Young people accessing support or treatment for alcohol and drugs: standards 2025

1. Introduction

In 2021, the Scottish Government launched the National Mission^[2] to reduce drug related deaths and improve lives. The ‘National Mission Plan: 2022-2026’^[3] set out a commitment to establishing a set of treatment and care standards for young people affected by drugs. To achieve this, a working group of expert stakeholders from across young people’s drug and alcohol services was brought together.

The term ‘young people’ is used to describe individuals aged 25 and under, encompassing children, teenagers, and young adults.

These Standards aim to give every young person access to reliable, high-quality treatment and support as soon as they begin to face challenges—not just when things reach a crisis point.

These Standards clearly set out:

• what young people should expect when seeking help for their own alcohol or drug use
• recommendations for delivery: action by local commissioners and local services to support the Standards

These Standards aim to ensure that:

• fewer young people develop problem alcohol or drug use
• risk is reduced for young people who take harmful drugs or alcohol
• young people receive high quality treatment and support
• children, families and communities affected by substance use are supported

The Standards will directly support a more collaborative approach to improved service planning and delivery. This will ensure sustainable and effective pathways for young people to access effective, holistic support. This should happen alongside, and as part of, a wider multi-agency prevention and early intervention approach across Scotland. It is directly relevant to a range of partnerships which include:

• integration joint boards
• chief officer groups
• children’s services planning partnerships
• child protection committees
• alcohol and drug partnerships
• community safety partnerships
• adult protection committees
• gender-based violence partnerships