DS Daily - 18th November 2010 |
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A harm reduction approach to drug use is still relevant
A new government means a new strategy on drug use. But decision-makers are putting politics before evidence, says Professor Gerry Stimson [Guardian, UK]
Budget - health
Invest a further £42 million in tackling the health and wider social issues associated with alcohol misuse [Scottish Government, UK]
SDF fears for "wraparound" support despite frontline services escaping Scottish budget cuts
Funding for frontline drug treatment services in Scotland have escaped a budget cut next year - Scottish Government's Drugs and Community Safety Division has confirmed in a letter [SDF, UK]
Accidental sharing
This is the third of the articles on 'sharing issues' and this time I'm going to be looking at accidental sharing risks [Injecting Advice, UK]
Concateno announces global preview for new portable drug testing system
With widespread applications across the healthcare and criminal justice sectors, the new device incorporates a number of additional features and benefits, including a new ergonomic design with full colour display screen, faster collection times, and improved sensitivity for THC, allowing lower levels to be detected [Concateno]
New FEAD videos - Fergus McNeill
Fergus McNeill is Professor of Criminology & Social Work at the University of Glasgow [FEAD, UK]
Caring and Campaigning - video
Members of Manchester Carers Group share their thoughts and experiences of caring and campaigning for those affected by addiction [Inexcess TV, UK]
GP services for the homeless targeted by social enterprise
Primary care access for the vulnerable and homeless is one of 32 proposed social enterprises in the third wave of a government scheme enabling NHS staff to break away from the health service [Healthcare Republic, UK]
Children at risk as gangs use innocent neighbours' gardens to stash drugs
Crime gangs are increasingly using the gardens of unsuspecting neighbours to stash guns and drugs, so that if they are found they cannot be traced back to them [The Scotsman, UK]
£7m cost of treating addiction
More than 5,500 people were receiving care at the start of March, the Department of Health said [Belfast Telegraph]
Brief interventions not yet 'routine practice'
A study published in the Drug and Alcohol Review journal explores the limited extent of routine brief interventions in the UK, despite extensive evidence of their effectiveness [Alcohol Policy UK]
Alcohol awareness offered in Leicester to replace fines
People caught being drunk and disorderly in Leicester could be offered alcohol awareness classes instead of on-the-spot fines [BBC, UK]
Health board launched attack on store planning to cut drink sales
Scotland’s largest health board has issued an apology for a gaffe during a licensing board meeting when it objected to plans by a supermarket to reduce its alcohol display by almost half [The Herald, Scotland, UK]
Vary VAT on alcohol: a more palatable way to achieve minimum pricing?
Letter - Nick Sheron, head of clinical hepatology, University
of Southampton
[BMJ, UK]
Indicators on breastfeeding and smoking
The percentage of mothers smoking at delivery in England was 13.3% in 2010/11 Quarter 2, lower than the 2009/10 [Department of Health, UK]
The low-pay, no-pay cycle: Understanding recurrent poverty
How and why do people become trapped in a long-term cycle of low-paid jobs and unemployment? [Joseph Rowntree Foundation, UK]
Making criminal justice statistics more transparent
Making criminal justice statistics more transparent and user friendly is the aim of a consultation launched yesterday [Ministry of Justice, UK]
Adolescents cannot be ‘inoculated’ against taking drugs and alcohol
Instead, teenagers must be supported and empowered to build their own capacity and to manage risks, said Dr Dermot Stokes, national coordinator of Youthreach, the education system for early school-leavers [Irish Examiner]
Parents' attitude to teenage drinking criticised
Parents have never been more indifferent about teenage drinking despite clear evidence that such alcohol abuse can affect a young person’s brain development, a seminar has been told [Irish Times]
Drug addicts petition privatization of methadone centers
There are serious drawbacks in transferring responsibility for drug addicts to the private sector, petitioners say [Jerusalem Post, Israel]
Mandatory minimums for drug crimes are a giant step backward for Canada
In its newest iteration as Bill S-10, the draft legislation has already survived a second reading and has a very good chance of becoming law [Globe and mail, Canada]
Pharmacy puts stop to needle distribution
A Pandora Avenue pharmacy has stopped distributing needles in an area frequented by drug dealing and street crime, say Victoria police [Times Colonist, Canada]
Internet Tobacco Advertising to Face New Tough Restrictions
Prohibiting retailers from peddling cigarettes as ‘cheap’ or ‘tax-free’ on the internet is the latest step in the Australian Government’s hard hitting and comprehensive action to reduce Australia’s smoking rates [Ministry for Health and Ageing, Australia]
National Opioid Substitution Treatment Providers Training Programme
This publication is designed to be used in conjunction with training workshops provided by the New Zealand Association of Opioid Treatment Providers [Ministry of Health, New Zealand]
California vote postpones rethink on global drugs trade
Those arguing for a shift away from a prohibition-based approach had hoped that the passage of Proposition 19, combined with the desire to reduce US correctional budgets, might serve as a catalyst for a process of global change. That now seems unlikely for the foreseeable future [International Institute For Strategic Studies]
A life in free fall: a Russian drug addict's story - Part 2
In Russia drug addicts are seen as scum: the sooner they die, the better [Open Democracy]