Department of Health holds off developing new national drugs strategy

Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use chairman Paul Reid addressing members ahead of voting on final recommendations in Dublin in October 2023. The subsequent report said a draft version of a new national drugs strategy should be published by June 2024. Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The Department of Health is holding off developing a new national drugs strategy despite calls by the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use for it to be published “as a matter of urgency”.

In its report in January, the Citizens’ Assembly said a draft version of the new strategy should be published by June this year and put out to public consultation. It said the draft version needed to include the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly, contain action plans and measurable targets, and detail the responsible departments and agencies.