Bristol’s £3.4m boost to support people affected by drug use New pilot project takes city-wide approach
Councillor Asher Craig, Deputy Mayor with responsibility for Communities, Equalities and Bristol City Council has been allocated £3.4 Public Health, said: “We want Bristol to be a million to participate in a Home Office pilot place where everyone can live safe from the which aims to reduce drug-use as well as harms caused by drug misuse. The impact of drug-related crime and deaths across the city. addiction goes beyond the users themselves and often extends to their families, loved Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, ones, wider communities, services and busiDisruption, Enforcement and Recovery) is a nesses. Tackling this wider sphere of impact new intensive approach to tackling drug use, sits at the heart of our new drug and alcohol which brings together local councils, police strategy which aims to improve the support and health services to combine targeted for everyone. policing with enhanced treatment and recovery services. “This funding will enable us to meet the actions set in the new strategy and comes at Working with partners, the council will use the a vital time. The pressures of the pandemic funding to provide those involved in drugcontinue to have a detrimental impact on use with enhanced treatment and recovery people’s lives and in some cases have creprogrammes plus additional employment and ated an environment where we are seeing a training opportunities. Targeted support to rise in drug use.” prison leavers and offenders with drug addictions will also be provided, along with The services offering treatment and recovery support for families affected by drug-use who support include Bristol ROADS (Recovery are at risk of being involved with the criminal Orientated Alcohol and Drugs Service), a justice system. partnership between Bristol Drugs Project, Developing Health and Independence and the The programme has already been piloted in Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership five locations in England and Wales. Bristol NHS Trust. has been selected as one of six additional sites covering eight local authorities to build Dr Ben Watson, Consultant Addiction on the existing programme and focus the Psychiatrist at ROADS, said: "The ROADS two-year funding on enhanced treatment partnership currently offer a range of free provision including providing support for those services to support recovery. leaving prison and recovery support around employment. 8
