Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to tackle the impact of alcoholism on young people (a) nationally and (b) in Romford constituency.

Alcohol dependence is rare in young people under the age of 18 years old, although they may be drinking problematically. Young people may also experience second-hand harms of parental alcohol dependence.

The most effective and sustainable approach to tackling alcohol dependence in young people is building resilience through giving them a good start in life, the best education possible and keeping them safe, well and happy. Alcohol education is part of the compulsory health education curriculum for all state funded schools, following the introduction of statutory relationships, sex and health education in England in September 2020.

Through the cross-Government Drug Strategy, the Department has allocated £532 million of additional funding through to 2024/25, to support improvements in substance misuse treatment, including facilitating 5,000 more young people into age-appropriate alcohol and drug treatment by 2024/25.

Local authorities can invest their allocation in options from a ‘menu of interventions’, some of which include strengthening the services available to children and families. Local authorities across England indicated Drug Strategy spend for 2022/23 between £2.4 million and £5.6 million on interventions focused on, or that offer support for, families affected by parental substance misuse. Local plans from Havering include developing Hidden Harm provisions within substance misuse services for young people, and enhancing support to carers and children by investing in a Family Practitioner.