DS Daily - 13th April 2010 |
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Mephedrone banned under misuse of Drugs Act
Following the completion of the parliamentary process, mephedrone and other cathinone derivatives will become illegal as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, with effect from 00.01 on 16 April 2010 [Home Office, UK]
Meow meow drug ‘rife in all schools’
The family of a teenage pupil suspended for allegedly dealing in meow meow last night claimed other schools in the area were awash with the killer drug [The Sun, UK]
Mephedrone ban will bring other illegal drugs 'back to Omagh streets'
The recent ban on mephedrone could result in the return of more traditional illegal substances to Omagh, according to some young people who use the drug [Ulster Herald, UK]
Anthrax Confirmed in NHS Lothian Patient
A patient resident in the NHS Lothian area has been confirmed as the latest case in the ongoing anthrax outbreak among drug users in Scotland (33). Full update [Health Protection Scotland, UK]
Social workers urged to refer addicts for sterilisation
The head of an organisation which offers cash to drug addicts and alcoholics who are willing to be sterilised has said the fund will look favourably on requests from Scotland [The Herald, Scotland, UK]
The Labour Manifestos on drug policy 2005 and 2010
See how drug policy has become a liability for the Govt, high profile in 2005 manifesto, invisible in 2010 [TDPF, UK]
Drugs - Breaking the Habit
Three young people talk candidly about their experiences with drugs and alcohol in this video [Teachers TV, UK]
Boomerang ads
Not ads for boomerangs, but ads which risk a boomerang effect - specifically, the biggest ever attempt to use the media to turn US youth away from drugs. Could this official US campaign actually have done the reverse? Print publication 2006 [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]
King's Fund report criticises government action on alcohol
A new report published by the King's Fund concludes that there is no sign that the goverment's aims to reduce harmful alcohol consumption have been achieved [Alcohol Concern, UK]
Preventable child illness reaches 'epidemic' levels
Alder Hey hospital ... More than £1m and hundreds of hours of treatment time are being spent tackling conditions such as obesity, tooth decay, alcohol abuse and the problems caused by passive smoking [BBC, UK]
RFU defends new policy on recreational drugs
The Rugby Football Union has defended its new recreational drugs policy which sees players who test positive out-of-competition escape public disclosure [BBC, UK]
Matt Stevens may be used to promote English rugby's new drugs policy
Matt Stevens, the England international prop banned for using cocaine, could be used as an ambassador for English rugby's campaign to deter players from using recreational drugs [Guardian, UK]
Young Opioid Abusers Benefit From Extended Buprenorphine-Naloxone Treatment
Despite shorter addiction histories, youths' risk of relapse following detoxification resembles that of adults [NIDA Notes, USA]
NIDA Notes
Today’s most recent clinical findings as well as on the laboratory research that will yield tomorrow’s powerful clinical innovations [NIDA, USA]
Policy Statement—Alcohol Use by Youth and Adolescents: A Pediatric Concern
Pediatricians should be knowledgeable about substance abuse to
be able to recognize risk factors for alcohol and other substance abuse
among youth, screen for use, provide appropriate brief interventions, and
refer to treatment [American
Academy of Pediatrics]
Legalization will not end the violence
As the situation in Mexico and along U.S. border towns has become desperate, calls for legalization are intensifying [Of Substance Blog, ONDCP, USA]
Indigenous drug services struggling in cities: report
A report has found city-based Indigenous drug and alcohol services are receiving less funding per capita than their rural counterparts [ABC News, Australia]
Indigenous-specific alcohol and other drug interventions - 13 April
Nationwide Review of Investment into Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Programs [ANCD, Australia]
Alcohol Drug Helpline Welcomes New Alac Television Advertisements
The Alcohol Drug Helpline has welcomed the new series of television advertisements urging people to have the conversation if they are concerned about the drinking of someone they care about [Scoop, New Zealand]
Afghan farmers reap cannabis harvest worth £61m
Afghanistan, already the world's top opium supplier, is now the world's biggest producer of cannabis, according to United Nations drug experts [Belfast Telegraph, UK]
Marines try unorthodox tactics to disrupt Afghan opium harvest
By confiscating tools from migrant workers, compensating poppy farmers who plow under their fields and collaborating with Drug Enforcement Administration personnel to raid collection sites [Washington Post, USA]