That this House notes that the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which received Royal Assent 55 years ago, has failed to reduce drug consumption and that drug deaths are now at a record high; regrets that the Act is clearly not fit for purpose, having instead increased harm, damaged public health and exacerbated social inequalities; recognises that, every year it remains in force, billions of pounds will be wasted, thousands of lives lost and countless people needlessly criminalised; insists that an evidence-based approach that provides pathways for people with drug difficulties into treatment, rather than the criminal justice system, must instead be prioritised; and calls on the Government to repeal and replace the Act as a matter of urgency with legislation that will ensure future drug policy protects human rights, promotes public health and ensures social justice.

That this House notes that the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which received Royal Assent 55 years ago, has failed to reduce drug consumption and that drug deaths are now at a record high; regrets that the Act is clearly not fit for purpose, having instead increased harm, damaged public...

That this House notes with concern the increased problematic use of ketamine, particularly among young people; further notes that its severe impacts can include cognitive impairment, psychological difficulties and physical damage to the bladder, kidneys and urinary tract, leading to dependency and contributing to deaths; recognises that those affected may require incontinence pads or surgery; pays tribute to those providing peer-support in friendly, safe groups free from stigma; supports the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) advising against the reclassification of the drug from a Class B to a Class A controlled substance; recognises that previous punitive policies have proven to be ineffective and often counter-productive; advocates a public health-centred harm reduction approach, providing access to evidence-based education and effective treatment; and urges the Government to adopt the recommendations of the ACMD, raise awareness of ketamine-related harms and promote the expansion of education, treatment and support services.

That this House notes with concern the increased problematic use of ketamine, particularly among young people; further notes that its severe impacts can include cognitive impairment, psychological difficulties and physical damage to the bladder, kidneys and urinary tract, leading to dependency and contributing to deaths; recognises that those affected may...

That this House is dismayed at annual data released by the Office for National Statistics on 17 October 2025 revealing yet another record number of drug deaths; notes that 5,565 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in England and Wales in 2024; further notes that opiates and opioids were involved in almost half of these; recognises that recent research from King's College London has shown that many opioid-related deaths are missed from official statistics, raising concerns that underestimation has led to underfunding; is alarmed that deaths related to the synthetic opioid Nitazenes are four times higher than in the previous year; is concerned that cocaine-related deaths have risen for the thirteenth consecutive year; observes that death rates remain highest in areas suffering greatest deprivation; and calls on the Government to acknowledge this is a public health crisis and redouble efforts to tackle it.

That this House is dismayed at annual data released by the Office for National Statistics on 17 October 2025 revealing yet another record number of drug deaths; notes that 5,565 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in England and Wales in 2024; further notes that opiates and opioids were...

That this House notes with alarm data released by the Office for National Statistics on 23 October 2024 showing that a record 5,448 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in England and Wales in 2023; further notes that the highest death rates are again in areas suffering greatest deprivation; recognises that the influx of highly potent synthetic opioids such as Nitazenes risks a rapid rise in drug deaths; and calls on the Government to tackle the crisis by committing to long-term sustainable funding for drug treatment in the autumn budget and future spring spending review, continuing to implement the recommendations of Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs, and accelerating the availability of naloxone, the lifesaving antidote to opioid overdose.

That this House notes with alarm data released by the Office for National Statistics on 23 October 2024 showing that a record 5,448 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in England and Wales in 2023; further notes that the highest death rates are again in areas suffering greatest deprivation;...

That this House supports the call from the Alcohol Health Alliance and leading public health professionals, made on 17 July 2024, for urgent action to tackle the escalating crisis of alcohol harm; realises that such action will help achieve ambitions to reduce NHS waiting times, crime and inequalities, and to grow the economy; notes with concern that over 10,000 people died due to alcohol in 2022, a record level and a 33% increase from 2019; further notes that alcohol-related illnesses account for one million hospital admissions annually; acknowledges that there are an estimated 4.2 million alcohol-related crimes each year, costing £14.6 billion; understands that more working years of life are lost to alcohol than the ten most common cancers combined; recalls that despite the Alcohol Charter, published on 16 October 2018 by All-Party Parliamentary Groups, the Commission on Alcohol Harm report, published on 14 September 2020, and the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee's report on Alcohol treatment services, published on 24 May 2023, there has been no actual Alcohol Strategy published since 23 March 2012; and urges the Government to introduce a comprehensive Alcohol Strategy without delay, to address the escalating alcohol harm crisis.

That this House supports the call from the Alcohol Health Alliance and leading public health professionals, made on 17 July 2024, for urgent action to tackle the escalating crisis of alcohol harm; realises that such action will help achieve ambitions to reduce NHS waiting times, crime and inequalities, and to...

That this House is alarmed at the rocketing rise of alcohol harm; notes that the Office for National Statistics' figures released on 22 April revealed a new record of over 10,000 alcohol-specific deaths in the UK in 2022, representing an increase of a third since 2019; further notes the warning of Professor Sir Ian Gilmore that, with the NHS already under severe pressure, the UK cannot continue on the current trajectory; and calls on the Government to bring forward a comprehensive alcohol strategy, building upon the 2018 Alcohol Charter and the 2020 Commission on Alcohol Harm report.

That this House is alarmed at the rocketing rise of alcohol harm; notes that the Office for National Statistics' figures released on 22 April revealed a new record of over 10,000 alcohol-specific deaths in the UK in 2022, representing an increase of a third since 2019; further notes the warning...

That this House acknowledges that women’s substance use often results from trauma and abuse; notes that women’s access to trauma-informed, safe spaces has been limited, as cuts and contract competition have driven service provision to concentrate on its majority male user-base; welcomes the Centre for Justice Innovation’s guide to commissioning drug and alcohol treatment services for women, in helping to ensure services are responsive to women’s experiences; and urges the Government to support and promote the development of a range of bespoke, responsive and sustainable resources enabling more women to access drug and alcohol treatment support.

That this House acknowledges that women’s substance use often results from trauma and abuse; notes that women’s access to trauma-informed, safe spaces has been limited, as cuts and contract competition have driven service provision to concentrate on its majority male user-base; welcomes the Centre for Justice Innovation’s guide to commissioning...

That this House welcomes the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report, Reducing the harm from illegal drugs, published in February 2024; notes that this acknowledges recent progress in workforce recruitment and countering county lines; heeds and highlights the PAC’s warning that, should the Joint Combating Drugs Unit, the Department of Health and Social Care and other Government departments fail to develop a compelling case for the sustained investment needed to reduce the growing harms from illegal drugs, then such progress will be wasted; endorses its recognition that, if the aims of Dame Carol Black’s independent review and the Government’s subsequent drugs strategy are to be realised and drug deaths can be reduced significantly, then further action is required urgently; further notes that, given the context of a significant erosion of councils’ capacity and capability to deliver, the report urges the Government to provide local authorities with more confidence over long-term funding to enable long-term planning; and calls upon the Government adopt the six recommendations of the PAC report and reaffirm its commitment to long-term funding of treatment services.

That this House welcomes the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report, Reducing the harm from illegal drugs, published in February 2024; notes that this acknowledges recent progress in workforce recruitment and countering county lines; heeds and highlights the PAC’s warning that, should the Joint Combating Drugs Unit, the Department of Health...