Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

Vale of White Horse District Council

Drug and alcohol misuse

Drugs

The national strategy, Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain published in 1998 and the updated Drugs Strategy in 2002, outlines the Government's policy response to illicit substance misuse. The strategy consists of four main aims addressing the areas of:

• Young People
• Treatment
• Communities
• Availability

The Drugs Prevention Advisory Service (DPAS) was created to co-ordinate and monitor the targets, with nine regional teams located in Government Offices throughout the country. In local areas, Drug Action Teams (DATs) have been established, to deliver the drugs strategy. In Oxfordshire the Oxfordshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team takes on this role which involves monitoring local projects, arranging service delivery as well as reviewing progress and performance with regards to the aims and targets of the drugs strategy.

Alcohol

Similarly to the Drugs Strategy, the long awaited Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy consists of four main aims which outline the ways in which the Government can act to reduce alcohol related harm:

• Better education and communication,
• Improving health and treatment services,
• Combating alcohol related crime and
• Disorder and working with the alcohol industry.

However, there is no available funding attached to the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy. 

The Vale’s Community Disorder Reduction Partnership works closely with the Oxfordshire Drugs and Alcohol Action Team which is responsible for the commissioning of drug treatment services in Oxfordshire. In addition we work with local organisations who offer treatment and counselling.

For more advice

See Drug and Alcohol Misuse Useful Contacts