Each day, people across the City of London and Middlesex County face challenges associated with the use of drugs and alcohol. These challenges can, and often do, have devastating negative effects on health, relationships, safety and overall community wellness. In an effort to address these harmful impacts, the Middlesex-London Community Drug & Alcohol Strategy – A Foundation For Action was released today.
The Community Drug and Alcohol Strategy (CDAS) is the result of more than 30 months of collaboration between more than 50 agencies, organizations and individuals representing social and health services, law enforcement, the community, those with lived experience, businesses and concerned individuals. The strategy document introduced today includes 23 recommendations, and 98 associated actions. While all of the actions are important, 59 have been prioritized for action over the next three years.
“The creation of this strategy is the culmination of countless hours of work by a group of dedicated people who recognized the need for a long-term approach that could respond to local needs and prevent future harms,” says Rhonda Brittan, Manager of Healthy Communities and Injury Prevention at the Middlesex-London Health Unit and Co-Chair of the CDAS Steering Committee. “The next step is to put the strategy we’ve introduced today into action. It will serve as a roadmap that will guide the response to this multi-layered issue for the next several years.”
The effort to develop the Middlesex-London Community Drug & Alcohol Strategy – A Foundation For Action began in the spring of 2016 and is built using a “four pillars” approach that focuses on prevention, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement.
“In addition to making sure we created a strategy that was based on evidence, we knew it had to be inclusive, relevant, equitable and hopeful. From the beginning, it was recognized there was a need for additional voices and perspectives,” says Brian Lester, Executive Director at Regional HIV / AIDS Connection and Co-Chair of the CDAS Steering Committee. “The result of those efforts is a comprehensive response to the local reality that goes beyond the substances and considers the underlying factors that influence their use and associated harms.”
The Middlesex-London Community Drug & Alcohol Strategy – A Foundation For Action is available online on the CDAS website at: www.mldncdas.com.
Media Contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit,
519-663-5317 ext.2469 or 519-617-0570 (cell.)
Spokespeople:
Rhonda Brittan, Co-Chair, CDAS Steering Committee, Middlesex-London Health Unit
Brian Lester, Co-Chair, CDAS Steering Committee, Regional HIV / AIDS Connection