DS Daily - 7th April 2011 |
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FundingWatch: Drug and alcohol treatment and supporting recovery
DrugScope is monitoring the impact of changes in commissioning, funding and spending cuts effecting the drug and alcohol sector and other services important for supporting recovery. If your service is not effected, we want to hear from you if cuts elsewhere are impacting on your work and/or service users. Please complete our online survey – all information will be confidential | DrugScope, UK
Funding for 2011/12 substance misuse services in prisons
Joint letter from Department of Health, National Offender Management Service and National Treatment Agency confirming funding allocations for substance misuse services in adult prisons in England for 2011/12. The Department of Health became responsible for these services in April 2011 | Department of Health, UK
Funding for 2011/12 substance misuse specialist interventions and treatment in the Children and Young People’s Secure Estate
The 2010 Spending Review transferred responsibility for substance misuse services in adult prisons in England to the Department of Health from April 2011. This letter confirms new responsibilities and funding allocations for 2011/12 | Department of Health, UK
The first Substance Misuse Skills Consortium Conference
‘An inspirational recovery-orientated drug and alcohol workforce: how to deliver the Drug Strategy commitments’, the Substance Misuse Skills Consortium’s first national conference, will take place in London on Monday 6 June 2011 | Skills Consortium, UK
Long-term ecstasy use 'raises risk of brain damage and Alzheimer's'
Dutch researchers find that the hippocampus of long-term ecstasy users is 10.5% smaller than peers who don't use drug | Guardian, UK
City bars are winning war on drug use
The results of our test echo figures released by the Oxfordshire Drugs and Alcohol Team, which show the number of people being treated for addiction to the drug in Oxford fell from 121 in 2009 to 80 last year | Oxford Mail, UK
How does the DfE support Drug Education?
The Minister's answer raises three questions | Drug Education Forum, UK
Reducing underage alcohol harm in Accident and Emergency settings
The new briefing paper outlines simple steps that A&E departments can take to identify ‘at risk’ young drinkers in order to provide them with access to appropriate early interventions at times when they are more receptive to advice - press release | Alcohol Concern, UK
Garage drink ruling backed
A leading lawyer has hit back at claims by road safety campaigners that letting motorists buy alcohol at garages will cause more drink-driving cases | The Herald, Scotland, UK
Money woes 'linked to rise in depression'
Economic problems may be fuelling a rise in depression in England, it has been suggested | BBC, UK
Opposition forces DH to reject payment by results scheme
The government has rejected a national payment by results scheme for adult social care after it faced unanimous opposition from sector leaders | Community Care, UK
National Drug Conference 2010: Scott Kellogg
Scott Kellogg: Gradualism and the building of the Harm Reduction-Recovery Continuum - Video | Drugs.ie, Ireland
Analysis of opioid prescription practices finds areas of concern
NIH report could lead to improved strategies for pain management | NIDA, USA
National Study Confirms Teen Drug Use Trending in Wrong Direction
Following a decade of steady declines, a new national study released today indicates that teen drug and alcohol use is headed in the wrong direction, with marked increases in teen use of marijuana and Ecstasy over the past three years | Partnership at Drugfree.org, USA
Synthetic drugs that mimic pot, cocaine, other drugs send thousands to hospitals
An Associated Press analysis shows that the substances are increasingly causing users to fall seriously ill, with some suffering seizures and hallucinations | Washington Post, USA
Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental and Substance Use Disorders
What's Working, What's Needed? | SAMHSA, USA
Mexicans march against drug violence
Protest marches have been held in more than 20 cities across Mexico against the drug-related violence sweeping the country | BBC, UK
Fifty nine bodies found in pits in Mexican mass grave
The graves were found in the township of San Fernando, in the same area where the bodies of 72 migrants were found shot to death in August | Guardian, UK
Restore - Family Support Program
A voluntary program targeting families and carers of people with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse issues who have had contact with the criminal justice system | Australian Community Support Organisation
Evaluation of the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and GPs through the Medicare Benefits Schedule initiative
This comprehensive evaluation assessed the overall appropriateness, effectiveness and impact of the Better Access initiative | Australian Government
Cigarette packaging likely to go plain
New Zealand is likely to follow Australia's lead on requiring tobacco to be sold in plain packaging, Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia says | Stuff.co , New Zealand
Opioid substitution therapy in resource-poor settings
One of the most consistent findings in both high-income and resource-poor settings is that the more time injecting drug users spend on opioid substitution therapy, the better the outcomes and the less they are likely to engage in high risk behaviours | World Health Organization
Drugs and development – caught in a vicious cycle
As we mark the 50th anniversary of the global war on drugs, the world can no longer ignore the intricate links between narcotics, development and conflict | Guardian, UK