DS Daily - 2nd February 2012

3,000!!

We now have over 3,000 followers of the DrugScope Twitter feed. DS Daily is also sent out free to over 4,500 subscribers every weekday. This success is enabled by the support of our sponsors and advertisers for which we are very grateful. Jim Young, Editor

Briefing paper: Illicit Drugs and Public Health in 2012

This paper sets out some of the issues and challenges for the delivery of drug interventions in the new public health system | UKDPC

Drug Decriminalization in the UK

Is there a disconnect between politicians and the public? | Open Society Foundations, USA

New wing opens at Wayland prison to help prevent supply of drugs

A new drug-free wing has been opened at the category C training prison near Watton to combat illegal substances on the site, which currently holds just over 1,000 men | EDP24, UK

Operation Julie

In 1977, police forces from across England and Wales closed down a multi-million pound LSD manufacturing ring, in "Operation Julie ... It was a story of a clash of cultures, and marked the beginning of the end for the British underground. Jolyon Jenkins talks to both sides | BBC Radio 4, UK

Alcohol abuse has reached crisis point in Britain

As the House of Lords debates how to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, we need strong, coherent action now | Guardian, UK

Tackling alcohol misuse: Should abstinence be our preferred approach?

A new report which argues that people with alcohol problems must be offered effective support and treatment to meet their individual needs, an ‘individual person-centred journey’ as the Government’s drug strategy would describe it | British Liver Trust

Learning from devolution: Looking across the border on alcohol policy

The big debate on alcohol is what to do, if anything, on pricing. On alcohol, as with much public policy of late, English eyes will be trained across the border | The King's Fund, UK

Sturgeon vows final vote on minimum alcohol price

Ms Sturgeon has conceded the new legislation could be open to legal challenge but said this is no different from any legislation coming out of the Scottish Parliament | The Herald, Scotland, UK

Cheshire's ACC calls for action concerning young people's drinking levels

Cheshire Police are issuing a warning to parents, teachers and other adults who have a responsibility to educate young people about the harm alcohol can cause | Cheshire Constabulary, UK

City's alcohol admissions high

Bristol has more people hospitalised with alcohol-related problems than anywhere in the south west, according to a new report | This is Bristol, UK

PLCs should publish policies on alcohol, says Alcohol Concern

Public listed companies should have to outline their policy on their staff's alcohol use as an explicit requirement, according to Alcohol Concern | Personnel Today, UK

Public asked for their views on Commissioning Outcomes Framework

Anyone with an interest in health is invited to have their say on potential indicators for the proposed Commissioning Outcomes Framework (COF), which will be used to improve the quality of commissioned health services and drive up standards of patient care across England | NICE, UK

Impact of welfare reform on housing

A report examined the implications for social housing providers of the coalition government's proposed 'reforms' of housing benefit | Consortium of Associations in the South East, UK

Health and Social Care Bill

Statement from the President and Honorary Officers of the Royal College of Psychiatrists on the Health and Social Care Bill | Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK

Members' Survey: Health and Social Care Bill

This survey aimed to gauge the opinions of members of the UK Colleges on the Health and Social Care Bill | Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK

Bitesized Briefing on Localism

What does localism mean? - What are the reforms? - Public Health England - Health and Wellbeing Boards - Community Budgets - How do the reforms affect drug and alcohol services? | DrugScope, UK

Professor Sylvia Walby reports on the impact of cuts on violence against women services

A report by leading academic Professor Sylvia Walby, UNESCO Chair in Gender Research, and Jude Towers at Lancaster University, raises concern about the implications of public expenditure reductions for the provision of local violence against women services | Trust for London, UK

The IFS Green Budget

By the end of 2011–12 a mere 6% of the planned cuts to non-investment public service spending will have been implemented - Download | The Institute for Fiscal Studies, UK

Patients' brains may adapt to ADHD medication

New research reveals how the brain appears to adapt to compensate for the effects of long-term ADHD medication, suggesting why ADHD medication is more effective short-term than it is long-term | Institute of Psychiatry, UK

Wales cigarette vending machine sale ban begins

A ban on cigarette vending machines has come into force in Wales to make it harder for young people to buy tobacco | BBC, UK

Voyage of Recovery sailing for drug and alcohol addicts

Alcohol and drug addicts could be offered a rehabilitation programme sailing around the coast of Britain | BBC, UK

Calgary cops consider ecstasy amnesty following deaths

As members of the Calgary Police Commission met Tuesday, Commissioner Charles Pratt raised the possibility of offering an amnesty to quell a spate of fatal overdoses linked to a tainted version of the party drug | Toronto Sun, Canada

Police say No to drug amnesty

Calgary police say they will not support a drug amnesty that was proposed in an effort to get PMMA laced Ecstasy off of city streets | CTV, Canada

Statement regarding “drug amnesty”

The CPS does not have the jurisdiction to offer any type of blanket amnesty, as the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act is federal legislation | City of Calgary, Canada

Marijuana legalization on the November ballot in Washington state

Efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use are gaining momentum in Washington state and Colorado, despite fierce opposition from the federal government and a decades-long cultural battle over America’s most commonly used illicit drug | National Post, Canada