Drug support measures 'must be wider'

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by Change | 8 Dec 2008

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A thinktank has advised health services to deploy a wider range of measures in its effort to tackle alcohol abuse.

A greater effort to tackle drug and substance abuse is required from the government if addictions are to be overcome, a study reveals.

The King's Fund Kicking Bad Habits Final Report claims each of these forms of dependency has unique characteristics which mean they need to be tackled individually.

It recommends addiction interventions should be staged to help individuals change their behaviour and suggests there needs to be more effort made by local health services to assess, monitor and target these needs on a decentralised basis.

The thinktank calls on commissioners to deploy geo-demographics - profiling based on geographic location - and to innovate in its addiction intervention strategy.

"Providing information, on its own, has little effect on people's health behaviour," the report states.

Suggesting educating people still plays a key part in the process, it claims health services must play a more active role in preventing alcohol and drug abuse.

The King's Fund praises innovative efforts such as offering financial incentives when these are used in conjunction with a range of targeted measures.

A ban on all-you-can-drink offers and other measures promoting alcohol abuse has been proposed by Jacqui Smith, the home secretary.

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