UK must act to reduce harm from drug misuse

Two House of Commons select committees have recently produced reports on problematic drug use and drug related deaths.12 The Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) and the Scottish Affairs Committee (SAC) both highlight factors that are associated with progression to problematic drug use and addiction: material and social deprivation, adverse childhood experiences, and poor mental health. The SAC report calls for the UK government to tackle economic inequalities and poverty as drivers of problematic drug use and for substantially increased levels of investment in support for early years, mental health services, and other interventions aiming to improve the life chances of the most disadvantaged members of our society.