DS Daily - 17th August 2011

Treatment for addiction is bringing drug use down, not pushing it up

The outlook isn't 'grim'. The number of heroin and crack addicts is falling - Paul Hayes | Guardian, UK

Alert over strong mephedrone drug in Bracknell Forest

Drugs counsellors in Berkshire are urging users of the illegal drug mephedrone to seek help after a strong batch was reported in the area | BBC, UK

‘Alarming rise’ of hepatitis C virus in East Lancashire

The Health Protection Agency figures are based mainly on estimates of injecting drug users - the most common risk factor for the disease | Lancashire Telegraph, UK

New improved cannabis, now with genetic modifications

Smugglers are updating their methods of cultivation and producing a more potent supply | Guardian, UK

Scarborough teenage drinkers targeted by new scheme

Young drinkers are being targeted by a new project in Scarborough aimed at cutting their alcohol consumption | BBC, UK

Quitting smoking with NHS

Number of attempts to quit smoking with NHS help in England more than trebles on a decade ago | NHS Information Centre, UK

Statistics on Smoking: England, 2011

A list of resources | NHS Information Centre, UK

Call for cigarette packaging to be changed over risk posed to women

Health experts have made urgent calls to change the way cigarettes are packaged after a study found that women smokers were more at risk of heart disease | Wales Online, UK

Shelter's annual report

Find out how Shelter responded to the deepening of the housing crisis | Shelter, UK

Convicted drugs baron on the run

A drugs baron and convicted fraudster has once again gone on the run, police have confirmed | Daily Express, UK

France and marijuana: an altered state

Should the French government consider legalising cannabis? Economist Pierre Kopp and a Swiss grower share their views with Le Monde journalist Laetitia Clavreul | Guardian, UK

Drug Concern's Tracy Rear says Guernsey drug use has changed

Tracy Rear, from Drug Concern, said that over the last 14 years she has been dealing with an increasing number of young people | BBC, UK

Reducing Drug Use and Building a Healthier America

Champions of Change isn’t just an initiative to highlight innovative achievements and stellar performers, it’s a chance to recognize that, across the country, the dedication and commitment of a single individual or organization can affect huge positive change | ONDCP, USA

Probuphine

Titan Pharmaceuticals Provides Additional Positive Results in Confirmatory Phase 3 Trial of Probuphine | Wall Street Journal, USA

Tobacco firms sue FDA over new graphic warnings

Four of the five largest U.S. tobacco companies sued the federal government Tuesday over new graphic cigarette labels that include the sewn-up corpse of a smoker and a picture of diseased lungs, saying the warnings violate their free speech rights and will cost millions of dollars to print | Seattle PI, USA