Preventative initiatives for alcohol and drug use should consider that people often experience multiple intersecting risks and vulnerabilities. At risk groups include (see Evidence Briefing 4):
- Those with mental health problems and / or behavioural disorders
- People experiencing or at risk of deprivation, poverty and homelessness
- LGBT+ people · Prisoners and persons with convictions
- Care experienced children and young people (see Evidence Briefing 6)
- Young people (see Evidence Briefing 5 and Evidence Briefing 6)
- Those with family alcohol and drug use (see Evidence Briefing 6).
The prevalence of intersecting risks and vulnerabilities means that effective interventions will support a person in multiple areas simultaneously eg addressing mental health problems or insecure housing, alongside alcohol and drug use. Services need to consider wider family, social group and community context, including addressing family poverty and disadvantage and intergenerational poverty issues. This is often achieved through whole system and person-centred approaches (see Evidence Briefing 4).
When planning and implementing alcohol and drug interventions, it is good practice to include those from the targeted at-risk group to ensure the intervention is more likely to be meaningful and effective.
