The Health and Wellbeing Board was scheduled to review the public health addictions profile for Royal Greenwich and consider the findings and recommendations of the Royal Greenwich Addictions Strategic Plan 2026-2029. The meeting also included a review of declarations of interest and the confirmation of previous minutes.

Review of the Public Health Addictions Profile and Royal Greenwich Addictions Strategic Plan 2026-2029

The Board was scheduled to consider the evidence collated in the Royal Greenwich Public Health Addictions profile and to review the findings and recommendations of the Royal Greenwich Addictions Strategic Plan 2026-2029. This plan aims to address the harms caused by addictions in the borough across four key areas: tobacco use, alcohol, drug use, and gambling.

The report pack highlighted significant trends and concerns across these areas. For drug use, there was a noted rise in drug and alcohol mortality, a surge in the use of synthetic drugs leading to serious incidents, and an increase in ketamine use among young adults. In relation to alcohol, the report indicated a notable increase in alcohol-linked violence and a strong correlation between alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions with deprivation. Smoking prevalence in Greenwich was reported at 8.6%, with higher rates among social housing residents, those with long-term mental health conditions, and individuals in drug or alcohol treatment. Smoking was also linked to above-average rates for stroke deaths, hospital admissions, and emergency COPD cases, as well as concerns regarding maternal and infant health. Gambling harms were also highlighted, with emerging evidence linking advertising to increased harm, particularly among children and vulnerable adults.

The strategic plan, developed with input from various stakeholders including system partners, residents, and individuals with lived experience, aims to respond to these harms with a whole-system and whole-life-course approach. It aligns with national strategies such as the Government's drug strategy, From Harm To Hope, and the Smoke Free Generation strategy. The plan also considers the local authority's response to the new Gambling Levy and the Greenwich Combatting Drugs Partnership delivery plan.

The report outlined that the estimated financial cost of addictions to Greenwich was £394 million per annum, equivalent to £1200 per resident. The strategic plan's recommendations were developed through stakeholder workshops and feedback sessions, with further consultation planned with various partnerships and service users. The report presented two options for the Board: to do nothing, or to fully consider the information and opportunities for system-level action. The preferred option was to fully consider the information and recommendations to support system partnership objectives.

The report also detailed the extensive consultation process undertaken, including workshops, drop-in sessions, and engagement with service users. It highlighted the cross-cutting implications of the strategy, including legal, financial, equalities, community engagement, climate change, risk management, and community safety considerations. The report was supported by appendices including the Public Health Addictions Profile 2025, a stakeholder engagement workshop presentation, and the draft Royal Greenwich Addictions Strategic Plan 2026-2029.

Declarations of Interest

The Board was scheduled to receive declarations of any personal and financial interests from Members in relation to the items on the agenda. The report pack provided details on the Council's Constitution and Code of Conduct regarding declarations of interest, outlining the definitions of personal and financial interests and the required actions for Members.

Minutes

The Board was scheduled to confirm the accuracy of the Minutes from the previous meeting held on 9 September 2025.