Alcohol and drugs strategic plan: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment

Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment

1. Brief Summary

Type of proposal: Decision of a strategic nature relating to the rights and wellbeing of children

Name the proposal, and describe its overall aims and intended purpose.

The Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan (the Plan) responds to Scotland’s persistently high rates of drug- and alcohol-related harms and deaths. It builds on learning from, and will replace, a range of previous alcohol and drug policy publications, including Rights, Respect, Recovery (2018), the Alcohol Framework (2018) the National Mission on Drugs (2021) and the Cross-Government Response to the Drug Deaths Taskforce (2023).

The Plan is a key component of Scotland’s broader public health ambitions:

• The Population Health Framework which seeks to address the wider determinants of health, increase life expectancy and reduce inequalities; and
• The Service Renewal Framework which guides the transformation of health and social care services towards being more person-centred and community-based, and to harness digital technologies to improve access, efficiency, and outcomes.

The core aims of the Plan are to prevent harm from alcohol and drugs, promote recovery and save lives.

To achieve this, delivery of the Plan will be underpinned by a human rights-based approach and effective partnership working. The Plan focuses on four key interconnected areas: prevention and early intervention, harm reduction, treatment and care, and the wider circle of support beyond specialist alcohol and drug services.

The Plan is published in partnership with CoSLA and provides a strategic framework to drive progress toward long-term outcomes across these areas. It sets out our priorities and a series of short-term commitments that we, along with partners, will actively pursue over the next three years.

The Plan seeks to embed a human rights-based approach across service design, development and delivery – guided by the Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use. The Plan aligns with wider Scottish Government frameworks and commitments which play a key role in ensuring children’s rights are upheld, including Getting It Right For Everyone - GIRFE (Scottish Government, 2025), GIRFEC (2022), Whole Family Support and The Promise.

To ensure the Plan remains responsive, the commitments will be reviewed and updated every three years over the nine-year cycle of the Plan. The impact assessments will be reviewed in line with this to ensure that the Plan remains responsive to the evolving needs of children and young people.

It is likely that CRWIAs will be undertaken to accompany local level drug and alcohol strategies, which will enable more direct actions to be undertaken by local areas.

Start date of proposals development:

Spring 2025

Start date of CRWIA process:

Summer 2025

2. With reference given to the requirements of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, which aspects of the proposal are relevant to/impact upon children’s rights?

By taking a preventative, human rights, whole family approach aimed at improving health and reducing the prevalence and harms of substance use, it is expected that the Plan will align with and support implementation of several of the key Articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as incorporated into domestic law. Key relevant parts of the Plan are the commitments to prevent harms and intervene early, and further embed the Families Affected by Drug and Alcohol Use in Scotland Framework (Families Framework) and Standards for Young People Accessing Treatment or Support for Alcohol or Drugs (Standards of Support for Young People).

The proposals engage the following Articles:

Article 2 – Non‑Discrimination The Plan seeks to embed an underpinning human rights-based approach across service design and delivery of alcohol and drug services. It includes priorities to ensure non-discrimination, promote equality and tackle stigma. It seeks to target action at the most at risk communities, including children living in deprived areas and affected by familial substance use.

Article 3 – Best Interests of the Child The Plan seeks to support the healthy development of children and young people to reduce the prevalence and harms of substance use. It seeks to embed the Families Framework and Standards of Support for Young People, which emphasise trauma informed practice, the importance of safety, and decision making that responds to the needs and circumstances of each child and young person whether they are affected by a family member using alcohol or drugs, or if they are using alcohol or drugs themselves.

Article 6 – Life, Survival and Development By focusing on preventing problem alcohol and drug use through whole family support, targeted measures and education, the Plan supports this article by helping to create the conditions that allow children to live, and develop to their fullest potential.

Article 12 – Right to be Heard

The Plan is grounded in a human rights based approach that values the voices of people affected by substance use, including children and young people. A key priority is to empower them to express their needs, make informed choices and have agency and control over the support they receive. The Families Framework supports local areas to embed child and family participation in planning and decision-making about the support required.

Article 17 – Access to Information The Plan includes commitments to support the development of age and stage appropriate alcohol and drug education and prevention resources – as part of the wider curriculum review. It also commits to supporting the implementation of the Standards of Support for Young People, which set out expectations for high quality information in multiple formats and languages.

Article 18 – Parental Responsibilities and State Support The Plan includes a commitment to further embed the Families Framework which focuses on supporting parents and carers to meet their responsibilities while receiving help themselves, recognising their role in children’s wellbeing. It also includes a commitment to embed good practice on supporting women who use substances and their babies during the perinatal period.

Article 19 – Protection from Violence, Abuse & Neglect

The Plan includes commitments to collaborate with the National Public Protection Leadership Group to address the interconnectedness of risk across protection areas (including child protection, adult protection, violence against women and girls and substance use) better support individuals and families at risk of harm.

Article 24 – Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health A central aim of the Plan is to reduce the prevalence and harms of alcohol and drug use. The Standards of Support for Young People set out what health related support should look like for those seeking help for alcohol or drug concerns.

Article 33 – Protection from Drug Use The Plan seeks to strengthen primary preventative measures to reduce the prevalence of substance use. It seeks to support targeted measures for those who may be at higher risk of developing substance use issues and improve surveillance of trends for emerging drug use. The Standards of Support for Young People, help to address the right to protection from drug-related harms by setting safe, supportive expectations for children and young people seeking help for drug concerns.

3. Evidence

Existing research/reports/policy expertise

Drug and alcohol use and harms amongst children

• Evidence on children’s drug use in Scotland is limited, but existing data shows cannabis is the most commonly used drug, while alcohol use is more common overall and increases with age.^[1] Teenage drunkenness has declined steadily since the late 1990s. ^[2]
• Drug- and alcohol‑related harms are uncommon among children (under 18s) but still concerning. Drug deaths are very rare under age 15 but rise among 15–19‑year‑olds.^[3] Hospital admissions are low overall, though cannabinoid‑related admissions are increasing.^[4][5] Substance use is linked to poorer educational outcomes, mental health issues, justice involvement, and homelessness.^[6] There is increasing concern regarding ketamine use amongst children and young people.^[7]
• Support services vary significantly across Scotland,^[8] with major gaps in understanding their quality or reach. Qualitative evidence shows that young people can feel services are designed for adults rather than tailored to them.^[9]

Prevention and early intervention

• Risk of problem substance use is heightened by poverty, trauma, unstable housing, disrupted education, intergenerational substance use, and exposure to violence, including gender‑based violence. ^[10] Experiencing four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) greatly increases the likelihood of harmful substance use. ^[11]
• Evidence highlights that substance use harm prevention strategies for children and young people should reflect a combination of universal approaches, selective/targeted approaches, indicated approaches and environmental/ecological approaches, and should span across the life course from pregnancy into adulthood.^[12]

Child protection and family impact

• The number of children affected by another person’s substance use in Scotland is unclear, however, hundreds lose a parent or parental figure to drug deaths annually (601 in 2020),^[13] and nearly 40% of children added to the protection register in 2023/24 had concerns relating to parental substance use.^[14]

Perinatal and early years

• Evidence highlights the importance of pregnancy and continued support through the years of child development as early experiences play a major role in shaping later outcomes. Health visitors, midwives, family nurses, early learning practitioners and school staff play key roles in ensuring harms related to alcohol and drugs in care givers are spotted as early as possible (including before conception and before birth) and support is provided to protect children from harm.^[15]

Whole Family Approach

• The Scottish Government’s Whole Family Approaches review stresses the value of coordinated, holistic support addressing trauma, poverty, mental health, and domestic abuse.^[16] The Families Framework promotes joined‑up, family‑centred services.
• Alcohol/drug use often overlaps with domestic abuse, trauma, and mental health issues, with women - especially mothers - facing gender‑specific barriers to support.^[17] This risks children growing up with instability, increased stress and potential developmental disruption.

Consultation/feedback from stakeholders, families, children and young people

An extensive programme of engagement was carried out to shape the Plan, including more than 30 consultation events over 2025. Feedback was gathered from clinicians, academics, service commissioners and providers – including Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) and the voluntary sector, as well as with individuals and families with lived and living experience of substance use harms.

Targeted engagement was undertaken around specific policy areas with a relevance to children rights and wellbeing. For the Families Framework, ADPs, Children’s Services Planning Partnerships, the third sector, family support organisations and statutory services contributed through workshops, consultations and the Ask the Family engagement programme. The Young People’s Standards, were codesigned with 64 young people representing a wide range of backgrounds, including care experienced young people, and facilitated by an independent researcher.

4. Further to the evidence described at ‘3’ have you identified any 'gaps' in evidence which may prevent determination of impact? If yes, please provide an explanation of how they will be addressed Further to the evidence described at ‘3’, have you identified any “gaps” in evidence which may prevent determination of impact? If yes, how will they be addressed?

Gaps include:

(a) There is an overall gap in data regarding drug and alcohol use, as well as other health outcomes, amongst young people, in part due to the discontinuation of the Health and Wellbeing Census. Scottish Government analysts are continuing to work with partners to establish alternative ways of gathering this information. The Chief Statistician is considering how this is taken forward in the future, for example through the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Scotland Study, though this is currently limited to cannabis and alcohol. As such, there is also limited disaggregated data for disabled children, minority ethnic groups, care‑experienced young people and those in poverty.

(b) Inconsistent local data on family‑inclusive practice and outcomes.

(c) Variation in youth‑specific service access and quality.

5. Analysis of Evidence

Children can be affected by substance use in a range of ways, including through their own use of substances and through the impacts of those close to them using substances. Children affected by substance use often face higher risks and significant inequalities across a range outcomes.

Analysis identified a range of areas in which the priorities and commitments in the Plan are likely to have a direct positive impact on children. These include:

• Early years: The Plan includes commitments targeted on the perinatal period and early years, acknowledging that there can be specific barriers for women with substance use issues in accessing healthcare and support, including stigma. Commitments include:
  • Embedding appropriate support and advice on the risks of alcohol and drug use during pregnancy across preconception care, maternity services and early childhood offerings such as health visiting and the Family Nurse Partnership.
  • Embedding good practice on supporting women who use substances and their babies during the perinatal period.
• Education and prevention: The Plan emphasises the importance of education and prevention acknowledging the need for measures which support healthy development of all children and young people as well as those which target support to communities at heightened risk of developing substance use issues. Commitments include:
  • Supporting community-based prevention activities through effective collaboration between ADPs, Community Planning Partnerships and local partners.
  • Supporting the development of age and stage appropriate alcohol and drug education and prevention resources – as part of the wider curriculum review.
  • Supporting the implementation of national guidance to aid education authorities to update local policies for managing substance use in school settings.
  • Supporting targeted initiatives for communities at higher risk of developing substance use issues.
• Protection and safeguarding: The Plan priorities a joined up and person-centred approach across all services, which highlights the need for a whole-systems approach to address interconnected harms for individuals and families experiencing multiple disadvantage. Commitments include:
  • Improving coordinated support for people facing severe and multiple disadvantage.
  • Collaborating with the National Public Protection Leadership Group to address the interconnectedness of risk across protection areas to better support individuals and families at risk of harm.
• Age-appropriate access to treatment: The Plan acknowledges the need for tailored, age-appropriate interventions and through the Standards for Young People Accessing Treatment or Support for Alcohol or Drugs aims to give every young person access to reliable, high-quality treatment and support as soon as they begin to face challenges and before they reach the point of crisis. Commitments include:
  • Supporting services to implement the Standards for Young People Accessing Treatment or Support for Alcohol or Drugs.
  • Supporting local areas to embed a whole family approach and family-inclusive practice, in line with the ‘Families Affected by Drug and Alcohol Use in Scotland Framework’.
• Whole family support: The Plan emphasises the need for a whole family approach to ensure timely, compassionate and consistent support. Commitments include:
  • Supporting local areas to embed a whole family approach and
    family-inclusive practice, in line with the ‘Families Affected by Drug
    and Alcohol Use in Scotland Framework’.

Analysis highlighted potential risks and considerations with respect to the Plan and its impacts on children’s rights and wellbeing. Actions to ensure the plan is implemented effectively are outlined below, though many will require ongoing consideration, particularly in terms of implementation and localised approaches.

• Equity and access: There is a risk that variable local implementation could mean that children in some groups/areas (such as those in rural areas or from minority groups) may experience differences in support available. Mitigations include:
  • Priorities in the Plan around establishment of an overarching system for improved quality of service, including a commitment to support successful take up of the National Service Specification.
  • Commitments to utilise and improve data and service feedback to identify inequalities, inform decision-making and continuously improve service equity and outcomes.
  • Monitoring actions for wider equalities and human rights considerations will be built into risk and issue management processes.
• Stigma: Stigma and discrimination continues to be a barrier to recovery from alcohol and drugs use, and negatively can impact families and children. Actions to tackle this include:
  • Commitments in the plan to: continue support for initiatives that challenge stigma by promoting compassionate, rights-based approaches and amplify the voices of people with lived experience; support for service providers to identify, interrogate and amend policies and procedures that inadvertently or otherwise result in stigmatising practices; and explore alignment with wider campaigns to tackle broader elements of stigma in services.
  • Ongoing considerations for implementation of Plan should include awareness of how children specifically can be supported by actions relating to tackling stigma.

6. What changes (if any) have been made to the proposal as a result of this assessment?

The approach taken by the Plan, particularly the underpinning human rights based approach, is aligned with the UNCRC requirements. The Plan has been informed by extensive engagement and draws on a wide range of existing policy expertise on good practice and service delivery. Therefore no significant changes have been made as a result of the evidence gathered in this assessment which reaffirms the priorities included in the Plan.

7. As a result of the evidence gathered and analysed against all UNCRC requirements, what is the potential overall impact of this proposal on children’s rights?

Positive.

8. If you have identified a positive impact on children’s rights, how will the proposal protect, respect, and fulfil children’s rights in Scotland?

The Plan has the clear potential to protect, respect and fulfil children’s rights by embedding human rights practice, preventing harms from alcohol and drugs and ensuring access to tailored support. In particular, implementation of the Standards of Support for Young People will help to ensure that young people receive age-appropriate, high-quality treatment and support, and embedding family inclusive practice and a whole family approach in line with the Families Framework will help to ensure timely and consistent support for families. Together the commitments in the Plan support a number of the UNCRC requirements – all rights identified and analysed based on extensive evidence as being positively impacted are listed in question 2.

9. If a negative impact has been identified please describe it below. Is there a risk this could potentially amount to an incompatibility? (Mitigation Record below)

At this stage, no specific negative impacts on children’s rights and wellbeing have been identified. The CRWIA will be kept under reviewed as the Plan is implemented.

Mitigation Record

What options have been considered to modify the proposal in order to mitigate a negative impact or potential incompatibility?

No modifications have been identified at this stage due to no negative impacts or potential incompatibility being identified.

10. As a result of the evidence gathered and analysed against all wellbeing indicators, will the proposal contribute to the wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland?

SHANARRI Indicators

Safe: Yes

Healthy: Yes

Achieving: Yes

Nurtured: Yes

Active: Yes

Respected: Yes

Responsible: Yes

Included: Yes

If yes, please provide an explanation below:

• Safe – through trauma informed, person centred practice.
• Healthy – by improving access to the right support at the right time for substance related harms.
• Achieving – by reducing barriers to support and ensuring young people receive consistent, relationship based help that enables them to stay engaged in school, services and community life.
• Nurtured – through whole family approaches that strengthen caregiving relationships and provide stability and emotional support.
• Active – by improving connection to community supports.
• Respected – by embedding the right to be heard and placing young people’s voices at the centre of service design and decision‑making.
• Responsible – by supporting young people to understand their choices, rights and options through clear, accessible information and advocacy.
• Included – by promoting culturally competent, accessible services and strengthening family and community networks, helping reduce inequalities and isolation.

11. How will you communicate to children and young people the impact that the proposal will have on their rights?

The publication of the Plan will be supported by a comprehensive communications plan to ensure it reaches a wide audience. The Standards of Support for Young People were supported with an Easy Read version to ensure accessibility, and formally launched at ‘The Givit’ – an intensive outreach support service for young people. We will continue to work with local areas to consider further measures to raise awareness of the Plan, Standards of Support for Young People and Families Framework.

12. Planning for the review of impact on children’s rights and wellbeing

Monitoring of the impact on children’s rights and wellbeing will be embedded in the wider programme management framework for the Plan. This will ensure that any unintended consequences are identified and addressed early.

To ensure the Plan remains responsive, the commitments will be reviewed and updated every three years over the nine year cycle of the Plan. The impact assessments will be reviewed in line with this to ensure that the Plan remains responsive to the evolving needs of children and young people.

13. Sign off

Deputy Director Signature & Date of Sign Off: Niamh O’Connor, Deputy Director – Population Health Strategy & Improvement, 25/02/2026