Manifesto blogs – bumper edition

Both Labour and Plaid Cymru published their manifesto’s today.

Here is my summary of their stated approaches to drugs, alcohol, public health and other things that may have caught my eye. No view offered on any of them. There’s plenty more that all the parties have to say – so this is just one narrow lens through which to look at their approach.

Full transparency – I have at various times been a member of the Labour Party. But left in dismay under both Blair and Corbyn.

Labour – manifesto ‘Change’.

Very little reference made to either drugs or alcohol other than in ‘justice related sections’.

In ‘Taking Back our streets’ it is proferred that “growing numbers of young people are drawn into gangs, drug dealing and violence at an earlier age”. There are commitments to expand provision of youth workers and a new youth investment programme.

The same section also described plans to introduce ‘Respect Orders’ which will include “powers to ban persistent adult offenders from town centres, which will stamp out issues such as public drinking and drug use”.

It also describes prisons as being “increasingly dangerous and plagued by drug use” – with non-specific commitments to ‘greater rehabilitation’ and ‘purposeful activity’.

There is also a section on ‘action on Public Health’ with a commitment to take ‘preventative public health meansures to tackle the biggest killers and support people to live longer healthier lives’.

There is also a commitment to reform gambling regulation.

And a particularly daft commitment to halve the spending on consultants…..

Plaid Cymru – there is a specific section in their manifesto ‘Policing Drugs’ which sets out some broad principles:

Target suppliers, support users and recognises that some ‘user dealers’ are themselves exploited.

They see drug policy as a matter of public health and commit to introduce Drug Consumption Rooms as a ‘more human and sustainable approach to addiction’.

They commit to a independent review of drug policy and want to introduce a policy of ‘soft drugs’ decriminalisation.

Finally (& progressively) they commit to cleansing historic criminal records for those cautioned or convicted of drug possession.

Still got to look at the SNP manifesto – but one thing I would highlight is that no party has committed to an Alcohol Treatment Strategy – despite this being one of the most significant public health issues we face today.