Weekly news - 9th July 2010


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Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Naphyrone Report (2010)

This report is a consideration of naphyrone (also known as NRG-1, Energy1, or O-2482; or naphthylpyrovalerone), a naphthyl analogue of pyrovalerone, which acts as a triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor, producing psychostimulant effects (hereafter referred to as naphyrone). Internationally, it is controlled under Schedule IV of the 1971 UN Conventions. PDF [Home Office, UK]

The legal high naphyrone1 - sold as NRG-1 - should be made illegal

The chemical naphyrone (and related compounds), marketed as the legal high NRG-1, should be made a Class B drug, recommends the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) in its advice to government published today [ACMD, UK]

DrugScope responds to ACMD recommendation to ban ‘legal high’ naphyrone

DrugScope has today responded to the recommendation from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) that the ‘legal high’ naphyrone, and related compounds, are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act [DrugScope, UK]

Naphyrone - what is it

New information page on Naphyrone [DrugScope, UK]

Facing the future

Tackling drugs in the new decade – preliminary programme [DrugScope, UK]

DrugScope launches publications sale

DrugScope is running our biggest ever publications sale from July 1st until September 1st to help services and professionals equip themselves with good quality resources for low prices [DrugScope, UK]

New FEAD video

Professor john Davies, University of Strathclyde and Director of the Centre for Applied Social Psychology [FEAD, UK]

Substance Misuse Skills Consortium

The national Substance Misuse Skills Consortium is now inviting applications for free membership from organisations and bodies that support its aims to promote a highly skilled and ambitious workforce, which will deliver the treatment that helps more drug users overcome addiction and achieve sustained recovery and reintegration [NTA, UK]

Improving outcomes for service users

The NTA is developing a business plan for 2010-11 that reflects the priorities of the government, the commitments in the coalition agreement, and the financial constraints facing the taxpayer [National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, UK]

Changing landscape

What role will the NTA play in the coming year? DDN takes an advance look at its manifesto for the future [Drink and Drugs News, UK]

Methadone saves lives, study finds

Research carried out by the universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Edinburgh found that opiate substitution treatment reduced the frequency of drug use [University of Edinburgh, UK]

Heroin prescribing rescues previously treatment-resistant heroin addicts

Controversial and expensive it might be, but in the first British randomised trial, a continental-style heroin prescribing programme featuring on-site supervised consumption suppressed illegal heroin use much more effectively than oral methadone. Interestingly, despite previously being immune to the treatment, a fifth of the patients transferred to a more optimal oral methadone programme also did well [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

Vienna declaration calls for science-based drug policies

A group of leading scientific and health policy organisations have launched a drive for signatories to the Vienna Declaration, a statement calling for the incorporation of scientific evidence into illicit drug policies across the globe [DrugScope, UK]

Ethnicity and alcohol: a review of the UK literature

Literature review of evidence on drinking patterns among minority ethnic groups in the UK over the last 15 years and on service provision for this group. Full report [Joseph Rowntree Foundation, UK]

Investing in alcohol treatment

Reducing costs and improving lives. Alcohol Concern's learning from 10 years of consultancy and training - Report [Alcohol Concern, UK]

HSE Launches Drugs Awareness Campaign

The campaign is entitled ‘Legal or illegal highs - they’re anything but safe’. The campaign is seeking to raise awareness of the dangers and significant negative mental and physical health effects that can be caused by these psychoactive substances [Drugs.ie, Ireland]

Homeless Young Adult Treatment Admissions

Heroin (26.9 Percent) and alcohol (25.0 Percent) were the most frequently reported primary substances of abuse among homeless young adult admissions in 2008 [SAMHSA, USA]

How Might Marijuana Legalization in California Affect Public Budgets and Marijuana Consumption?

Legalizing marijuana in California would lead to a substantial decline in price, but there is much uncertainty about legalization's effect on public budgets and consumption; even minor changes in assumptions lead to major differences in outcomes PDF [RAND, USA]

Strategy to halt and reverse the HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs in Asia and the Pacific

The regional strategy, - A strategy to halt and reverse the HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs in Asia and the Pacific 2010-2015, is a roadmap for Member States, Civil Society and Development Agencies on how to successfully address the HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs in Asia and the Pacific [UNODC]

Colombia - Coca cultivation survey 2009

[UNODC]