DS Daily - 19th March 2010 |
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Guardian Daily: How dangerous is mephedrone?
Our expert panel discusses the drug mephedrone, its effects and the likelihood of its prohibition, in a special edition of our daily news audio show with Jon Dennis [Guardian, UK]
Rehab Online
Rehab Online is a new directory of residential rehabilitation services in England and Wales for drug and alcohol users ... Service providers who have not already registered with Rehab Online are encouraged to submit their details [Rehab Online, NTA, UK]
Consultation: The Social Security (Welfare Reform Drugs Recovery Pilot Scheme) Regulations 2010
The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) has been asked by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to consider proposals for the Social Security (Welfare Reform Drugs Recovery Pilot Scheme) Regulations 2010. The regulations would introduce a pilot that would run for two years [SSAC, UK]
Like all drugs, miaow-miaow should be legal
Attempting to scare teenagers about the dangers of drugs is pointless: their brains are wired up to take risks [Times, UK]
Legal highs: A game of m-cat and mouse
No sooner is one legal high banned than another appears - the latest facing calls for a bar is mephedrone, or m-cat. It's part of a war of attrition between dealers and the authorities. So how does it all work? [BBC, UK]
Former Metropolitan policeman jailed for drug plot
A former Metropolitan Police detective has been jailed for 22 years for his part in a £200m cocaine-smuggling plot [BBC, UK]
The Government's response to the Health Select Committee's report on alcohol
Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Health. The Health Select Committee report can be downloaded here [The Stationery Office, UK]
Government response to alcohol inquiry criticised as too complacent
While the Secretary of State correctly recognises the huge and costly problems caused by excessive drinking, the Government’s response fails to acknowledge the actions needed to drive down these harms - Don Shenker, CEO [Alcohol Concern, UK]
Government rejects MPs' call for alcohol ad crackdown
The government has today rejected a call from MPs on the Commons health select committee to crack down on alcohol advertising, including a pre-9pm watershed ban, instead backing a policy of education and self-regulation [Guardian, UK]
Public supports tougher stance on drink- and drug-driving
More than half the public want the legal blood-alcohol limit reduced by three quarters, a survey has found [Telegraph, UK]
Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) activity targets healthcare professionals
A new programme of activity is now underway to improve knowledge and understanding of IBA [Alcohol Learning Centre, UK]
Supermarkets push cheap-deal alcopops more than any other drinks
Figures published today reveal 46 per cent of the controversial drinks have been on offer throughout the past year [Daily Mail, UK]
Pints mean jobs
The beer and pub industry contributes £28 billion to the British economy and generates 400,000 UK jobs [Letter - Times, UK]
Brewing chiefs urge end to beer tax regime
Forty leading bosses in the brewing and pub industry have called on the Government to recognise the key role played by pubs in their local communities by scrapping the punitive beer duty regime [Times, UK]
Alcohol binge drinking linked to increased hypomania risk
Young men who report an unstable pattern of alcohol consumption including binge drinking have an elevated risk for experiencing hypomania, study results show [Medwire News]
EU rules delay move to ban deadly drug
A drug linked to the death of two teenage friends will remain legal here until June because the Government cannot fast-track legislation to ban it [Independent, Ireland]
Officials consider drug treatment and clean needles under the same roof
Mixing the two is 'absolutely insane,' addiction recovery expert says [Vancouver Sun, Canada]
Substance Abuse Prevention Dollars and Cents
A Cost-Benefit Analysis [SAMHSA, USA]
White House Shifts Away From ‘War on Drugs’ Rhetoric
Government Moves More Toward Treating Addiction as Illness [Washington Independent, USA]
Opioid Drug Overdoses: A Prescription for Harm and Potential for Prevention
This article reviews the burden of accidental poisonings from opioid overdoses in the United States, describes several current federal- and state-level prevention strategies, and illustrates several approaches taken to prevent deaths from opioid overdoses and reduce emergency department visits for chronic pain [Medscape, USA]
Court rules drug law breaches human rights
Under Section 5 of Victoria's Drugs Act someone is deemed to be in possession of drugs if they own a property where the drugs are found, unless they can prove otherwise [ABC News, Australia]
Australian prisons to be supplied sterile needles
Anex suggests Australia prisons to follow the protocol overseas which had introduced controlled needles and syringe programs (NSPs), as research showed that it can stop new infections and create a safer condition for the inmates, as well as the prison officers [IBT Health, Australia]