DS Daily - 5th September 2011 |
 |
Heroin and crack addiction falls by 25,000
Britain's drug problem is on the wane according to figures which show that the number of heroin and crack users is down and their average age is rising | Independent, UK
Attitudes need to change for drug addict numbers to fall even lower
It represents a challenge to the view being propagated by the Conservatives, who are opposed to maintenance therapy – keeping addicts on methadone. They don't want maintenance therapy – they want a cure. Professor David Nutt | Independent, UK
'Legal highs' prevalence makes ban policy 'ridiculous'
Prohibition approach is 'irrational' say experts as one new synthetic psychoactive substance appears every week | Guardian, UK
How drugs snuffed out Freddy McConnel's brilliant young life
Told in his own vividly moving words | Daily Mail, UK
Drink and Drugs News
September issue - Featuring: Group Dynamic - School of hard knocks - Time to aim high and more | DDN, UK
Positive for Youth discussion papers
The Government is developing a new cross-Government policy statement on services for young people, to be published in the autumn | Department of Education, UK
Evaluation of the Alcohol Identification and Brief Advice Work in Emergency Departments across Manchester
In order to support the future development of the IBA programme, NHS Manchester commissioned an evaluation of the IBA programme | Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University, UK
One on every corner
The relationship between off-licence density and alcohol harms in young people | Alcohol Concern, UK
Alcohol Concerns blames too many off-licences for under-age drinking
Study shows the number of off-licences locally has impact on young people ending up in hospital for drink-related problems | Guardian, UK
Shocking figures show how alcohol is fuelling violence
Three out of four violent crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol in some parts of Scotland | Daily Express, UK
Women drinkers 'given a bad press'
Report highlights double standards in the way media portray young people and celebrities | Independent, UK
Ban on bulk buy cuts drinks price
Tough new laws coming into force next month to tackle Scotland’s booze epidemic have inadvertently ended up making alcohol cheaper | Daily Express, UK
New Effectiveness Bank bulletin; alcohol treatment requirements
The latest Effectiveness Bank bulletin highlights alcohol treatment requirements imposed by British courts on problem-drinking offenders. Without a randomised control group, none of the studies could securely pin down impacts, but what they have been able to show is modestly promising | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK
Drink and drugs survey for Bristol
Aground breaking survey on alcohol and drug use to help improve services in Bristol has been launched this week online. Check out the survey here | Heart Radio, UK
New guidance from DCLG aims to prevent local authorities from making disproportionate cuts to the voluntary sector
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) have today issued their Best Value Guidance which sets out some expectations of the way local authorities should work with voluntary and community groups when making funding decisions | National Council for Voluntary Organisations, UK
Citizens Advice cuts threaten the most vulnerable
Impending cutbacks mean Citizens Advice cannot offer help and advice when it is needed most | Guardian, UK
Charities must use statistics truthfully
Being caught quoting unreliable data can damage any organisation's reputation, says Motiver's principal consultant | Guardian, UK
Norway drugs panel says no to heroin scheme
A research panel has rejected proposals to provide drug addicts with free heroin to try to end dependence | The Foreigner, Norway
A third of Europeans are suffering from a mental disorder in any one year
Research finds 164m people have problems such as depression and anxiety with men more likely to become alcohol-dependent | Guardian, UK
Signalling as policy
Perhaps the point of the drug-testing program was for Florida's government to signal its disapproval of poor people using drugs | The Economist
More Deadly Than Irene
The Obama administration, so proud of its "contingency planning" for Hurricane Irene, appears blind to the growing "drug storm" already overwhelming our southern neighbors | FOX NEWS, USA
California bill banning alcohol sales at self-checkout stands advances
Advocates of the measure say it would make it harder for teens to buy beer, wine and liquor | LA Times, USA
Mexican President Vows to Continue Drug Gang Crackdown
Mexico's president is vowing to fight to the last day of his term against the drug cartels that have spread insecurity and taken over towns and police forces across Mexico | Voice of America
Assessing the social climate of Australian prisons
This research is based on the premise that the social climate of a prison will exert a profound influence on rehabilitative outcomes - Download | Australian Institute of Criminology
Public split on cheap alcohol stuns expert
The public are almost evenly split on whether supermarkets should be able to offer wine at rock-bottom prices by selling at below cost, the latest Herald DigiPoll survey shows | New Zealand Herald
Decision-makers back concept of tobacco-free NZ by 2025
Research led by the University of Otago, Wellington shows that senior officials, health practitioners, decision-makers and opinion-leaders support bold new ways of thinking being explored to achieve a tobacco-free New Zealand | Scoop, New Zealand
The ethics and effectiveness of coerced treatment of drug users
A paper presented at the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing, 6-7 September 2011 | Alex Stevens
In Russia, Harsh Remedy for Addiction Gains Favor
The treatment center does not handcuff addicts to their beds anymore. But caged together on double-decker bunks with no way out, they have no choice but to endure the agonies of withdrawal, the first step in a harsh, coercive approach to drug treatment that has gained wide support in Russia | New York Times, USA
4-Methylmethcathinone (mephedrone)
Neuropharmacological effects of a designer stimulant of abuse | PubMed