DS Daily - 5th July 2010 |
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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]
Board meeting and papers - 6 July 2010
These papers include a new draft introduction to the NTA's Business Plan for 2010/11, which is being revised in the light of the coalition government's priorities and programme [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]
Drugs, alcohol and criminal justice conference
DDN hears how services throughout Europe are trying to implement the best harm reduction practice in their criminal justice systems [Drink and Drugs News, UK]
Warning shots
Inside learning - Time for a critical look at our prisons. Also other magazine features [Drink and Drugs News, UK]
Number of injections
It's a standard question on most assessments in drug services, asked in lots of different ways. "How often do you inject?", "Number of injections per day?" etc.But, why ask it? And how would a worker react if someone was really honest about the answer? [Injecting Advice, UK]
Ministers declare war on Britain's tranquilliser crisis
Decades of over-prescribing by GPs of drugs such as Valium have created 1.5 million 'involuntary addicts' [Independent, UK]
MSers new medicine – Sativex
A couple of weeks ago Sativex finally got its licence and is now a fully approved medicine which can be prescribed to MS sufferers – “MSers” as they like to be known [UKCIA]
Britain faces drink, drugs and obesity health crisis
Figures show large jump in obesity as well as drink and drug-related deaths, although life expectancy continues to rise [Guardian, UK]
Drug addict's £27,000 for prison kidney stone error
A drug addict has been awarded £27,000 in compensation after his kidney stones, which were caused by his addiction, weren't treated properly in prison [Daily Mail, UK]
War veterans should be helped to adjust to civilian life, say MPs
Giving those returning from combat a psychological assessment before they leave the service, with special attention to alcohol or drug issues [Guardian, 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]
Soaring rates of alcoholism set to cost £3.7 billion
A new report from the charity Alcohol Concern has exposed a 24% rise in levels of moderate and severe alcohol dependency in England and found that the cost to the public sector could be as high as £3.7 billion per year if dependent drinkers are not supported to cut their drinking [Alcohol Concern, UK]
If alcoholics 'outnumber drug addicts by four to one', why is it so hard for them to get treatment?
The number of alcoholics in England has gone up by a quarter, if the charity Alcohol Concern is to be believed. A report finds there are now 1.6 million “dependent drinkers”, to use their term, in England [Daily Telegraph, UK]
Options to ban below-cost alcohol
The Government has put forward four options to ban below-cost selling of alcohol and is planning to take the proposals to a public consultation within weeks, it has been reported [Daily Express, UK]
Parents' drinking scares 30 per cent of children according to new survey
Half of children think they have seen their parents drunk, according to a survey published today [Daily Mail, UK]
Victoria court offers new hope for addicts
Offenders must agree to supervision [Vancouver Sun, Canada]
Judge Rules Pa. Board Must Answer Nurse's Methadone Suit
In a groundbreaking case that could help to define the rights of recovering drug addicts, a federal judge in Scranton has ruled that the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing must answer a lawsuit that says the agency has a secret, unwritten policy that forbids any nurse from holding a license while receiving methadone treatment for a chronic opioid addiction [LAW.COM, USA]