A NEW £2.7million a year strategy to tackle drug and alcohol addiction has been proposed for a borough.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is looking at a more ‘recovery oriented’ system from April next year.

As well as clinical and medical interventions the blueprint will incorporate measures to find addicts employment, training, education and provide support within family life.

It also includes cash for supervised drug consumption and needle exchange across the borough.

The council’s health boss Cllr Damian Talbot is asking its executive board on Thursday to authorise a tender exercise for a new contract for the provision of substance misuse services as the current one comes to an end.

The move has been welcomed by his Conservative group counterpart Cllr Kevin Connor.

The budget for the package is £2,713,107 paid for by a Public Health England grant.

A report by Cllr Talbot to the executive board says: “The substance misuse service (including alcohol) incorporates a range of service contracts, covering both young people’s services through to adulthood and criminal justice.

“There is a need to ensure that the service is dynamic and innovative to respond to emerging challenges.

“The new commissioning model will incorporate a more effective recovery orientated integrated system.

“This model goes beyond the clinical and medical to incorporate employment, training, education and support within family life, and takes a life course approach.

“The costs of alcohol and drug misuse to society are significant. Alcohol treatment reflects a return on investment of £3 for every pound invested. Drug treatment reflects a return on investment of £4 for every pound.

“This contract will encompass both adults and young peoples’ services and provide advice, prevention, support and interventions across the life course.

“The contract will be procured for three years with an option to extend for up to two years subject to satisfactory delivery.

“Alcohol and drug misuse impacts on a wide range of cross-cutting priorities across health, wellbeing, social care, prosperity and attainment and criminal justice.

“They include acquisitive crime, violent crime and domestic abuse and the fact that most individuals seeking drug or alcohol treatment are unemployed.

“Drug and alcohol problems can be both a cause and a symptom of homelessness. Significant proportions of homeless people have drug or alcohol problems.”

Cllr Connor said: “This is a good move. The cost of addiction is not just financial it is also personal and to families.”