DS Daily - 5th December 2011

The coping game

Services find it difficult to cater for clients with multiple needs and dual diagnosis, so it’s little wonder that families struggle. Oliver French looks at how we can help with their supporting role | Drink and Drugs News, UK

Profile: William White

From his 40 years of experience in the US addictions field, this pivotal figure in the recovery movement tells DDN what he thinks the sector’s future might look like | Drink and Drugs News, UK

Magazine Features

A full list of features from the latest magazine | Drink and Drugs News, UK

Addicts may face 30 mile trip to get specialist treatment

The drug and alcohol service inpatient detox service for five south-west London boroughs, including Kingston, has been retendered and won by Sussex Partnership NHS Mental Health Trust based in Crawley | Surrey Comet, UK

Ecstasy's back

As two clubbers die after taking the rave-culture drug, it's now deadlier than ever | Daily Mail, UK

'Stay away from drugs' pleads family of 21-year-old killed by 'tainted ecstasy' at all-night rave

The family of a young man who died after apparently taking tainted ecstasy while out raving today asked young people to stay away from drugs | Daily Mail, UK

Drug-driver test kit for police overdue, admits Cameron

Passengers and pedestrians could be protected by a new law, but roadside equipment is delayed | Independent, UK

A debate on drug legalisation

The overall view of Tory members in the latest ConservativeHome survey and these are the results | Conservative Home, UK

New health figures spark cause for concern

The number of hospital admissions for people in their early 30s with alcoholic liver disease has increased by more than 400% in the North East – the national increase stands at 61% | Balance, UK

Open letter from North East liver specialists

By preventing the alcohol industry from reaching children and young people through TV, social networking sites, under 18 films in the cinema and sponsorship of sporting and youth events, we begin to make drinking early and in large quantities less normal and less acceptable | Balance, UK

Nurses’ leader makes call for stricter rules on alcohol sales

A nurses’ leader has insisted that “robust regulation” is needed for the sale of alcohol after new figures showed that liver disease among those in their 30s has increased by more than 400% in the region | Journal Live, UK

The Care Quality Commission

There is a gap between what the public and providers expect of the Care Quality Commission and what it can achieve as a regulator. The Commission and the Department of Health should make clear what successful regulation of this critical sector would look like. Full report - summary | The Audit Office, UK

Patients' NHS records could be shared with private firms

Private health firms could be given access to anonymous NHS patient records and other NHS data, under plans to be unveiled by David Cameron | BBC, UK

Trends in HIV and hepatitis C virus infections among injecting drug users in Europe, 2005 to 2010

Data on newly diagnosed HIV infections and HIV prevalence in 2005 to 2010 suggest falling infection rates in injecting drug users (IDUs) in the European Union (EU). However, recent increases in HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rates in IDUs suggest increasing injecting risks in some countries | Eurosurveillance

Drug-related deaths and deaths among drug users in Ireland in 2009

The number of heroin-related deaths increased by 20% in 2009. The latest figures from the National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) show a total of 3,334 deaths in the six-year period 2004 to 2009. Of these deaths, 2,015 were due to poisoning and 1,319 were deaths of drug users arising from traumatic or medical causes - Download | Health Research Board, Ireland

Increase in deaths related to heroin use

The figures, published today, show that over a six-year period the number of drug-related deaths increased by more than 50 per cent, from 422 in 2004 to 638 in 2009 | Irish Times

Alcohol sponsorship - Advertise responsibly

An attempt is to be made this evening at the annual convention of the Mayo GAA to ban alcohol sponsorship logos from the Mayo inter-county jersey | Irish Examiner

Peace, love and Oxytocin

The 'cuddle chemical' can make people more trusting and forgiving. But it can't overcome the power of social context - Robert M. Sapolsky, professor of neuroscience, Stanford University | LA Times, USA

D.E.A. Launders Mexican Profits of Drug Cartels

Undercover American narcotics agents have laundered or smuggled millions of dollars in drug proceeds as part of Washington’s expanding role in Mexico’s fight against drug cartels, according to current and former federal law enforcement officials | New York Times, USA

Launch of Australia’s first overdose management program

A program has been developed and will be implemented to expand the availability of naloxone (Narcan ®) in the ACT | ATODA, Australia

Child Protection and Mothers in Substance Abuse Treatment

This report presents the major findings from the Child Protection and Mothers in Substance Abuse Treatment study, a three-year study funded by NSW Community Services, Department of Family and Community Services, and the University of New South Wales | NDARC, Australia

Addicts aren't necessarily bad mothers, study finds

Many mothers with a history of serious drug use are still capable of caring for their children, given the right support, a new study has found. But most mothers in the state's methadone programs were not getting the services they needed | Sydney Morning Herald, Australia