DS Daily - 13th February 2012 |
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Survey for those who work with people affected by substance misuse
The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA), in partnership with The Children's Society, is asking those who work with people affected by substance misuse, whether in treatment services or children and family services, to take part in a short anonymous survey - closes on Friday 9 March 2012 | NTA, UK
Ending gang and youth violence - detailed report
The report looks into the scale of the problem of gang and youth violence, analyses its causes, and identifies what can be done by government and other agencies to stop the violence and to turn around the lives of those involved | Home Office, UK
Ecstasy and drink warning after Manchester clubbers taken to hospital
Four clubbers were taken to hospital after mixing alcohol with the illegal drug ecstasy in Manchester | BBC, UK
Concern over 10 Tayside drugs deaths
Ten people have died in Tayside since 1 January after suspected overdoses of illegal drugs, police have revealed | BBC, UK
Health alert over drug sold as 'safe ketamine'
Experts challenge claims that legal high 'mexxy' does not have side-effects | Independent, UK
The role of GPs in the recovery process
A collaboration with the Substance Misuse Management in General Practice -- SMMGP - which recognised the potential for this film to be an engagement tool for GPs beyond those at the two project sites. You Tube video from | RSA, UK
Welsh rehab centres 'face closure' through lack of clients
Welsh government figures show nearly half the 91 people in Wales referred for rehab last year went to England, despite beds available in Wales | BBC, UK
Cannabis mini-factories on the rise, police warn
DIY cannabis farms are popping up in homes across the nation as more and more users turn to growing the illegal drug for cash | Wales Online, UK
Alcohol pricing plans ‘need Brussels ruling’
Plans to impose a minimum unit price on all alcohol in Scotland should be sent to Brussels for legal judgment before the SNP attempt to pass the legislation in parliament, the European Commission has warned | The Scotsman, UK
Prisons tackle alcohol abuse
A major drive to tackle alcohol abuse among prisoners is being launched in prisons in the Lothians | The Scotsman, UK
Nurse advice cuts binge drinking in Cardiff University project
Nurses will be trained to help patients with alcohol problems across Wales after a pilot project led to about a quarter of people cutting drinking | BBC, UK
US-style alcohol tests to be used for problem drinkers
The pilot scheme has been given the go-ahead by the Ministry of Justice to use a concept copied from South Dakota, US | BBC, UK
Rough sleeping figures rocket across England
Significant numbers of councils saw their rough sleeping figures rise by more than 100 per cent last year | Inside Housing, UK
What partners need to know
Booklet providing information on the way partners can work with police and crime commissioners, the wider effects of policing reforms and advice on what local leaders can do to prepare for the change | Home Office, UK
Future insecure
In response to the YJB’s decision to decommission more beds in secure children’s homes, the U R Boss project has released a briefing, Future Insecure, which calls for decisions to be based on evidence of effectiveness and safety, rather than simply cost | Howard League for Penal Reform, UK
Essex council unveils plans for social impact bonds
Essex council has confirmed plans to use social impact bonds to fund intensive and community-based work with families and children on the edge of care or custody | Community Care, UK
A4e got welfare-to-work contract despite 'abysmal' record, MPs say
The record of welfare-to-work company A4e has come under scrutiny from MPs, as they questioned why a company with an "abysmal" record of delivering government programmes had been awarded new contracts to provide the coalition's Work Programme when it launched last summer | Guardian, UK
Public Audit Committee publishes overview report on criminal justice system
The success or value for money of services to reduce reoffending in Scotland cannot be determined based on the data currently gathered by the Government, says a parliamentary report | Scottish Parliament, UK
Computers replace counsellors for depressed patients
Thousands of patients suffering from anxiety or depression will be offered counselling by computer under a controversial move that could see the end of the traditional therapist’s couch | The Scotsman, UK
Women's prisons in desperate need of reform, says former governor
Clive Chatterton condemns 'suffering' of vulnerable inmates, calling on government to pursue alternatives to short sentences | Observer, UK
A heavy hand is not the answer
The relationship between alcohol and sport is back under the spotlight following the publication last week of the latest study into substance abuse | Independent, Ireland
Sweden approves medical 'marijuana'
Medicinal cannabis is now available as a prescription medicine in Sweden after the Medical Products Agency (Läkemedelsverket) approved a cannabis-based mouth spray for the treatment of multiple sclerosis | The Local, Sweden
Youth Justice Canada
Changes are on the table with Bill C-10, Ottawa’s omnibus crime legislation that could lead to more adult sentences. Critics argue that youth require rehabilitation, not longer lock-ups | Alberta Prime Time, Canada
Commercial PMMA- ecstasy testing kits coming to Canada
Final preparations are being made to distribute ecstasy-testing kits in Canada specifically designed to detect a toxic compound linked to numerous deaths recently, but police aren’t supporting the move | Metro, Canada
Ex-addicts staying sober through sport
More than 4,700 people have participated in Phoenix, which Scott Strode started in 2007. Most join the group because they've struggled with drug or alcohol addiction | CNN, USA
Rapid HIV testing in substance abuse treatment facilities
This Advisory contains basic, introductory information about the benefits of and requirements for incorporating rapid HIV testing (RHT) into substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs | SAMHSA, USA
Struggling Cities Turn to a Crop for Cash
As the stubborn economic downturn has forced Oakland to take painful steps to balance its budget in recent years, it has increasingly turned to one of its newer industries to raise much-needed revenues: medical marijuana dispensaries | New York Times, USA
Testing pot in a legal vacuum
Only some top-end dispensaries test their products, and even they can't be sure the results are reliable. Because all marijuana possession is illegal under federal law — and the Justice Department has been cracking down recently — the nascent labs are as unregulated and vulnerable to prosecution as dispensaries and growers | LA Times, USA
State of tobacco control 2012
The report tracks progress on key tobacco control policies at the state and federal levels, and assigns grades based on tobacco control laws and regulations in effect as of January 1, 2012 | American Lung Association
US sees cash smuggling as critical in drug trafficking fight
Experts doubt results are enough | Washington Post, USA
Guatemala Prez to Propose Legalizing Drugs
Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina said Saturday he will propose legalizing drugs in Central America in an upcoming meeting with the region's leaders | abc News, USA
Loophole in drug chemical import
Chemicals used by drug gangs to manufacture amphetamines are being imported into Australia because of a loophole in federal legislation | The Age, Australia
Grants Announced to Fight Youth Binge Drinking
The Australian Government is continuing its fight against youth binge drinking armed with $10 million to fund 26 community level projects across Australia | Ministry for Health and Ageing, Australia
Myanmar’s rising drug trade
Critics say that the ceasefire agreements signed with ethnic armies are driven by a desire to capitalise on the country’s booming narcotics business not a desire for change and that the army and politicians are padding their coffers with the proceeds | Asian Harm Reduction Network
Interpersonal violence and illicit drugs
This briefing summarises the links between interpersonal violence and illicit drug use, identifies risk factors for involvement in drug-related violence, outlines prevention measures that address drug-related violence, and explores the role of public health in prevention | Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University, UK