Guernsey launches new five-year substance use strategy targeting alcohol harm and youth vaping
- Guernsey publishes new five-year substance use strategy running from 2027-2032, building on previous integrated approach
- Alcohol remains biggest harm with 23.7% of islanders exceeding recommended weekly limits and around 10 deaths annually attributed to alcohol
- Smoking rates successfully reduced to 9.1%, below 10% target, but youth vaping has increased dramatically from 2% to 10% regular use
- Strategy proposes minimum unit pricing for alcohol, tobacco duty increases, and restrictions on vaping in public places
- Total funding of £871,020 allocated for 2025, with 82% going directly to community substance use services
Guernsey has published a comprehensive new strategy to tackle substance use across the islands, with alcohol remaining the leading cause of harm despite recent progress in reducing smoking rates.
The Combined Substance Use Strategy for Guernsey and Alderney 2027-2032 builds on the first integrated strategy which ran from 2021-2026, considering new measures to address emerging concerns around youth vaping and medicinal cannabis regulation.
According to the strategy document, published by Public Health Services in March 2026, alcohol consumption continues to pose the greatest threat to public health in the Bailiwick. The 2023 Wellbeing Survey found that 23.7% of islanders drank more than the recommended 14 units of alcohol in the previous week, with 16% classified as having 'risky' drinking behaviours and 6% as 'high risk'.
Approximately 10 deaths annually are specifically attributed to alcohol, making alcohol-specific deaths among the leading causes of years of life lost in Guernsey. The strategy notes that whilst encouraging trends have emerged, including more people abstaining from alcohol and a reduction in binge drinking, harmful consumption levels remain significant.
Deputy George Oswald, President of the Committee for Health & Social Care, said: "Alcohol remains the substance that causes the most harm in the Bailiwick. We have a culture that normalises high alcohol consumption, often at harmful levels within a significant proportion of our population."
The strategy highlights a public health success in tobacco control, with adult smoking prevalence falling to 9.1% in 2023, below the 10% target set in the previous strategy. However, smoking still causes approximately 10% of deaths locally, prompting continued efforts to achieve 'smoke-free status' defined as fewer than 5% of the population smoking.
A significant new concern addressed in the strategy is the rise of vaping among young people. Adult vaping prevalence increased from 6% in 2018 to 11% in 2023, whilst 10% of students in Years 8 and 10 now vape regularly compared to just 2% in 2019.
The strategy identifies concerns about the illicit diversion of medicinal cannabis in the community, with 78.8% of those reporting cannabis use in the past 12 months not having it prescribed to them. Drug use more broadly remains relatively low, with 2% of adults reporting use of illegal drugs excluding cannabis in the previous year.
Structured around four key pillars - Awareness and Stigma Reduction, Prevention Activities, Operational Services, and Policy and Legislation - the strategy emphasises the need for a "joined-up whole-system approach" recognising that substance use does not occur in isolation.
Key policy interventions proposed include implementing minimum unit pricing for alcohol, annual tobacco duty increases of RPI plus 5%, and introducing age-related bans on tobacco sales. The strategy also considers restricting vaping in indoor public places and regulating the sale of high-caffeine drinks to under-16s. States approval is needed for major policy shifts.
The document emphasises the relationship between substance use and wider determinants of health, noting associations between harmful substance use and housing tenure, with those in private rental accommodation more likely to have high-risk drinking behaviours.
Operational services will continue to be delivered through partnership working between the States of Guernsey and third sector organisations, with the Health Improvement Commission coordinating much of the delivery. The total funding for 2025 was £871,020, with 82% allocated directly to commissioned substance use services in the community.
The strategy includes comprehensive monitoring arrangements with quarterly progress meetings and annual reporting. Strategy indicators will track everything from alcohol consumption rates and smoking prevalence to drug seizure statistics and service access numbers.
Specific attention is paid to vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness, with the strategy noting that individuals with substance use disorders are at particularly high risk of housing insecurity. Enhanced joint working is planned for individuals with dual diagnoses of mental health and substance use disorders.
Education features prominently, with coordinated substance use education planned for young people in school settings alongside a planned Personal, Social, Health and Economic programme across all key stages. The strategy emphasises that education should be "independent of industry influence".
The document acknowledges the success of the previous strategy in adapting to emerging challenges, particularly the rapid increase in vaping among young people. The new strategy positions itself as a "living document" that will be regularly reviewed to respond to new challenges and opportunities.
Implementation will be overseen by a multidisciplinary Substance Use Technical Team comprising representatives from health services, law enforcement, education, and community organisations. Annual reports will be submitted to the Committee for Health & Social Care providing updates across all strategy pillars.
The strategy builds on Guernsey's long-term commitment to evidence-based policy interventions, drawing on World Health Organisation recommendations including the SAFER alcohol control initiative focusing on strengthening availability restrictions, advancing drink-driving countermeasures, facilitating treatment access, enforcing advertising bans, and raising prices through taxation.
Community engagement remains central to the approach, with plans to develop directories of support services, create clear care pathways, and incorporate voices of those with lived experience into service design and delivery.
Q&A
Q: What is the main substance causing harm in Guernsey?
A: Alcohol remains the substance that causes the most harm in the Bailiwick, with approximately 10 deaths annually specifically attributed to alcohol and 23.7% of islanders drinking more than the recommended 14 units per week.
Q: How successful was the previous tobacco control strategy?
A: The tobacco control strategy was highly successful, reducing adult smoking prevalence to 9.1% in 2023, which is below the 10% target that was set in the previous Combined Substance Use Strategy.
Q: What are the main policy changes being proposed for alcohol?
A: The strategy proposes introducing minimum unit pricing for alcohol, increasing licensing fees in line with inflation, and regulating marketing, promotion and advertising of alcoholic products, including considering health warning labels.
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