Ms Wiseman told us that preventing vulnerable people falling victim to substance misuse must include consideration of issues such as deprivation, trauma, poor mental ill health, and adverse childhood experiences. The support networks and services that were once available to help families have been eroded over the past decade. Ms Wiseman highlighted the need for primary prevention measures, providing services to vulnerable children and families and to break the intergenerational cycle of substance misuse.83 The JCDU and DHSC agreed that there needed to be a “whole of society” response as the issues went beyond what could be funded by the strategy. Such a response needs to consider wider factors, focusing on prevention and recognising the importance of education, housing and employment to help stop people from using drugs.84 74 Q 115; C&AG’s Report, para 1.3 75 Committee of Public Accounts, Alcohol treatment services, Fifty-Fourth Report of Session 2022–23, 24 May 2023, para 6 76 Qq 100, 115 77 C&AG’s Report, para 10 78 Q 15 79 Q 115 80 Qq 13, 19 81 Q 67 82 Q 69; C&AG’s Report, Figure 9 83 Q 12 84 Q 115 16 Reducing the harm from illegal drugs