Weekly news - 12th September 2014


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10 things about alcohol and other drugs you may have missed

These slides are a way of capturing some of the interesting information about alcohol and other drugs | DrugScope, UK

Recreational drug use, polydrug use, and sexual behaviour in HIV-diagnosed men who have sex with men in the UK: results from the cross-sectional ASTRA study

Recreational drug use in men who have sex with men (MSM) is of concern because it might be linked to the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections | Lancet, UK

September issue of DDN magazine

In September’s magazine, DDN reports on the level of treatment that is available for the estimated 450,000 people in the UK with a gambling problem. Also this issue – KFx’s Kevin Flemen offers a guide to the language of new drugs, and Broadway Lodge looks back over 40 years of offering treatment for a variety of addictions | DDN, UK

One new drug a week: Why novel psychoactive substances and club drugs need a different response from UK treatment providers (PDF)

Health services need more support to deal with growing club drug and Novel Psychoactive Substance use, warn leading psychiatrists | RC PSYCH, UK

Press release: Smokers encouraged to swap fags for gags

Stoptober 2014 enrols country’s top comedians to help smokers get through the 28-day quitting challenge | PHE, UK

Decriminalisation of drugs for personal use under review by Lib Dems

Policy paper due for discussion at next month's party conference also proposes an open market in cannabis | Guardian, UK

The health minister says he cannot guarantee drug scheme funds

Northern Ireland's Health Minister made a statement on a recent British Irish Council meeting on health matters, on 8 September 2014 | BBC, UK

Taking control: Pathways to drug policies that work (PDF)

The Global Commission proposes five pathways to improve the global drug policy regime. After putting people ́s health and safety at the center of the picture, governments are urged to ensure access to essential medicines and pain control. The Commissioners call for an end to the criminalization and incarceration of users together with targeted prevention, harm reduction and treatment strategies for dependent users | Global Commission on Drug Policy, USA

Health premium consultation and public health budgets for 2015-16

The Department of Health has launched a consultation on a ‘health premium’, with ‘successful completion of drugs treatment’ proposed as the national indicator. The document also includes details of public health budget allocations for 2015-16, with an overall public health budget of £2.79 billion. Consultation closes on 23 October | DoH and PHE, UK

What state are we in?

A new, improved State of the sector report is underway and needs your input, says Paul Anders | DrugScope, UK

“Second class citizens”? The personal impact of the public debate on benefits (PDF)

New report which examines the emotional impact of being supported by benefits against a backdrop of negative stereotypes | Who Benefits?, UK

Research and analysis: Chief Medical Officer (CMO) annual report: public mental health

CMO Professor Dame Sally Davies makes 14 recommendations to improve public mental health services | DoH, UK

Teenagers who use cannabis every day 60% less likely to finish school

Daily users under 17 are seven times more likely to attempt suicide compared with non-users, Australian-led study finds | Guardian, UK

Britons spend a year of their lives hungover. Time for a sober October?

Macmillan Cancer Support estimates – conservatively – that the average person in the UK spends 315 days in a self-inflicted fug. Here’s your chance to give your liver a break with the Macmillan Get Sober campaign | Guardian, UK

Drunken nights out: a strategic review

The review draws on original qualitative research comprising pre-work, interviews and workshops with a total of 80 participants in drunken nights out aged 18 to 29, a review of literature, and interviews with key informants | Drinkaware, UK