Local & National Publications

The ADP works closely with local partners and services to evidence what is working well whilst setting out what needs to be put in place to support change to keep people safe and well. We do this by reviewing, monitoring and evaluating local services and commissioning research.  Our local reports and research can be found below:

North Lanarkshire ADP recently held a Making Connections event in December 2023. This event brought together both National and Local Partners, colleagues and stakeholders. The event was a platform for  Partners to share current position and showcase the progress made within the last 12 months.

The ADP are tasked by Scottish Government to implement national policy and evidence based practice.  Key strategic documents, reports and research underpinning our work, and that of partners can be found below: 

The Scottish Government alongside key national partners are committed to improving outcomes and reducing alcohol and drug related harms for the people of Scotland.  Some key national developments to support this include the introduction of the MAT standards, Public Health Scotland’s RADAR alerts and network, and human rights based working. 

The ADP advocate for people’s rights to be upheld, we involve people with lived and living experience of substance use to understand their experiences of accessing services and we are passionate about reducing all forms of stigma. More information on national developments can be found below.

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards came into force in April 2022 and are being implemented in our services throughout Scotland.  MAT standards refers to the use of medication alongside psychological and social support in the treatment of people experiencing problems with their drug use.

The MAT standards aim to reduce drug related harms and the risk of drug deaths by providing quick access to safe, high-quality treatment and support.  The implementation of the new standards will transform the treatment and care for people experiencing problems with their drug use across Scotland.

Wider information about MAT standards is available here and the bench marking report below provides information on the implementation progress across North Lanarkshire and Scotland.

The new Scottish Government Minister for alcohol and drugs Elena Whitham, provides an update on MAT standards implementation progress and her vision for future developments.

As part of the response to record high drug-related deaths in Scotland, Public Health Scotland (PHS) and partners have developed an early warning system, RADAR – Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response.

This is a national system working with communities and stakeholders to identify and assess potential drug-related risks and harms, which then informs decision making to reduce harms and save lives. To sign up to Radar click here 

The RADAR team produce quarterly update reports and have also developed a useful Drugs A-Z which includes street names of common drugs as well as brief descriptions of drug types and categories.