Drugs Misuse

From late summer 2023, a sharp rise in drug-related anti-social behaviour was recorded in parts of Leyton. From September 2023, the Council has been working intensively with partners across the borough, using a ‘whole systems’ approach to tackle the issue. This means using a combination of strong enforcement, environmental improvement and public health support services.

Robust enforcement

Council officers, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police, have been tackling the supply of drugs in Leyton since September 2023, with the following results:

• 71 arrests of key offenders
• 101 ASB warnings and Community Protection Warnings issued
• 4 search warrants executed
• 6 Premises Closure Orders (PCO) served to houses associated with drug-related ASB. These have been followed up by 60 additional enforcement actions against individuals violating the PCO.
• More than 1,200 extra high-visibility enforcement patrols 
• Three new CCTV cameras were installed near drug hotspots, joining a network of more than 50 around the Leyton area, monitored day and night by the Council's CCTV Operations Team.
• 18 new or replacement Public Space Protection Order signs installed

Proactive support services

The Council funds substance misuse service Change, Grow, Live, who have delivered the following in Leyton since starting intensive treatment work in September 2023:

• 198 outreach visits to hotspots
• 256 contacts with drug users
• 102 naloxone kits (overdose prevention) handed out
• 22 successful new referrals
• 2 weekly hyper-local CGL surgeries
• Six months of Hep C elimination among service users (the only CGL service in the country to have achieved six months in a row)
• A new fast-track same-day prescribing service for opiates was introduced in November 

Additional Council support:

• Skills Within workshops at Leyton Library, every Thursday and Saturday from 12 to 9pm, until Saturday 9 March. These workshops offer Education, Training and Employment support for young people.
• We undertake regular walk and talk sessions to get feedback from residents about the problems they’re experiencing and what they’d like to change (see below for details)

Subscribe to our Community Safety newsletter to hear the latest monthly news about community safety in Leyton and throughout Waltham Forest.