Addictions

Addictions: our 2024/25 Public Health Annual Report 

The purpose of this report is to highlight and understand the disorder of addiction (smoking, drugs, alcohol and gambling) and how our system can best respond to the challenges we face. By recognising addiction as a unifed issue, we aim to enhance our response by simultaneously addressing various forms of addiction. We will develop integrated programmes and promote shared messages focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery. 

If you are worried about your own alcohol, drug, tobacco or gambling use, or are concerned about someone else's substance misuse, support is available locally and nationally through the services listed below.

Please note: All the information below was verified as accurate on 14 October 2026 and is subject to annual review and amendment where necessary.

Local Treatment & Recovery Services

Wirral Ways

Wirral's free and confidential drug, alcohol and gambling support service for adults, families and carers. 

Telephone: 0151 556 1335 
Email: wirral.services@cgl.org.uk   
Website: www.wirralways.org.uk  

For urgent concerns outside normal office hours, call the main Wirral Ways number and leave a message. The relevant on-call service will respond as appropriate.

Spider Project

A well-established Merseyside recovery organisation providing peer-led recovery support, wellbeing activities, recovery communities, training and volunteering opportunities for people affected by substance misuse.

Telephone: 0151 647 7723
Email: enquiries@spiderproject.org.uk  
Website:  www.spiderproject.org.uk 

ABL Wirral Stop Smoking Service

Provides free support to help Wirral residents quit smoking, including behavioural support, quit planning, and access to stop smoking medications and nicotine replacement therapy where appropriate. Support is available through one-to-one appointments, telephone support, and community-based services.

Website: https://www.ablhealth.co.uk
Telephone: 0151 541 5656
Text: ABL to 60777 (free of charge)

Mutual Aid & Recovery Support

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Support for people who want to stop drinking. National helpline available 24/7. 
Helpline: 0800 917 7650 
Website: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk   

Cocaine Anonymous (CA)

Support for recovery from cocaine and other mind-altering substances. 
Helpline: 0800 612 0225 (10am-10pm, daily) 
Email: helpline@cauk.org.uk  
Website: www.cauk.org.uk  / www.cocaineanonymous.org.uk  

Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

Support for people recovering from drug addiction. 
Helpline: 0300 999 1212 (10am-midnight, daily) 
Website: www.ukna.org  

Family & Carer Support

Al-Anon Family Groups

Support for family members and friends affected by someone else's drinking. 

Helpline: 0800 008 6811 (10am-10pm, 365 days a year) 
Email: helpline@al-anonuk.org.uk   
Website: www.al-anonuk.org.uk   

Addiction Family Support

Addiction Family Support offers free, confidential support to families, friends, partners, carers, and anyone affected by another person's drug, alcohol, or gambling use. The service also provides support for people bereaved through addiction-related deaths.

Helpline: 0300 888 3853
Website: www.addictionfamilysupport.org.uk      
Contact Form: https://addictionfamilysupport.org.uk/email-support/ 

Adfam

Support for families affected by drug or alcohol use.
Website: www.adfam.org.uk 
 

Gambling Support

GamCare

Specialist support for gambling harms.
National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (24/7)

Bereavement Support

Cruse Bereavement Support

Bereavement following alcohol and drug-related deaths is common but often overlooked.
Helpline: 0808 808 1677

Crisis and Urgent Support

Emergency Services

999 if someone has overdosed, is unconscious, experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms, or is at immediate risk of serious harm.

FRANK

Helpline: 0300 123 6600
Website: www.talktofrank.com  

NHS 111 (24/7)

Call NHS 111 for urgent medical help. 
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call NHS 111 and select the Mental Health Option for specialist mental health support.

Samaritans

116 123 (24 hours a day, free) for emotional support.

Protecting the public

Wirral Trading Standards

Work to protect residents from rogue traders, counterfeit goods, illegal tobacco and vape sales, underage sales of age-restricted products, scams, and consumer protection issues. Trading Standards also supports enforcement activities relating to tobacco and vaping legislation.

Report concerns via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service: 0808 223 1133
Website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer

For intelligence relating to illegal tobacco or vape sales, reports can be made through Trading Standards and local enforcement channels.

Some people can be more susceptible to addiction due to environmental, social, and genetic factors.

Some of the factors that contribute to an increased of developing a substance misuse disorder are below:

Trauma and addiction

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) 

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are one of the strongest predictors of addiction in later life. Exposure to abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, or other traumatic experiences during childhood can increase vulnerability to alcohol, drug, gambling, and other addictive behaviours. The risk generally increases as the number of ACEs increases, reflecting the lasting impact of childhood trauma on emotional wellbeing, coping mechanisms, and resilience.

Mental health

• Mental health problems and addiction frequently occur together and can reinforce one another. Some individuals use alcohol, drugs, gambling, or other addictive behaviours to cope with emotional distress, anxiety, depression, trauma, or other mental health difficulties. Over time, these behaviours can develop into addiction, while addiction itself can contribute to worsening mental health, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break without integrated support.

Poverty

• Poverty is an important social determinant of addiction. Financial hardship, deprivation, unemployment, insecure housing, and social disadvantage can increase the risk of developing substance misuse and other addictive behaviours. Conversely, addiction can deepen poverty by affecting employment, educational attainment, financial stability, health, and relationships. As a result, poverty and addiction can reinforce one another, contributing to health inequalities and social exclusion.

Housing instability

• Housing instability is both a risk factor for and a potential consequence of addiction. Insecure or unsuitable housing can increase exposure to stress, trauma, and poor mental health, which may increase the likelihood of substance misuse and other addictive behaviours. At the same time, addiction can affect a person's ability to maintain stable accommodation through impacts on finances, employment, relationships, and health. Stable housing is therefore an important protective factor that can support recovery and wellbeing. 

Social isolation

• Social isolation is an important risk factor for addiction. Individuals who experience loneliness, weak social connections, or limited support networks may be more likely to engage in substance misuse or other addictive behaviours as a means of coping with emotional distress. Over time, addiction can further erode social relationships and community participation, creating a cycle of isolation, worsening wellbeing, and increased addiction risk.

Neurodiversity

• Neurodiversity can influence a person's risk of developing addiction through a range of biological, psychological, and social factors. Neurodivergent individuals may experience higher rates of mental health difficulties, social isolation, stigma, sensory stress, or impulsivity, which can increase vulnerability to substance misuse and behavioural addictions. However, risk varies considerably between individuals, and many neurodivergent people do not experience addiction. Person-centred and neurodiversity-informed approaches can help improve prevention, treatment, and recovery outcomes.

Gambling is a common leisure activity and, for many people, participation does not result in adverse consequences. However, gambling is increasingly recognised as a significant public health issue because of the wide-ranging harms that can arise for individuals, families, communities and society. Gambling-related harm refers to the adverse impacts of gambling on health and wellbeing, relationships, finances, employment, education and community life. These harms may occur even among people who do not meet the threshold for a clinical gambling disorder and can affect those close to the person who gambles, including partners, children, wider family members and friends.

Research suggests that gambling activates reward pathways in the brain through the release of dopamine, reinforcing gambling behaviours and encouraging repeated participation through the anticipation of reward. For some individuals, this can contribute to a pattern of gambling that becomes difficult to control and may lead to escalating harm. Signs of harm can include spending beyond means, borrowing money to gamble, chasing losses, concealing gambling activity, or experiencing distress, anxiety or irritability when unable to gamble.

The impacts of gambling-related harm can be substantial and cumulative. They include financial hardship and debt, housing insecurity, relationship breakdown, reduced educational attainment, unemployment or reduced productivity, and contact with the criminal justice system. Gambling harms are also associated with poorer mental health outcomes, including increased stress, anxiety, depression, social isolation and, in severe cases, suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Existing social, economic and health inequalities can both increase vulnerability to gambling harm and be worsened by it. You can also experience gambling related harms as a result of somebody else’s gambling. This is often referred to as being an ‘affected other’.

Increasingly, evidence highlights the importance of understanding gambling harms through the lens of the commercial determinants of health. The commercial determinants of health are the systems, practices and strategies used by commercial actors that influence health and wellbeing. In the context of gambling, these include the widespread availability and accessibility of gambling products, the growth of online and mobile gambling platforms, intensive advertising and marketing, sponsorship of sport, the use of customer data to target consumers, and the design of products that encourage prolonged and repeated engagement. These factors can normalise gambling, increase exposure to higher-risk products, and disproportionately affect communities already experiencing disadvantage.

There are a number of other addictions that affect the lives of people, families and communities... this document summarises some of the other addictions and their key aspects.

Addiction can have profound impacts on the community, including financial, economic, and criminal justice:

• Financial – addiction can have a significant impact on community finances. Household spending can be diverted from basic needs towards funding addiction. These needs are then met in the community, or if they are not met, contribute to ill health, and ultimately hospital admissions.

• Economic – addiction can be a significant barrier to a person accessing, sustaining, and thriving within the labour market. These lost outputs impact the local economy and ultimately nationally.

• Criminal justice – organised crime groups profit from a number of addictions, and root themselves within communities experiencing addiction. This can include grooming young people to partake in county lines, and cuckooing vulnerable people’s property. The financial impact of their exploitation of individuals can lead people to partake in acquisitive crime to fund addiction.

The relationship between addiction and community is further complicated in other ways such as: 

• Environmental factors can have an impact on risk of addiction and harms. Exposure to addictive products, especially at an early or influential stage of a person’s life can have a profound impact on their risk of addiction. This could include how accessible addictive products are, pressure on people to engage in their use, and how supportive or otherwise the community is at supporting someone experiencing harms.

• Deprivation has an impact on people’s risk of addiction and harms. This can make it more likely that people will develop an addiction and more likely that they will subsequently be harmed by it. In some cases, there is a paradox of harms: even though more affluent areas drink more than less affluent areas, harms associated with alcohol are more prevalent in less affluent areas. Other harms such as crime harms are more acute in more deprived areas, and this can compound the likelihood and impact of addiction and harms.

• A sense of community can also be a significant force for recovery from addiction, or act as a bulwark against addiction or harms. A community rich in resources, such as activities, transport links, groups, facilities, and non-stigmatising attitudes towards people experiencing addictions and harms, can support individual personal, social and community recovery capital, and ultimately make them more likely to recover from addiction, reintegrate within society, and make for a more cohesive community as a whole.

The impact of addiction on communities can lead to:

• Increased crime

• Cuckooing

• Increased county lines activity

• Antisocial behaviour

• Reduced feelings of community safety

• Increased economic impact

• Greater demand on local support services

Addiction places significant demands on public services beyond healthcare. The UK Government estimates that illegal drug use costs society approximately £20 billion annually through crime, health harms and wider social impacts. Alcohol misuse is estimated to cost society around £21 billion each year in England. In addition, family members provide substantial unpaid support, with UK Drug Policy Commission research suggesting that replacing the support provided by families affected by drug dependency would cost public services around £750 million annually.

Alcohol and drug dependence place significant demands on health services. Alcohol-related harm alone is estimated to cost the NHS in England around £3.5 billion per year through hospital admissions, treatment, and other healthcare interventions.

Rising levels of alcohol-related hospital activity and mortality continue to present a substantial burden for the health and care system.

NICE's 2025 gambling harms guideline estimated that around 1.58 million adults in England may benefit from some form of gambling-related treatment or support, indicating a potentially significant current and future demand on services.

The relationship between addiction and crime is complex. Drug markets can contribute to violence, exploitation, county lines activity and acquisitive crime. Individuals experiencing addiction may also be more vulnerable to exploitation and victimisation.

Beyond criminal justice impacts, addiction can affect perceptions of community safety and place significant pressures on policing, probation, housing and safeguarding services. These challenges are often greatest in communities experiencing deprivation and social disadvantage.

Drug misuse imposes substantial costs on society through health harms, reduced productivity and crime. The UK Government has estimated that illegal drugs cost society around £20 billion per year, with a significant proportion of these costs arising from drug-related crime.

The Government's 10-year drug strategy identifies drug-related crime as a major driver of harm and recognises links between drug dependence, acquisitive crime, violence, exploitation, and organised crime.

The use and possession of illicit substances can increase arrests and convictions for individuals breaking drug possession laws or drink-driving laws. These convictions are financially straining on the nation’s criminal justice system.

For Wirral, the focus of addiction and community safety relates to:

• Police referrals.
• Violence Prevention and Reduction Framework (VPRF) pathway.
• Naloxone police programme.
• Out-of-court disposals.
• Prison release pathways.
• Criminal justice treatment pathways.
  

What We Know About Addiction in Wirral

Addiction continues to be a significant public health, community safety and health inequalities challenge in Wirral.

Drug, alcohol, gambling, tobacco and other addictive behaviours impact individuals, families and communities, contributing to poor physical and mental health, homelessness, unemployment, criminal justice involvement, safeguarding concerns and premature mortality. However, addiction is preventable, treatable and recovery is possible.

Wirral has developed one of the largest and most comprehensive treatment and recovery systems in the region. Treatment activity has reached its highest level on record, reflecting increased access, improved engagement and significant investment through national drugs strategy funding. The local system increasingly supports people with complex needs including co-occurring mental health conditions, neurodiversity, homelessness, safeguarding concerns and long-term physical health conditions.

Emerging issues include the growth in ketamine-related harms among younger people, increasing concerns about prescribed medicines and gabapentinoid misuse, the threat of synthetic opioids, and the growing healthcare needs of an ageing population of people who use drugs and alcohol.

Treatment

There were approximately 3,651 people engaged in structured treatment during 2026, representing the highest treatment population ever recorded in Wirral and a 22% increase compared with the baseline established prior to additional national investment. Treatment numbers continue to exceed local and national ambitions, particularly among non-opiate and alcohol users. The system provides rapid access pathways, same-day prescribing, outreach, criminal justice pathways, hospital liaison, specialist healthcare interventions and support for families.

Opiates

Opiates remain one of the most significant contributors to drug-related mortality, morbidity and health inequalities in Wirral. Around 1,500 people remain in treatment for opiate use, with approximately 65% aged over 50 years. This ageing cohort experiences high rates of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, frailty, smoking-related illness, social isolation and premature mortality. Continued focus is required on harm reduction, treatment retention, physical healthcare and mortality prevention.

Ketamine

Ketamine has emerged as the fastest-growing drug-related concern in Wirral. Presentations to treatment services have increased substantially among both children and young adults, with the number of ketamine users in treatment almost doubling within a year. Services report increasing numbers of people experiencing severe urological damage, chronic pain, mental health difficulties and safeguarding concerns. Ketamine has become a major focus of prevention, treatment innovation, specialist MDTs and public awareness programmes.

Cocaine

Cocaine is an increasingly significant concern in Wirral and across the wider Liverpool City Region. Evidence from treatment services, drug-related death reviews, wastewater analysis and workshop discussions highlights cocaine as one of the most prevalent substances associated with community harm, health inequalities and criminal justice impacts. While many people who use cocaine do not identify themselves as requiring treatment, local intelligence suggests substantial levels of hidden use, particularly among adults in employment and those who would not traditionally access drug treatment services.

Cocaine use is associated with a range of serious health harms including cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, anxiety, psychosis and poor mental health. Local stakeholders have identified increasing concerns regarding cocaine-related hospital presentations, cardiovascular complications and its presence within drug-related deaths. Crack cocaine use also remains associated with high levels of vulnerability, homelessness, exploitation, offending and multiple disadvantage. Increasingly, cocaine is being used alongside alcohol and other substances, creating additional risks through poly-substance misuse.  

The emerging evidence suggests that cocaine-related harms represent a growing public health and community safety challenge for Wirral. Future priorities include strengthening cardiovascular screening, improving early identification through healthcare settings, increasing engagement with people who may not traditionally present to treatment services, and continuing to develop tailored interventions that address the specific harms associated with cocaine and crack cocaine use.

Alcohol

Alcohol remains a major contributor to ill-health, hospital admissions, domestic abuse, crime, safeguarding concerns and premature mortality. Almost 1,000 people are engaged in alcohol treatment at any one time, representing one of the highest treatment populations recorded locally. Alcohol-related harms are increasingly associated with complex physical health conditions including liver disease, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness and alcohol-related brain injury

Recovery

Recovery outcomes across Wirral remain strong. During 2025/26, 955 adults successfully completed treatment with planned outcomes and positive progress towards recovery goals. Recovery support extends beyond clinical treatment through community-based programmes, recovery communities, peer support networks, volunteering opportunities, employment support and recovery-focused events such as Recovery Fest.

Employment, Skills and Recovery Capital

Recovery is increasingly understood as more than abstinence alone. During the latest reporting period, 445 people moved into work, training, education or volunteering, demonstrating the importance of recovery capital, social connection, purpose and community participation in sustaining long-term recovery. Recovery Works, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) provision, Nightingales, Spider Project and partner organisations play important roles in supporting people towards independence and social inclusion.

Mortality

Reducing drug and alcohol related deaths remains a major priority. Although local mortality rates have reduced in recent years, deaths continue to occur among people with complex needs including older opiate users, people with multiple physical health conditions, poly-substance misuse, homelessness and co-occurring mental health problems. Wirral operates a multi-agency Drug Related Death and Near Fatal Overdose Review Process involving treatment services, housing, mental health, social care, acute trusts, police and Liverpool John Moores University to identify learning and prevent future deaths.

What Is Working Well in Wirral

Wirral has developed a highly regarded treatment and recovery system characterised by strong partnership working, innovation and lived experience involvement. The local approach increasingly recognises addiction as both a public health and community issue, combining harm reduction, treatment, recovery, prevention and wider support.

Wirral Ways

Wirral Ways provides an outstanding integrated treatment and recovery offer, with record treatment engagement, rapid access pathways, specialist healthcare clinics, harm reduction services, outreach, criminal justice pathways and family support. The service has been recognised nationally for innovation and quality, including award-winning respiratory health interventions.

Nightingales

Nightingales has become a cornerstone of Wirral's recovery community, providing recovery cafés, peer support, volunteering, wellbeing activities, recovery events and safe spaces that reduce isolation and promote social inclusion. It is widely recognised by service users as a key recovery asset.

Spider Project

The Spider Project provides creative arts, wellbeing support, education and community engagement opportunities that strengthen recovery capital and support sustained recovery beyond treatment.

Recovery Works

Recovery Works supports people into employment, education and training, helping individuals move from treatment into meaningful participation and economic independence. The IPS programme has achieved strong employment outcomes compared to national averages.

Lived Experience Network (LEN)

The LEN has become increasingly influential in shaping services, challenging stigma, informing strategic priorities and supporting co-production. People with lived and living experience now contribute directly to service development, peer-led projects and recovery initiatives.

Health Huddle

Health Huddle provides a unique women-centred model combining healthcare, harm reduction, sexual health, wound care, safeguarding support and recovery interventions in a safe and welcoming environment. It has successfully engaged women who may not otherwise access treatment or healthcare services.

Respiratory Pathway

The innovative respiratory pathway has successfully addressed significant health inequalities among people who use drugs and alcohol. Hundreds of people have accessed respiratory assessments and interventions, improving health outcomes and reducing risks associated with chronic lung disease.

Think Family Team

The Think Family approach has strengthened support for parents, children and families affected by substance misuse. The team provides integrated support that recognises the impact of addiction on whole families, contributing to safeguarding, parenting support and better outcomes for children. Over 340 families were supported during the most recent reporting period.

Building on progress to date, several priorities will shape the future development of addiction prevention, treatment and recovery in Wirral.

• Strengthen prevention activity and intervene earlier to prevent addiction and reduce future harms.
• Expand responses to gambling-related harms and other emerging addictions.
• Address wider determinants of addiction including poverty, housing instability, trauma, mental health and social exclusion.
• Respond proactively to emerging challenges including ketamine, synthetic opioids, prescribed medicines and online drug markets.
• Strengthen integrated pathways between addiction, mental health, neurodiversity and physical healthcare services.
• Develop a whole-family approach that supports children, young people and families affected by addiction.
• Continue to reduce drug and alcohol related deaths through harm reduction, naloxone distribution and intelligence-led interventions.
• Improve recovery outcomes through employment, housing, recovery communities and recovery capital.
• Reduce stigma and discrimination through public awareness, workforce development and increased visibility of recovery.
• Ensure lived and living experience remains central to strategy development, commissioning and service improvement.
• Support healthy ageing and improve outcomes for older adults with long-term substance misuse and complex health needs.

Recovery is possible. Through continued partnership working across health, local government, community safety, housing, education and the voluntary sector, Wirral can continue to reduce the impact of addiction on individuals, families and communities.

Our JSNA addictions content includes:

• Alcohol JSNA

• Gambling JSNA

• Substance Misuse JSNA

• Tobacco JSNA

• All Public Health Annual Reports on Wirral Health and Wellbeing Knowledge Hub

• Specifically:

  • From Darkness to Light, from Harm to Hope: Journeys of addiction (2024/25 Public Health Annual Report) 

  • Harmful Gambling (Wirral Public Health Annual Report 2018)

A four-year vision to reduce drug-related harm in Wirral.

This Strategy is our response to the National Drugs Strategy, ‘From Harm To Hope’ and Dame Carol Black’s in-depth report on the damage that drugs cause to our society. It’s not a starting point - but builds on a long foundation of innovative work and collaboration to reduce drug related harm in Wirral.

Wirral Drugs Strategy 2023-2027

Wirral's Alcohol Harm Strategy 2025-2030: Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms

Alcohol-related harm remains a significant public health issue that affects individuals, families, and communities. These harms can include major physical and mental health problems, homelessness, crime, financial hardship, domestic violence, relationship breakdown, suicidal ideation, and safeguarding risks particularly for children and vulnerable groups. This strategy describes how we will take a public health approach across five core priority areas. 

A new Gambling Strategy and associated Gambling Needs Assessment is currently being completed for publication  Spring 2027.

Current Wirral’s Strategy to Reduce Gambling-Related Harms 2025-2030

Currently in development - will be added when complete (Winter 2026/27).

Please consider updated Tobacco & Nicotine - Wirral Health and Wellbeing Knowledge Hub in meantime.

From Harm to Hope: A 10-Year Drugs Plan (2021)

The most significant national addiction policy in recent years is From Harm to Hope: A 10-Year Drugs Plan to Cut Crime and Save Lives, published in December 2021. It represents the Government's response to Dame Carol Black's Independent Review of Drugs and is supported by substantial investment in treatment and recovery services. [gov.uk]

Key priorities

• Break drug supply chains.
• Deliver a world-class treatment and recovery system.
• Achieve a generational shift in demand for drugs.
• Increase treatment capacity and improve recovery outcomes.
• Address drug-related crime and deaths. [gov.uk]

Relevance for JSNAs

• Expansion of treatment and recovery services.
• Integration with mental health, housing, employment and criminal justice pathways.
• Focus on reducing drug-related deaths and health inequalities. [gov.uk]

Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Frameworks (2022 onwards)

Following the Drugs Strategy, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) introduced:

• Commissioning Quality Standards for Alcohol and Drug Services.
• Enhanced monitoring of treatment outcomes.
• Guidance on continuity of care, workforce development and recovery support services. [gov.uk]

Key themes

• Whole-system approaches.
• Trauma-informed care.
• Co-occurring mental health and substance misuse.
• Improved treatment quality and accountability. [gov.uk]

NHS England 10-Year Strategic Plan for the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Workforce (2024-2034)

Published in 2024, this workforce strategy supports delivery of the national drugs plan by addressing workforce shortages and developing specialist skills. [england.nhs.uk], [england.nhs.uk]

Focus areas

• Recruitment and retention.
• Clinical supervision.
• Professional development.
• Growth of peer-support and lived-experience roles.
• Expansion of specialist addiction services. [england.nhs.uk], [england.nhs.uk]

Gambling Harm Policy: High Stakes - Gambling Reform for the Digital Age (2023)

The Government's Gambling White Paper was published in April 2023 following a review of the Gambling Act 2005. It recognises gambling-related harm as an important public health issue and proposes stronger protections for people at risk of addiction. [gov.uk], [gov.uk]

Key proposals

• Financial vulnerability checks.
• Stronger online gambling protections.
• Improved safeguarding of children and young people.
• Enhanced funding arrangements for research, prevention and treatment. [gov.uk], [gov.uk]

Relevance for JSNAs

• Increasing recognition of gambling-related harm as part of local addiction needs assessments.
• Opportunity to integrate gambling support within substance misuse pathways. [gov.uk]

Stopping the Start: Creating a Smokefree Generation (2023)

Published in October 2023, this policy addresses nicotine addiction, smoking and youth vaping. It aims to create the first "smokefree generation" and reduce future tobacco-related harm. [gov.uk], [gov.uk]

Key measures

• Progressive increase in age of sale for tobacco products.
• Expansion of stop-smoking services.
• Additional funding for smoking cessation.
• Restrictions on youth-oriented vaping products and marketing. [gov.uk], [gov.uk]

JSNA relevance

• Tobacco remains a major contributor to health inequalities.
• Strong links with mental health, deprivation and substance misuse populations. [gov.uk], [commonslib...liament.uk]

Cross-Government Mental Health and Dual Diagnosis Policies

Recent national guidance increasingly emphasises:

• Co-occurring mental health and substance misuse ("dual diagnosis").
• Integrated care systems (ICSs).
• Trauma-informed and person-centred approaches.
• Better access to treatment for people with severe mental illness and addiction. [gov.uk]

Themes Emerging Across National Policy (2021-2026)

The national direction of travel consistently focuses on:

1. Treatment and recovery rather than crisis response. [gov.uk], [gov.uk]
2. Reducing drug-related deaths and harms. [gov.uk]
3. Addressing health inequalities and deprivation. [gov.uk], [gov.uk]
4. Whole-system partnership working across health, local government, housing and criminal justice. [gov.uk], [gov.uk]
5. Recognition of behavioural addictions, particularly gambling harms. [gov.uk], [gov.uk]
6. Prevention and early intervention, especially among children and young people. [gov.uk], [gov.uk]

For Addictions, these six national policies would provide the strongest strategic framework and align closely with current OHID, NHS England and government expectations.

These two documents provide a list of services that Wirral residents can access for support

Addiction support services for Wirral residents

Gambling support available for Wirral residents (includes regional and national services) 

Stop Smoking and other related Tobacco support services will be added shortly.

Please note that all information was verified as accurate on 14 October 2026 and is subject to annual review and amendment where necessary. 

This document provides a list of services that Wirral residents can access for support - that covers Cheshire and Merseyside 

Addiction support services for Wirral residents - covering Cheshire and Merseyside area

Gambling support available for Wirral residents (includes regional and national services) 

Stop Smoking and other related Tobacco support services will be added shortly.

Please note that all information was verified as accurate on 14 October 2026 and is subject to annual review and amendment where necessary.