CGL), a large third sector organisation. It is expected that the additional money will be invested into the treatment service to deliver these improvements.

The Government’s national aims include delivering a treatment place for every offender with an addiction, as well as 800 more medical, mental health and other professionals.

Councillor Richard Howitt, chair of Cambridgeshire’s adults and health committee, said: “Drug addiction is one of society’s biggest problems, driving crime and causing a range of health challenges. By increasing investment into community services it will help tackle addiction and help people make a strong recovery.”