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Annex B
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
73. Systems should be put in place at both national and local levels to monitor psychostimulant use to capture data on trends in all drug use, including methylamphetamine, GHB, ketamine and other substances. This information should be shared between partners to allow speedy and flexible responses to emerging trends.
74. The Government should develop a more accurate picture of psychostimulant use in Scotland which attempts to capture data on the 'hidden population'. The National Evidence Group should consider how this might be done most effectively and whether it should be widened to include poly-drug use, if there is currently a gap in this area.
75. A responsive, intelligence-led approach to education is needed, along with ready availability of a wide range of resources for use at the times when they become most relevant. Information campaigns, at both national and local level should:
- target messages according to the different categories of users (i.e. experimenters, regular stimulant users, problematic stimulant users and opiate/stimulant users);
- include harm reduction messages and be linked into self-assessment for those most at risk, including regular users;
- raise awareness of the health risks that might be a result of, or exacerbated by, psychostimulant use e.g. mental health - depression, paranoia;
- highlight the risks of poly-drug use, in particular the risks of using alcohol with psychostimulants, and link it with alcohol campaigns where possible;
- update the suite of materials to include GHB and ketamine;
- ensure that delivery of national and local campaigns are synchronised where appropriate and where there is obvious common purpose and assured mutual benefit to maximise impact and achieve the best outcomes; and
- develop national materials that can be used at a national and local level for the targeted group.
76. A universal education campaign on substances, including alcohol and tobacco, for the public.
77. There should be a greater role for parents and other adult family members such as grandparents in educating their children and grandchildren about the risks of using psychostimulants.
78. Further work should be carried out by the Government to ascertain whether employers have included psychostimulants in their workplace drug policies and, if not, the Government should work with employers to ensure this happens and to educate them more generally about substance use.
79. Current opiate focused services should be redesigned, where appropriate, to make them attractive, accessible and effective at dealing with clients experiencing problems with psychostimulants (and poly-drug use). A stepped-care approach would be used with information; advice; support and referral services.
80. General advice and information for people using psychostimulants should be made available to anyone who seeks it on an 'open access' basis.
81. Local partners should consider how outreach and other innovative methods can be used to engage with people who are thinking about using drugs; experimenting; or regular users to provide information, prevent harm and funnel people into services before they start experiencing serious problems.
82. Where there is a proven local need some element of specialist psychostimulant service provision should be provided.
83. The Scottish Government should consider providing 'seed-corn' funding to kick-start service redesign and facilitate the change needed.
84. The Government should work with STRADA and other existing specialist providers to consider how its training packages, in relation to psychostimulant use, could be strengthened and the target audience widened.
85. The Police and other services engaged in this area of psychostimulant work should work with Licensing Boards and Licensees to reduce the availability and harms of illegal drugs within licensed premises.
86. Licensing Boards should recognise the local issues and use their powers accordingly to play their part in reducing the problem.
87. Each Licensing Board through their membership on the local Alcohol and Drug Action Team should inform any local needs assessments of issues relating to the premises in their area and seek to act upon it.
88. Local Police should work closely with local service providers to ensure that when drug raids occur that drug treatment services are available for those with who will no longer be able to purchase illegal drugs.
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