Carmarthenshire substance misuse partnership working
A partnership approach to tackle substance misuse among young people in Carmarthenshire is working – but more needs to be done say councillors.
A report to the council’s Social Justice Scrutiny Committee outlined the vast amount of work being undertaken in the county in relation to alcohol and drug misuse by young people.
Since the Community Safety Partnership, which includes the council, police, and local health board, took over the responsibility for planning substance misuse services in 2003, there have been significant developments.
This has resulted in an improved and more co-ordinated approach to prevention and education as well as the provision of evidence-led and needs-based services specifically for young people.
One of the measures introduced includes the Youth Health Team, known as Iechyd Da, which is hosted by the local health board and is based at Llanelli’s Coleg Sir Gar, and works with young people up to the age of 25 who are not in mainstream schools. The team includes qualified nurses, youth workers, a community psyshiatric nurse and Terrene Higgins Trust worker and during 2008/09 the team supported 139 individual young people (referred clients), engaged with a further 367 young people through a number of Youth Health Panels and delivered 185 health workshops.
Community safety manager Kate Thomas said: “Partners are ensuring they do all they can to prevent young people becoming involved in substance misuse, but if they do need support and advice, that they receive the level of support they need and the service that is most appropriate for them.”
The report showed that overall alcohol-related crime had fallen – by 18 per cent over the last three years - and drug-related offences remained low – only 34 in three years.
In addition the number of alcohol and drug-related crimes caused by people under the age of 25 showed a steady decline; from 1,352 in 2006/07 to 1,115 in 2007/08 and only 1,101 in 2008/09.
Chief Inspector Mark Bleasdale told councillors: “If you look at this report it is a good news story; crime is on the decline in relation to alcohol and drugs and that is partly because of all the measures that have been put in place by the partnership.”
He added that police school liaison officers were delivering a substance misuse education programme across the county.
“We also have a dedicated team of detectives based in Llanelli specifically set up to catch dealers and reduce the availability of drugs,” said the Inspector.
Councillors were concerned about the results of a survey carried out in county secondary schools in 2006 which showed that over half of pupils said they were aged 11 or younger when they first tried alcohol. The vast majority also admitted trying drugs by the time they were 15.
Councillor Pam Palmer, the executive board member for community safety, proposed a month of zero tolerance on underage drinking. She said: “I think it's time we took this by the scruff of the neck and shook out the problem.”
The committee agreed to recommend Councillor Palmer’s proposal, as well as a targeted campaign to tackle alcohol abuse by young people working with licensees and other organisations in the county.
A report to the council’s Social Justice Scrutiny Committee outlined the vast amount of work being undertaken in the county in relation to alcohol and drug misuse by young people.
Since the Community Safety Partnership, which includes the council, police, and local health board, took over the responsibility for planning substance misuse services in 2003, there have been significant developments.
This has resulted in an improved and more co-ordinated approach to prevention and education as well as the provision of evidence-led and needs-based services specifically for young people.
One of the measures introduced includes the Youth Health Team, known as Iechyd Da, which is hosted by the local health board and is based at Llanelli’s Coleg Sir Gar, and works with young people up to the age of 25 who are not in mainstream schools. The team includes qualified nurses, youth workers, a community psyshiatric nurse and Terrene Higgins Trust worker and during 2008/09 the team supported 139 individual young people (referred clients), engaged with a further 367 young people through a number of Youth Health Panels and delivered 185 health workshops.
Community safety manager Kate Thomas said: “Partners are ensuring they do all they can to prevent young people becoming involved in substance misuse, but if they do need support and advice, that they receive the level of support they need and the service that is most appropriate for them.”
The report showed that overall alcohol-related crime had fallen – by 18 per cent over the last three years - and drug-related offences remained low – only 34 in three years.
In addition the number of alcohol and drug-related crimes caused by people under the age of 25 showed a steady decline; from 1,352 in 2006/07 to 1,115 in 2007/08 and only 1,101 in 2008/09.
Chief Inspector Mark Bleasdale told councillors: “If you look at this report it is a good news story; crime is on the decline in relation to alcohol and drugs and that is partly because of all the measures that have been put in place by the partnership.”
He added that police school liaison officers were delivering a substance misuse education programme across the county.
“We also have a dedicated team of detectives based in Llanelli specifically set up to catch dealers and reduce the availability of drugs,” said the Inspector.
Councillors were concerned about the results of a survey carried out in county secondary schools in 2006 which showed that over half of pupils said they were aged 11 or younger when they first tried alcohol. The vast majority also admitted trying drugs by the time they were 15.
Councillor Pam Palmer, the executive board member for community safety, proposed a month of zero tolerance on underage drinking. She said: “I think it's time we took this by the scruff of the neck and shook out the problem.”
The committee agreed to recommend Councillor Palmer’s proposal, as well as a targeted campaign to tackle alcohol abuse by young people working with licensees and other organisations in the county.
Comments