By Amelia Abplanalp

A ban on the sale of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), so-called ‘legal highs’, came into force this week. Before the last election, the CSJ successfully campaigned to ban legal highs and the measure was included in the 2015 Queen’s Speech.

Families left devastated

NPS drugs are designed to mimic the effects of illegal substances like cannabis, cocaine, LSD and even heroin but escaped legal banning due to a chemical tweak. In researching our report, No Quick Fix: exposing the depth of Britain's drug and alcohol problem, we spoke to young people who have lost their bladders, suffered heart attacks, respiratory failure and psychotic episodes as a result of buying these drugs which they thought were safe because they were legal.  Families are being left devastated by addictive substances described as ‘more dangerous than class As’, legally available on the high street.

Addiction causes destruction

In our report, Ambitious for Recovery: Tackling drug and alcohol addiction in the UK, which looked for a solution, the CSJ spoke to doctors across Ireland, where a similar ban was introduced in 2010. Their verdict was unanimous, the ban on sale saw a dramatic reduction in the number of young people admitted to hospital suffering the effects of overdose.

The CSJ’s work has shown that addiction drives worklessness, tears families apart and traps people in poverty. Having highly addictive drugs available on the high street, sold at pocket-money prices, is fuelling this tragic situation.

More needs to be done

This week’s ban is a step in the right direction however more needs to be done. We need to see properly funded residential addiction treatment services and proven school prevention programmes to keep children safe from drugs.

CSJ report: Ambitious for Recovery: Tackling drug and alcohol addition in the UK.

CSJ report: No Quick Fix: exposing the depth of Britain's drug and alcohol problem.

By Saskia Greenhalgh

Following last week’s launch of Dame Sally Coates’ Report, Unlocking potential: a review of education in prison, CSJ Director Baroness Stroud spoke in the House of Lords on the importance of prison education.

During her speech, she welcomed the Government’s commitment to implement in full the recommendations in the report.  These include giving Prison Governors complete control to turn prisons into centres of educational excellence, ensuring every prisoner has a Personal Learning Plan so they get the best education suited to them, and holding Prison Governors to account for prisoners educational progress.

Wasted lives...

Evidence shows education and employment are vital in reducing re-offending yet we are currently wasting the opportunity to raise the educational outcomes of prisoners with only 16% receiving an education or training placement.

Call for Government to invest in family stability

While supportive of the Government’s prison reforms, the CSJ firmly believes that in order to successfully cut reoffending and crime rates, we must acknowledge the vital role of the family in providing support and stability for prisoners.  Philippa called for the Government to invest in family stability, alongside education, housing and employment opportunities to genuinely provide prisoners with a second chance.

By Frank Young

The need to improve support for couple relationships was back in the spotlight this week with the launch of a major new investigation from couple counselling charity Relate, which found approximately 18% of all married or co-habiting couples are in ‘distressed relationships’.

This report should set alarm bells ringing

The Prime Minister wants to make relationship support the centre piece of his Life Chances Strategy.  We recommend he looks carefully at how the recently launched Healthy Relationship Fund could be resourced to provide funding for locally led relationship support programmes within a new national network of Family Hubs.

'Normalise' relationship support through a national campaign

We also encourage the new Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Stephen Crabb to launch a national public awareness campaign to ‘normalise’ the uptake of relationship support services. If we can use the power of Government to nudge behaviour we should do so with urgency in helping to strengthen family life.

CSJ submission to the Government ahead of the Life Chances Strategy being published.