A Conservative majority Government will launch a new initiative to drive down drug related deaths and tackle addiction head on, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced today.
Under the plans they will set up a new UK-wide cross-government addiction strategy will be published in 2020, establishing clear ambitions for reducing drug deaths and including problem gambling for the first time
Problem gambling, drink and drugs addiction will be brought under the remit of a new, dedicated monitoring unit at the heart of Government and new measures will be taken to tackle over-prescribing of opioids, including considering measures from the Public Health England (PHE) review such as a new 24/7 support line for addiction advice on prescription medicines
An independent review will be commissioned into the 2005 Gambling Act to update it for the modern, digital age
