One of the gifts of recovery is enjoying the rights and responsibilities of being a productive & contributing member of society. One of the benefits of being an active citizen in the UK is being able to vote. If you have registered to vote before 20th April you will be able to vote in the UK General Election on 7th May 2015.
You can register here:
https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
You can find out who your current MP is here
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mps/
Ask them and the other candidates where they stand on the other issues that you care about most and use your vote.
We have been through the election manifestos of the main political parties in the UK and pulled out any references to policies on addiction and recovery below. Please let us know if we have missed anything you think should be included.
Labour
http://b.3cdn.net/labouruk/e1d45da42456423b8c_vwm6brbvb.pdf
We will take targeted action on those high strength, low cost alcohol products that fuel problem drinking. (P.35)
We know drug addiction continues to be a major cause of crime. We will ensure drug treatment services focus on the root causes of addiction, with proper integration between health, police and local authorities in the commissioning of treatment. And we will ban the sale and distribution of dangerous psychoactive substances, so called ‘legal highs’. (P.52)
Conservative
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/manifesto2015/ConservativeManifesto2015.pdf
We will review how best to support those suffering from long-term yet treatable conditions, such as drug or alcohol addiction, or obesity, back into work. People who might benefit from treatment should get the medical help they need so they can return to work. If they refuse a recommended treatment, we will review whether their benefits should be reduced. (p.28)
We will support people struggling with addictions and undertake a review into how best to support those suffering from long-term yet treatable conditions, such as drug or alcohol addiction, or obesity, back in to work. (P.38)
We have always believed that churches, faith groups and other voluntary groups play an important and longstanding role in this country’s social fabric, running food-banks, helping the homeless, and tackling debt and addictions, such as alcoholism and gambling. (P.46)
We reformed drug treatment so that abstinence and full recovery is the goal, instead of the routine maintenance of people’s addictions with substitute drugs. (P.58)
UKIP
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/ukipdev/pages/1103/attachments/original/1429096952/theukipmanifesto2015.pdf?1429096952
Recognising there is often a link between addiction and mental illness and offering appropriate treatment where this is the case. (P.16)
It is deeply regrettable that there is increasing demand for food-banks in 21st century Britain. If those who attend Food-banks are in such dire straits that they need food hand-outs, there is a high likelihood that they will also need additional support to deal with issues such as debt, family breakdown, addiction and poor physical or mental health. (P.23)
Liberal Democrats
Improved treatment for addiction and mental health problems in prison. Cut crime with specialist drug courts and non-criminal punishments that help addicts get clean. (P.119)
Improve prison governance and accountability with a new value added measure to assess progress in reducing reoffending, providing education and tackling addiction and mental health issues, enabling good prisons to earn greater autonomy. (P.123)
Provide experts in courts and police stations to identify where mental health or a drug problem is behind an offender’s behaviour so they can be dealt with in a way that is appropriate. We will pilot US-style drug and alcohol courts. (P.123)
Green Party
https://www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/manifesto/Green_Party_2015_General_Election_Manifesto.pdf
Nothing
Plaid Cymru
https://www.partyof.wales/uploads/Plaid_Cymru_2015_Westminster_Manifesto.pdf
Plaid Cymru will increase access to talking therapies, as well as funding support for eating disorders, and drug and alcohol treatment. (P.19 )
We will introduce a 50p minimum price per unit on alcohol sales. This will tackle the crime and health problems which result from cheap but highly intoxicating drinks and will reduce violent, drunken behaviour. (P.19)
We will help reduce problems with alcohol amongst soldiers and recent veterans by supporting an alcohol dependence strategy. (P.33)
In order to help prisoners with mental health and drug or alcohol problems we will improve co-operation between the prison service and health and substance misuse services. (P.57)
Problems and deaths from substances are more prevalent in Wales than other parts of the UK. Plaid Cymru wants to reduce problematic substance use and substance related deaths by investing in a long term substance use strategy which focuses on harm reduction though a wider range of services and education programmes that treat problematic substance users as patients rather than criminals. (P.31)
Legal highs have outdated the Misuse of Drugs Act. The Party of Wales supports an impact assessment on the Misuse of Drugs Act to review its effectiveness in dealing with today’s substance related problems. (P.31 )
Scottish Nationalist Party Not published until next week
