Agenda item

[Neeraj Malhotra, Consultant in Public Health, to present report]

Neeraj Malhotra, Consultant Public Health, outlined the background to the report on new psychoactive substances (NPS) and the range of work done locally since the Act was passed in 2016. The Act prohibited shops from openly selling NPS in shops and on the internet.  The Act has presented a number of challenges to public health and other agencies to enforce the legislation. A key difficulty was a view that the Act did not provide enough clarity about the prohibited compounds used in NPS, which are rapidly changing in response to changes in user demand.

The level of usage of NPS across Wolverhampton is difficult to estimate and more research is needed to get a clearer picture of the situation locally. It is also difficult estimate patterns of usage as NPS are no longer sold in shops  - the drug is often taken recreationally and in some cases with other substances such as heroin or cocaine.  The  Consultant Public Health advised the panel that there is an increased risk of harm to people using NPS in prison and also street homeless people.

The panel discussed the challenges to enforcing the ban on the sale of NPS as a result of not having a clear definition and the work of members of the Tobacco and Substance Misuse Alliance who are leading a co-ordinated strategic approach to reducing harm from tobacco, drugs and alcohol across the city. The Consultant Public Health commented on the need to raise awareness about the impact of NPS. A training programme had been developed  and the take up had been positive – 80 people attended the last training session.

The Consultant Public Health commented that work is being done with the police to map drug and alcohol misuse to help triangulate current levels of usage. The police has been proactive in responding to the challenges presented and the issue of how to deal with it will be part of the new overall drugs and alcohol commissioning strategy. The panel discussed the impact of the planned restructure of the public health service on the future approach to efforts to reduce harm from drugs and alcohol.

The panel queried the work being done to learn from best practice elsewhere to get better intelligence on the scale and extent of the use of NPS in Wolverhampton. The Consultant Public Health commented that Wolverhampton is part of a wider information network and will share intelligence and information between the key agencies involved. The Consultant Public Health added that changes in legislation has moved the sale of NPS underground and as a result the service does not have an accurate picture

The discussed the market for NPS  and the challenge facing the agencies working to reduce the level of harm. The Consultant Public Health commented that NPS are sometimes used as a ‘stepdown’ drug as it is cheaper than herion – the low costs make it a challenge.

The panel accepted the report.

Resolved:

1.    The panel to receive a progress report on the issues discussed at a future meeting of the panel.