DS Daily - 25th May 2009 |
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NICE contributes to the Health Select Committee inquiry on Alcohol
Professor Mike Kelly, NICE Director of the Centre for Public Health Excellence, was one of three witnesses invited to give evidence at a recent HSC session on what steps should be considered to tackle the rising problem of alcohol misuse [NICE, UK]
Drink-related illnesses will increase
A re-evaluation and a radical overhaul of alcohol advertising, pricing and support services are needed [Times, UK]
The Story of Drug Treatment
A timely look back, and forwards, at the achievements and challenges of the drug treatment system in England. 8-page PDF [NTA, UK]
'Legal highs' crackdown is doomed to failure, say experts
Clubbers stay one step ahead as the Government lags behind on drug reform [Independent, UK]
Substance Use among Women During Pregnancy and Following Childbirth
Combined 2002 to 2007 data show that past month alcohol use among women aged 18 to 44 was highest for those who were not pregnant and did not have children living in the household but comparatively low for women in the first trimester of pregnancy, and even lower for those in the second or third trimester [SAMHSA, USA]
Alcohol Use Among Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women of Childbearing Age - United States, 1991-2005
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a risk factor for poor birth outcomes, including fetal alcohol syndrome, birth defects, and low birth weight. In the United States, the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome is estimated at 0.5--2.0 cases per 1,000 births, but other fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are believed to occur approximately three times as often as fetal alcohol syndrome [CDC, USA]
Supervised Drug-Injection Facilities in New York? Yes We Should (and Can)!
If we're serious about real drug reform, let's create a space where users can take their drugs in a sterile, safe environment [AlterNet, USA]
'Happyhour' Gene May Help Put Boozers Off Their Drink
A newly identified gene called happyhour makes fruit flies sensitive to booze. Drugs that mimic the effects of the gene may offer a new treatment against alcohol abuse, researchers say [abc News, USA]
Development of a Model and Measure of Process-Oriented Quality of Care for Substance Abuse Treatment
The model describes the key behaviors of SAT staff. Specifically: providing clinical services, employee citizenship behaviors, providing clinical support, and managerial behavior. Abstract [The Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research]
Non-government organisations in the alcohol and other drugs sector
Issues and options for sustainability [ANCD, Australia]
Drug testing in schools encouraged
Testing for cannabis use in Queensland secondary schools could soon become a reality, Coast MP Peter Wellington said [The Daily, Australia]
New Zealand Needle Exchange declared a success
New Zealand’s Needle Exchange Programme is the most successful in the world, says national manager of Needle Exchange New Zealand, Charles Henderson [Scoop, New Zealand]
World drug campaign website launched
As part of its campaign to raise awareness about the major challenge that illicit drugs represents to society as a whole, especially to the young, UNODC launched today a dedicated website [UNODC]