DS Daily - 30th June 2011 |
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Supporting recovery: Housing and accommodation survey
The Recovery Partnership (DrugScope, the Substance Misuse Skills Consortium and the Recovery Group UK) is preparing a short paper for the Inter Ministerial Group on Drugs on housing and accommodation for people in treatment and recovery. We would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete this survey | The Recovery Partnership, UK
Social Work Services and Recovery from Substance Misuse: A Review of the Evidence
ADSW launches research on Substance Misuse for practitioners | Association of Directors of Social Work, UK
Drug addicts in London get heroin prescribed by NHS
Drug addicts are being prescribed heroin on the NHS across London, a BBC investigation has revealed | BBC, UK
SUGAR
SUGAR - Service User Groups About Recovery, has progressed from the development of Service User Involvement within Birmingham | Birmingham Drug and Alcohol Action Team, UK
Church investment linked to alcohol
The Church of England could threaten to pull its investments from supermarkets which fail to meet minimum standards on the sale of alcohol as part of a new "carrot-and-stick" policy aimed at cracking down on binge drinking | The Mirror, UK
New group to tackle alcohol problems in Glasgow launched
Council leader Gordon Matheson and Strathclyde Police Chief Constable Stephen House join together to try and deal with the problem | STV, UK
Doctors find 12,000 in Lothians drinking 'hazardous' amounts
As part of NHS Lothian's alcohol brief intervention (ABI) scheme 30,000 were grilled about their consumption when they turned up to hospitals or GP surgeries | Edinburgh Evening News, UK
New report highlights the challenges of managing community assets
A new report highlights the challenges facing community organisations who wish to own or manage assets, such as buildings and land. Full report - Summary | Joseph Rowntree Foundation, UK
Government to close squatters' legal aid loophole
Squatters will no longer get legal aid to fight home owners trying to evict them from their properties, under proposals set out in the Sentencing, Legal Aid and Punishment of Offenders Bill | Justice.gov, UK
New organisation launched to help prevent hepatitis
A new voluntary organisation has been launched to help improve the prevention of the highly-infectious hepatitis B and C viruses | BBC, UK
BMA calls for ban on smoking in cars
Doctors also vote for a minimum price on alcohol and limits on licensing hours at their union's conference in Cardiff | Guardian, UK
Text messages 'help smokers quit'
Supportive text messages can double the chance of someone successfully quitting smoking, according to UK researchers | BBC, UK
Psychiatrists concerned by clear links between alcohol and increased suicide rate in Northern Ireland
The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland has expressed serious concerns at the stark link between alcohol use and the rising suicide rate, which is says underlines the need for minimum pricing for alcohol | Royal College of Psychiatrists
New hurdle in Dutch plan to stop marijuana tourism
The Dutch government's plan to stop tourists from buying marijuana in the Netherlands has apparently been set back after a ruling from the country's top legal advisory body | Boston.com, USA
Cannabis cafe tourist ban can go ahead, says supreme court
There are sufficient legal grounds to allow the cabinet to press ahead with its plans to ban tourists from the country's 500 cannabis cafes, known as coffee shops, the supreme court said | Dutch News, Netherlands
New CASA Report Finds Adolescent Substance Use at Epidemic Levels
A new national study declares teen smoking, drinking, misusing prescription drugs and using illegal drugs a public health problem of epidemic proportions | CASA, USA
Reducing Unjust Cocaine Sentences
Republican lawmakers are trying to compound a longstanding injustice by opposing a proposal that would allow some people sentenced under the original law to apply for reductions in their prison terms | New York Times, USA
Programs May Curb Hepatitis C in Drug Users
Programs that give injection drug users clean needles or safer drug substitutes may help cut their odds of contracting the liver infection hepatitis C, a new study suggests | FOX NEWS, USA
President defends drugs crackdown
Mexican president Felipe Calderon said he feels "misunderstood" in his government's fight against drug trafficking and crime | Daily Express, UK
Coalition takes action to tackle new and dangerous substances such as Kronic
The Coalition Government has introduced new laws into Parliament to enable swift action to ban emerging drugs of concern | Victoria Government, Australia
Alcohol-related dementia
Awareness campaign into alcohol-related dementia opens door to early intervention in SA Aboriginal communities | AERF, Australia
Tobacco loses ally over ads
While Australian anti-smoking campaigns screen around the world, the tobacco industry, once renowned for its slick advertising, has angered a potential ally against government regulation, the wine industry | Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Afghanistan Cannabis Survey 2010
The 2010 survey – based on data from yield studies, satellite imagery and village level interviews with farmers and headmen – found indications of both stability and change relative to the 2009 survey | UNODC
Counterproductive drug policies
International AIDS Society (IAS) urges Russian government to radically reassess counterproductive drug policies which are fueling the country’s HIV epidemic | International AIDS Society, Switzerland