Live well
Alcohol and substance misuse
Alcohol and drug use carries significant risks to health, both short and long-term. Short-term impacts of substance misuse include an increase in the risk of injury and infectious diseases. Long-term impacts include cancers, liver and heart disease as well as mental health problems. Both alcohol and drug use pose a significant risk of dying prematurely.
Over the past five years in Southwark around 8,500 years of life were lost (YLL) due to alcohol-related conditions. The number of YLLs is significantly higher in males compared to females. In 2015 alone there were around 1,200 male YLL compared to 400 female YLL. Southwark ranked third highest for male YLL and fifth for female YLL compared to other London boroughs.
Prevalence estimates show that Southwark has higher rates of opiate and crack use, compared to London and England averages. Drug users are ageing, resulting in increased health complexities such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, injecting complications and drug-related deaths.
Southwark Public Health together with key partners and stakeholders has produced many documents identifying the local population needs. Please note that this list will be updated as and when new information becomes available.
Southwark JSNA reports
- Alcohol JSNA 2017 (PDF, 5.4mb)
- Cumulative Impact Zones JSNA 2017 (PDF, 6.5mb)
- Drug Related Deaths JSNA 2017 (PDF, 474kb)
- Substance Misuse Admissions JSNA 2017 (PDF, 1.8mb)
- Club Drugs JSNA 2018 (PDF, 668kb)
Other local plans and strategies
- Southwark’s Alcohol Action Plan 2017-20 (PDF, 144kb)
External resources
Page last updated: 07 February 2024
