Ireland’s Department of Health has established a six-month steering group to oversee the development of a new Ireland drugs strategy, bringing together government representatives, civil society groups, and people with lived experience of addiction.

The steering group will provide expert guidance on drafting the Ireland drugs strategy, which aims to take a “whole of society approach” to prevent and reduce illicit drug use and its impact on individuals, families, and communities.

Comprehensive Approach to Drug Policy

The new Ireland drugs strategy will address cross-sectoral issues related to drug prevalence and use, including services for problematic alcohol use and prevention programmes. However, public health alcohol policy falls outside the strategy’s scope.

A Reference Group of stakeholders will support the steering group’s work by providing feedback on draft proposals for strategic pillars and the action plan. The Department of Health will also engage with other government departments including Social Protection, Education and Youth, Rural and Community Development, and Children, Disability and Equality.

Evidence-Based Strategy Development

The steering group must develop a draft Ireland drugs strategy for approval by the Minister for State for Public Health, Wellbeing and National Drugs Strategy. The strategy will incorporate evidence from multiple sources, including:

• The Independent Evaluation of “Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery” Ireland drugs strategy 2017
• Independent stakeholder consultations on current strategy effectiveness
• Health Research Board reports on drug and alcohol use
• The Citizen’s Assembly on Drug Use findings
• EU drugs strategy developments

Implementation Framework

The steering group’s mandate includes creating strategic pillars to provide a framework for the national drugs strategy, alongside a time-bound action plan featuring key priorities, milestones, costs, and responsible parties.

The group must also establish structures for Ireland drugs strategy implementation, including review and evaluation arrangements, plus appropriate outcome measures and key performance indicators to assess future effectiveness.

The strategy aims to ensure people with illicit drug and problematic alcohol use “receive the right healthcare at the right time in the right place,” aligning with Ireland’s Sláintecare healthcare reform programme and the government’s commitment to universal healthcare access.

This collaborative approach reflects Ireland’s recognition that effective drug policy requires input from multiple sectors and perspectives, particularly those with direct experience of addiction and recovery.

Source: dbrecoveryresources