Limited drug harm reduction

The 10-Year Drugs Strategy's insufficient range of harm reduction approaches, with an over-emphasis on abstinence-based recovery.

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Committee recommendation

#21 - Update the 10-Year Drugs Strategy to increase available harm reduction approaches for treatment.

Home Affairs Committee

We recommend that the Government update the strategy to increase the range of harm reduction approaches available to support a person’s treatment and recovery from drugs in line with the approaches outlined in this report.

Matched on terms: drug, harm, reduction

Committee recommendation

#20 - 10-Year Drugs Strategy needs to expand its range of harm reduction approaches.

Home Affairs Committee

The 10-Year Drugs Strategy recognises some harm reduction approaches but could go further. Abstinence-based recovery may not be an effective form of treatment for everyone. A broader range of harm reduction treatments are therefore required to help as many people into recovery as possible.

Matched on terms: drug, harm, reduction

Committee recommendation

#15 - The Thistle's full effectiveness is inhibited without key harm reduction equipment and services.

Scottish Affairs Committee

Having access to equipment such as single-use tourniquets, testing drugs onsite, and allowing visitors to inhale drugs have all been highlighted as key to The Thistle achieving its maximum effectiveness. Without these, a full and fair evaluation of The Thistle will be inhibited. (Conclusion, Paragraph 126) 50

Matched on terms: drug, harm, reduction

Committee recommendation

#34 - Implement report recommendations on harm reduction, especially expanding drug diversion schemes for offenders.

Home Affairs Committee

We recommend the Government build on the harm reduction measures within the strategy by implementing the recommendations on harm reduction outlined in this report, particularly our recommendations on expanding diversion schemes.

Matched on terms: drug, harm, reduction

Committee recommendation

#13 - Legal barriers prevent The Thistle from operating effective drug inhalation rooms.

Scottish Affairs Committee

Drug trends in Scotland have changed and are changing. For The Thistle to be effective, it must be able to meet the needs of the population it is trying to help, which it cannot do without an inhalation room. As well as making the facility accessible to those who inhale drugs, encouraging visitors to change their method of...

Matched on terms: drug, harm, reduction

Committee recommendation

#14 - Require the Lord Advocate and Scottish Government to consider future inhalation room applications on their merits.

Scottish Affairs Committee

The Lord Advocate believes that widening the statement of prosecution policy to allow an inhalation room to operate is undesirable and we understand the reasons she has given. However, given that expert medical advice suggests that allowing the inhalation of drugs would increase opportunities for harm reduction, any future application for an inhalation room should be considered on...

Matched on terms: drug, harm, reduction

Committee recommendation

#5 - Establishing multiple safer drug consumption facilities requires a clear, common UK legal framework.

Scottish Affairs Committee

There has been interest in establishing SCDFs in other parts of Scotland, and the Lord Advocate has indicated that she will consider any such applications on their merits. Rather than having multiple facilities with individual 48 prosecution policy arrangements, it would be more appropriate for them to operate on a clear, legal basis, common to all. This would...

Matched on terms: drug

Ian Wolstenholme

Aug 2018 · Manchester (North)

A lack of national guidance for clinicians on co-prescribing multiple highly addictive and potentially harmful drugs creates a risk of serious harm or death from combined drug toxicity.

Matched on terms: drug, harm

Committee recommendation

#21 - Work with Scottish Government to create sustainable legal framework for Safer Drug Consumption Facilities.

Scottish Affairs Committee

If the independent evaluation of The Thistle deems the pilot a success, and the Scottish Government proceeds to make The Thistle permanent, and perhaps to open further SDCFs, the UK Government should work with the Scottish Government to make the necessary changes to reserved legislation to ensure there is a full, sustainable legal framework for Safer Drug Consumptions...

Matched on terms: drug

Matthew Hamilton

Feb 2019 · County Durham and Darlington

Individuals released from custody are unaware that reduced drug tolerance post-abstinence risks fatal overdose if pre-custody consumption levels are resumed.

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#59 - Mandate all police forces to roll out voluntary naloxone provision, including funding and training.

Home Affairs Committee

We recommend that the Home Office requires all 43 police forces in England and Wales to roll out the voluntary provision of naloxone by operational officers. Volunteer officers must be provided with adequate training in the carrying and administration of naloxone before they can carry it on duty. The Home Office must provide additional funding to all 43...

Matched on terms: harm, reduction

Committee recommendation

#17 - Urgently complete assessment and support The Thistle's drug checking licence application.

Scottish Affairs Committee

The Home Office should urgently complete its assessment of The Thistle for a drug checking licence and should ensure any necessary support is provided to ensure The Thistle is successful in its application. The Home Office should provide an update on the progress of the drug checking license in its response to this report. (Recommendation, Paragraph 128) The...

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#7 - Addressing Scotland's severe drug crisis requires significant, commensurate investment due to high fatalities.

Scottish Affairs Committee

However, any discussion of the cost of The Thistle must be considered in the context of Scotland’s drugs crisis, with 1,172 people having died from drugs in 2023 alone. While it is right that the cost of The Thistle is properly considered, it must be recognised that the scale of Scotland’s emergency inevitably requires a commensurate response that...

Matched on terms: drug

Mar 2014 · London (South)

The practice of dispensing large quantities of methadone to drug-dependent individuals over public holidays increases the risk of future deaths and needs policy review.

Matched on terms: drug

Feb 2021 · Inner West London

Oxford University lacks an overarching drug misuse policy, and St John's College's conflicting approach of severe penalties versus support may discourage students with addiction from seeking help.

Matched on terms: drug

Victoria Storey

Jun 2023 · Surrey

A highly potent, illicitly traded synthetic opiate with high fatal overdose risk is not yet controlled as a Class A, Schedule 1 drug, despite official advice for its urgent inclusion.

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#8 - Safer drug consumption facilities are complementary tools, not substitutes for recovery services.

Scottish Affairs Committee

It is also clear to us that SDCFs must not come at the cost of funding current recovery services. It is not an ‘either/or’. Rather, SDCFs are just one tool available to combat problem drug use, which is complementary to, and works in tandem with, recovery services. (Conclusion, Paragraph 84)

Matched on terms: drug

Damion Stanley Joseph Henson

Dec 2013 · Cumbria (South & East)

A homeless unit, housing drug users, lacked 24-hour supervision, allowing unauthorized individuals to enter out of hours, thereby increasing risks in a facility not designed for drug rehabilitation.

Matched on terms: drug

Apr 2014 · Norfolk

A failure to adequately review and plan a reduction of high-dose addiction medications occurred, alongside a lack of detailed record-keeping regarding medication discussions and future plans.

Matched on terms: reduction

Nov 2016 · Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

Geographical isolation and reduced transport options severely limited face-to-face alcohol support services, leading to reliance on less effective video links and decreased engagement for island residents.

Matched on terms: limited

Feb 2017 · Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

The deceased obtained a dangerous, unlicensed weight loss drug (2,4 Dinitrophenol) online, which is known to cause fatalities.

Matched on terms: drug

Nov 2021 · Lancashire & Blackburn with Darwen

Harmful substances are easily purchased with less rigorous control than 'regulated poisons,' lacking restrictions like licensing and record-keeping, posing a risk of misuse.

Matched on terms: harm

Kristopher Tilbury

Sep 2023 · Hertfordshire

HMP The Mount failed to control illicit drug supply, including psychoactive substances, leading to high availability even on a 'Wellbeing Wing' and multiple subsequent drug-related deaths.

Matched on terms: drug

Nov 2024 · Manchester South

Ketamine's Class B classification falsely portrays it as safer than Class A drugs, encouraging illicit use despite causing severe, life-changing health problems like urological and liver damage.

Matched on terms: drug

Joseph Forbes Black

Jan 2025 · Inner North London

Naloxone kits are not widely available to drug users, especially those not engaged with substance misuse services, despite the increased risk from potent synthetic opioids.

Matched on terms: drug

Joshua Leatham-Prosser

Feb 2025 · Dorset

Ketamine is easily accessible, perceived as less harmful by teenagers, and its highly addictive nature causes severe, irreversible bladder damage (ketamine cystitis), trapping users in a cycle of dependence.

Matched on terms: harm

Committee recommendation

#20 - The Thistle's operational status remains precarious without UK Government approval or legislation.

Scottish Affairs Committee

Without the UK Government’s approval or a change in legislation, The Thistle and potential other Safer Drug Consumption Facilities could, theoretically, continue to operate in Scotland indefinitely but this is not a desirable situation as their status would be precarious and uncertain. (Conclusion, Paragraph 137)

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#16 - Require UK Government to consider applications for medical equipment exemptions at The Thistle.

Scottish Affairs Committee

If an application for exemptions from the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to enable the provision of medical equipment at The Thistle were made by Glasgow City HSCP or the Scottish Government, the UK Government should consider such an application on its merits, as evidence suggests this could enable The Thistle to maximise its effectiveness. (Recommendation, Paragraph 127)

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#57 - Establish a national naloxone programme in England and rapidly expand provision to at-risk groups.

Home Affairs Committee

We recommend that the Government establish a national naloxone programme in England to bring it in line with the devolved nations. We also recommend that the Government speed up its work on expanding the provision of naloxone following the UK-wide consultation in 2021. Expanding provision must include any service and person who may come into contact with people...

Matched on terms: harm

Committee recommendation

#56 - National naloxone programme absent in England despite clear evidence of lifesaving effects.

Home Affairs Committee

The evidence on the lifesaving effects of naloxone in counteracting opioid- related overdose is clear. We welcome the national naloxone programmes in the devolved nations but are concerned that no such programme exists in England. We also welcome the joint working between the Government and the devolved Drugs 79 administrations to expand access to naloxone. However, progress is...

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#19 - Demonstrate an evidence-based approach and consider The Thistle's independent evaluation for policymaking.

Scottish Affairs Committee

The UK Government must demonstrate that it has an evidence-based approach to policy making and will consider the independent evaluation of The Thistle. Any intervention found to be effective at saving lives and reducing harm should not be dismissed. (Recommendation, Paragraph 136)

Matched on terms: harm

PPO recommendation

The Head of Healthcare

The Head of Healthcare should ensure that all prison leavers with a history of substance misuse are offered naloxone and harm reduction advice on release in line with Practice Plus Group’s policy.

Matched on terms: harm, reduction

PPO recommendation

The Head of Healthcare and the Substance Misuse Service Lead

The Head of Healthcare and the Substance Misuse Service Lead should ensure that prisoners with a history of substance misuse are offered harm reduction advice before their release.

Matched on terms: harm, reduction

PPO recommendation

The Director of HMP Parc

The Director should ensure that Parc’s drug supply and demand reduction strategy: • is up-to-date and properly implemented to help reduce the availability and misuse of illicit substances; and • includes measures to address the diversion of prescribed medication.

Matched on terms: drug, reduction

Jun 2021 · Manchester West

Insufficient patient education materials regarding opioid tolerance loss and associated toxicity risks are a concern, particularly after periods of abstinence.

Matched on classifier match

Committee recommendation

#12 - First Report - The future of UK music festivals

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

We are highly concerned that a compressed festival season, the likely circulation of high-strength, adulterated drugs and increased risk-taking after lockdown will lead to a spike in drug-related deaths at festivals this summer. We heard compelling 34 The future of UK music festivals arguments that drug checking saves lives, but in many cases service providers and police forces...

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#4 - The Thistle's current legal position creates risks for operators and users lacking a full framework.

Scottish Affairs Committee

The current Lord Advocate’s statement of prosecution policy has been pivotal in enabling The Thistle to open. However, the Lord Advocate’s prosecutorial discretion is not a substitute for a considered legal framework to enable and regulate safer drug consumption facilities. The Thistle’s current legal position creates potential risks for people operating and using the facility. While the operators...

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#160 - Widespread illicit substance availability normalises drug use and addiction within prisons.

Justice Committee

The widespread and increasing availability of illicit substances has fostered a culture of acceptance that normalises drug use in prisons. This makes the presence of drugs inescapable for many prisoners. The situation is made worse by two key factors: the high number of people entering prison with an existing addiction, and the worrying trend of prisoners who had...

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#13 - First Report - The future of UK music festivals

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

We recommend that, before festivals take place this summer, the Home Secretary should make regulations under section 7 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 that allow organisations conducting drug checking to operate lawfully. Thereafter, the Government should introduce a dedicated licensing scheme for drug checking to set a clear legal framework and minimum standards that service providers...

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#18 - Require UK Government to seriously consider evaluation of The Thistle and merits of SDCFs.

Scottish Affairs Committee

The Minister has stated that the UK Government will consider the evidence emerging from the pilot. However, it was clear from the Minister’s evidence that the Home Office will not make legislative changes, even if the evaluation finds that the facility has been effective in meeting its aims. The UK Government should not approach the evaluation having already...

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#12 - Drug strategy requires rapid adaptation to emerging synthetic opioid threats, with ongoing government preparedness.

Public Accounts Committee

Mr Trace told us that changes in drug markets can happen rapidly, and that if synthetic opioids became more prevalent in the UK, the strategy would need to adapt rapidly.35 Mr Lay told us that there had been a synthetic opioid (isonitazenes) outbreak in London in 2021 and that policing was undertaking significant work on this threat.36 The...

Matched on terms: drug

Committee recommendation

#48 - Commit to establishing long-acting buprenorphine as first-line treatment for opioid dependence in England.

Home Affairs Committee

We recommend that the Government go further than its commitment under the 10- Year Drugs Strategy to explore the rollout of long-acting buprenorphine and commit to establishing it as a first-line treatment option in England for people with an opioid dependence.

Matched on terms: drug

IOPC learning recommendation

Recommendations - Norfolk Constabulary, August 2023

The IOPC recommends that Norfolk Constabulary takes steps to ensure that response officers, who come into contact with a person who is believed to have consumed drugs, consider the possibility of whether the person has consumed different drugs. Drugs taken in combination may increase the risk of harm or death and should be considered an additional risk factor...

Matched on terms: drug, harm

IMB recommendation

whether there could not be a greater emphasis on alternative strategies than ones of prohibition and interdiction of the actual supply and the provision of treatment options for those caught up in its effects. We mean by this a strategy which counters the reasons that prisoners find drug-taking either attractive as a way of dealing with their personal...

Matched on terms: drug

Neil Richard Clark

Sep 2013 · Birmingham and Solihull

A patient who had attempted overdose and undergone a mental health assessment was able to leave an Ambulatory Care Unit unnoticed, subsequently taking his own life.

Matched on classifier match

Aug 2019 · West Sussex

Inadequate patient counselling and insufficient warnings on medication packaging failed to address the dangers of exceeding doses, self-medicating, and unmeasured consumption.

Matched on classifier match

Dec 2019 · Suffolk

A change in methadone prescription to larger bottles, without providing a measuring jug, likely led to inaccurate dosing and a fatal overdose.

Matched on classifier match

Edward Capovila

Apr 2022 · County of Cumbria

Insufficient information regarding unusual methods of fentanyl misuse poses a significant risk of future deaths due to its potential for varied abuse.

Matched on classifier match

Frederick Ireland-Rose

Jun 2025 · Inner North London

Cannabinoid vape users are unaware of the significant and variable risk of nitazene adulteration in vaping fluids and lack access to Naloxone, posing a high overdose risk.

Matched on classifier match

Committee recommendation

#55 - Increase provision of essential equipment and additional services for needle and syringe programmes.

Home Affairs Committee

The Combating Drugs Minister must work with the Department of Health and Social Care, the devolved administrations, and health partners to ensure that the provision of equipment—particularly low dead space syringes and safe water—is increased to reduce the transmission of blood-borne viruses and other illnesses. The Combating Drugs Minister must work to ensure that needle and syringe programme...

Matched on terms: drug

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