DS Daily - 12th April 2010 |
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The government's determination to control its drugs advisors left me no choice but to resign
Polly Taylor - The seven resignations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs are symptomatic of scientific advisers' anger at being forced to toe an official line [Observer, UK]
Flawed thinking on mephedrone
The legacy of the rush to pass a 'tough' new law on mephedrone may ultimately be its unworkability [Guardian, UK]
Methadone maintenance: the original
In the mid-60s even its originators doubted whether methadone maintenance could work, gnawing their nails as they waited for patients to return from the temptations outside the ward. What they saw instead was a miraculous transformation. Print publication 2006 [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]
Doses of methadone dispensed in each NHS board area in each of the last five years
Information on the number of methadone defined daily doses for financial years ending 31 March 2005-2009 inclusive ** this time with correct link ** [Scottish Parliament, UK]
Dismay at 'Addict Helpline' offering sterilisation
US agency 'Project Prevention' arrives in UK [Lifeline, UK]
Charity that sterilises addicts to come to UK
Drug addiction experts have reacted with horror at the revelation that a controversial American charity worker who pays addicts to be sterilised is setting up a franchise in Britain [Independent, UK]
PAC report update: Home Office forced to evaluate drugs strategy
We promised to keep you updated after the powerful Parliamentary Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) extracted a verbal promise from the Home Office to (finally) evaluate the efficacy of its own drug strategy ... [TDPF, UK]
Police plan to double detention for drunks and drug abusers
People could be detained without charge for 12 hours – twice the current limit – under new police proposals [The Herald, Scotland, UK]
Rare 'hippy' drug seized by police in raid on city shop
The powerful hallucinogenic mescaline – relatively unheard of in recent years – was allegedly discovered on sale at the Apothecary store on Clerk Street in Newington [Edinburgh Evening News, UK]
Video: Dual Diagnosis
Inexcess producer Roger Appleton joins Brendan Georgeson at Walsingham House in the heart of Bristol, to discuss complexities of Dual Diagnosis [Inexcess TV, UK]
Election time again – whoopee, but don’t mention “drugs”
It’s general election time again, let’s try not to get too excited now! Drugs, and what to do about them, haven’t featured in the campaign as of yet and it’s highly unlikely they will [UKCIA]
Soaring levels of alcohol consumption and obesity mar Labour's NHS record
Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health said: "Alcohol-related harm has soared under this government, which has relied too much on voluntary agreements with the industry on things like advertising, labelling and irresponsible promotion. The whole booze culture is a massive problem." [Guardian, UK]
Cocaine cut with veterinary drug hits Quebec
Quebec health officials are warning that cocaine cut with an anti-parasitic medication is hitting the streets in the province and can cause a severe adverse reaction in illicit drug users [CBC, Canada]
So, What's In a Name?
Welcome to ONDCP's new blog, cleverly titled, "Of Substance!" [ONDCP, USA]
We're paying too high a price for the war on drugs
When faced with criticism of prosecution and incarceration costs for drug offenders, law-enforcement agencies and private prison interests depict their cause as a willingness to pay any price to jail dealers of hard narcotics [Seattle Times, USA]
UNODC and Bolivia launch six year plan to combat drugs and crime
The Country Programme, which requires US$ 47.9 million for its implementation, is already implementing projects worth US$ 3.1 million [UNODC]
Nearly half of young admit to drug use
Drug abuse among young Australians could be more prevalent than thought, with almost half of music fans surveyed at the Big Day Out admitting to taking drugs in the previous month [WA Today, Australia]