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British-Irish Council – Annual Report – 2012
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Misuse of Substances, formerly Misuse of Drugs
(Led by the Irish Government)
Tackling the Misuse of Drugs is an ongoing challenge for all British-Irish Council Member
Administrations. Heads of Administrations decided on the inclusion of Misuse of Drugs as
a topic at their inaugural summit in December 1999, with the Irish Government as the lead
Administration. Since then the challenges posed by drug use and the impact of new drugs
continue to present difficulties for citizens and society as a whole.
The work sector endeavours to cover a wide range of issues concerned with drug misuse in its
annual work programme. Meetings are regularly attended by professionals and academics in
the relevant field which greatly adds to the discussion. The ongoing regular contact between
Member Administrations on a range of drug related issues has contributed to broader
co-operation and exchange of information across the Council area.
As highlighted earlier in this report, Misuse of Drugs was a theme of the January 2012
Summit held in Dublin at which the Council discussed “Recovery from Problem Drug Use”.
Ministerial Meeting
A Misuse of Drugs work sector Ministerial meeting was held in Jersey on 29th June 2012,
hosted by the States of Jersey Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Anne Pryke. The
meeting was chaired by Ms Róisín Shortall TD, then the Minister of State with responsibility for
Primary Care in Ireland. The key thematic discussion at the meeting focused on “Young People
and Drugs – Breaking the Cycle”. The Ministers agreed that the promotion of healthier lifestyle
choices for young people through an improved focus on personal development and life-skills was
key to breaking the cycle of problem substance use and focused particularly on family situations,
especially on addressing the increased risks for children in families that are experiencing
problem substance use. Ministers discussed recovery from problem drug use and agreed to
encourage a renewed focus on recovery and to share successful approaches in this regard.
At the Ministerial meeting, Ministers also took the opportunity to discuss the use and misuse
of alcohol in their jurisdictions. Ministers exchanged information on the extent of problems
pertaining to alcohol and the various approaches that were being taken to address these issues,
including through legislative measures which are being explored in a number of Member
Administrations. Ministers agreed to include the use and misuse of alcohol in the work of the
British-Irish Council. This decision was subsequently endorsed at the November 2012 Summit
held in Cardiff and the work sector has now been renamed “Misuse of Substances”.