Next week, the British-Irish Council Drugs and Alcohol Work Sector will hold a Ministerial meeting hosted by the Government of Ireland. The meeting will be chaired by Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy, Government of Ireland.

In recent years, officials from the Drugs and Alcohol Work Sector have shared their learning, perspectives and experiences on drugs and alcohol policy across the BIC Member Administrations.

Ministers will also consider a plan for the future focus of the work sector, including approaches to involvement of people with lived experience in drugs services; Drug use and drug services for people in prison; Health-led approaches for people in possession of drugs for personal use; Community action on alcohol (collaboration with the European framework on action on alcohol); and Peer reviews on topical drug and alcohol trends. As part of the programme, Ministers will also hear from Paul Reid, Chair of the Citizens Assembly on Drug Use.