DS Daily - 9th February 2012

Strengthening partnerships to tackle multiple needs and exclusions

South West regional learning event in Taunton on Tuesday 6th March - This event, one of a national series from MEAM, is being held jointly with Homeless Link so that delegates may examine responses to multiple needs and exclusions alongside the No Second Night Out (NSNO) standard and how this can be used effectively to reducing rough sleeping” | MEAM, UK

EC deny backing for Scotland's minimum alcohol price plan

A Scottish government claim that it had EU backing for plans to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol has been denied by the European Commission | BBC, UK

Weekend alcohol sales equals more weekend alcohol-related harm

International research from developed nations reviewed for a national US task force offers some support for the belief that allowing or disallowing Saturday or Sunday alcohol sales affects drinking and alcohol-related harm | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK

Late opening for pubs and bars aggravates alcohol-related harm

UK research is inconclusive, but international research from developed nations reviewed for a national US task force supports the belief that increasing on-licence opening hours leads to more drinking and more alcohol-related harm | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK

Westminster debate on the Alcohol Strategy

Dr. Sarah Wollaston MP led a debate on the government's upcoming Alcohol Strategy in Westminster Hall, bringing together many of the alcohol harm issues that the government must address. Read the debate on They Work for You: Part 1 and Part 2 | Alcohol Concern, UK

Police target gangs in raids across London

Hundreds of Met officers aim to track down gang members as part of new Trident gang command | Guardian, UK

Rough sleeping

Commons Library Standard Note | Parliament, UK

The new face of public services? It could be you

Move over traditional providers - spending cuts mean we'll all be playing a bigger part in our communities | Guardian, UK

3,334 drug deaths in just six years

The annual number of drug-related deaths recorded in 2009 in the National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) fell slightly to 638, compared to 641 in 2008, although the 2009 figure is likely to be revised upwards when new data become available | Irish Medical Times

Drug gangs move into growhouse industry

Local drugs gangs have forged partnerships with Chinese criminals to exploit the burgeoning market in growhouse cannabis | Independent, Ireland

Groups launch attack on alcohol report

Sparks flew at the launch of a Government expert group’s report on alcohol, as representatives of the drinks industry accused the group of "effectively suppressing" its views and labelled members of being "ideologically prejudiced" | Irish Examiner

RCPI welcomes Recommendations on Alcohol Misuse

Welcoming the recommendations, Prof John Crowe, President of RCPI, said, “The damaging effects of Ireland’s dysfunctional relationship with alcohol simply cannot be ignored. I am deeply disturbed by the increasing number of patients dying from end-stage alcoholic liver disease, and what is particularly shocking is how young these patients are, and how many of them are young women" | Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

Chief Medical Officer ask doctors to participate in the public debate on alcohol

Following the publication yesterday of the National Substance Misuse Strategy Steering Group Report, Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer and Chair of the group has asked the various medical colleges, the HSE and the Defence Forces to disseminate a letter to all doctors in Ireland asking them to get involved in the debate on alcohol | Department of Health, Ireland

Standards and guidelines for practices

This page contains a listing of national drug prevention guidelines and standards in Europe. The title, the methodological basis and the types of treatment covered by each guideline are provided, along with a download link where available | EMCDDA

Citywide letter to Minister Shothall - reverse the cuts!

As you are aware the special ring fenced FAS Community Employment projects underpin the National Rehab Strategy and have been a mainstay in delivering rehabilitation in local communities since 1995 ... The measures proposed in this budget will have a devastating impact on these projects and on the implementation of the national drugs strategy | City Wide, Ireland

Mexican army finds 15 tons of pure methamphetamine

Mexican troops have made an historic seizure of 15 tons of pure methamphetamine in the western state of Jalisco | SF Gate, USA

Drug gangs concoting substitutes

Criminal syndicates were getting people with chemistry skills to concoct new legal synthetic drugs, police said on Tuesday, as the State Government announced a ban on selling a substance used a substitute for cocaine or methamphetamine | The West Australian