DS Daily - 29th October 2012 |
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Drug and Alcohol Bulletin October 2012
Latest news relating to alcohol and drugs policy in Scotland | Scottish Government, UK
Shock as under-16s dealing in heroin
Police have caught two dozen children aged under 16 dealing drugs, including heroin, in the force area during the last three years | The Scotsman, UK
'Seizing gang leaders isn't the answer. I should know. I used to be a member'
Prison came as a wake-up call for Junior Smart, who now dedicates himself to preventing others from turning into repeat offenders | Observer, UK
IPCC statement following conclusion of inquest into death of Jacob Michael
Although Mr Michael's behaviour that day, and ultimately his death, was the result of his cocaine use, it is clear from our independent investigation that the officers were inadequately trained in identifying that Mr Michael was suffering from excited delirium or acute behavioural disorder. Better training for the officers may have given them the tools to be able to recognise Mr Michael was in a life threatening situation | IPCC, UK
Death In Custody: 'Officers Need Drugs Training'
Officers must be better trained in recognising life-threatening behavioural problems that arise from drug use, the IPCC has said after an inquest revealed police action was partly responsible for the death of a man in custody | Police Oracle, UK
Jacob Michael inquest: Police failings in custody death
Police failures and a "cocaine-induced delirium" contributed to a man's death in custody, an inquest jury has found | BBC, UK
From our pilots – Enfield
PbR – commissioning and performance | Department of Health, UK
Delivering quality care for drug and alcohol users
The roles and competencies of doctors (a guide for commissioners, providers and clinicians) [RCPsych and RCGP, September 2012] Download | Substance Misuse Skills Consortium, UK
Using Matrix with women clients
A supplement to the Matrix intensive outpatient treatment for people with stimulant use disorders [SAMHSA, 2012] Download | Substance Misuse Skills Consortium, UK
Counselor’s treatment manual
Matrix intensive outpatient treatment for people with stimulant use disorders [SAMHSA, 2006] Download | Substance Misuse Skills Consortium, UK
Force Op Sees Drug Factory Cartel Jailed
Officers smash Vietnamese drugs gang who developed network of cannabis factories to make millions of pounds a year | Police Oracle, UK
Growing cannabis in your home should not be illegal
Growing cannabis in your own home should not be a criminal offence, according to a leading professor from the University of Kent | The Medwire, UK
Drinking alcohol every day 'link' to brain damage
While the results of this study should only be generalised to humans with great caution, it is probably advisable to avoid a pint with your Weetabix in the mornings, and you should spend some days of the week not drinking at all | NHS Choices, UK
Coventry hospitals treating 400 people a day for alcohol conditions
More than 400 people a day are treated in Coventry and Warwickshire hospitals with alcohol-related conditions | Coventry Telegraph, UK
Scotland requests more drink-drive powers from UK government
More powers over drink-driving should be devolved to Scotland, Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill has said | BBC, UK
The 21st century hazards of smoking and benefits of stopping
A prospective study of one million women in the UK | The Lancet, UK
Women smokers who quit by 30 'evade earlier death risks'
Women who give up smoking by the age of 30 will almost completely avoid the risks of dying early from tobacco-related diseases, according to a study of more than a million women in the UK | BBC, UK
Smoking will 'kill up to a billion people worldwide this century'
Governments must do far more to control the global tobacco industry, say cancer experts | Independent, UK
Civil service cuts: how the latest data shows where the axe has fallen
The latest Civil Service numbers show big cuts across departments. Where have they fallen? | Guardian, UK
New homeless rules a 'profound and astonishing' shift in housing policy
From 9 November, the responsibility of councils to homeless households will change. Why has nobody noticed? | Guardian, UK
Needle exchange closure demonstrates its worth
One drastic way to evaluate a service is to close it and see what happens. In Victoria in Canada closure of a fixed-site needle exchange threw in to relief its contribution to infection control and injector welfare. Ironically, in this way opponents helped demonstrate its worth | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK
The Economic Costs of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse in Alaska, 2012 Update
This study addresses tangible economic costs such as lost earnings or costs of government programs. However, there are mental and emotional costs that result from alcohol and drug abuse that are extremely difficult to measure and are not included in this report | Alaska Mental Health Board & Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Commentary: Charging into Recovery – Is Cash Really a Gateway Drug?
A recent article published in numerous outlets announced the debut of a special credit card for recovering substance abusers | Join Together, USA
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Mexico's Drug Violence Seeps over the Border
Residents along the border from California to Texas are experiencing a slow but steady rise in drug-related violence and intimidation | CATO, USA
Ineffective U.S. Fumigation Policy Adversely Affects Afro-Colombians
Increasingly, Afro-Colombian communities are bearing the brunt of the U.S.-financed aerial fumigation efforts in Colombia | Washington Office on Latin America
Brazil fights to control its crack cocaine epidemic
Two years ahead of the next World Cup, Rio authorities are struggling to bring the city's crack cocaine habit under control. Viewers may find the pictures in Jonathan Rugman's report distressing | Channel 4, UK
Australia a 'soft target' for international drug syndicates
Police say it could take days to finish sorting through two large drug labs following raids in Melbourne's west | ABC News, Australia
Deadly epidemic fears over common painkiller
The painkiller oxycodone, also known as oxycontin or more colloquially as hillbilly heroin, has overtaken heroin as the drug of choice among injecting users, but the bulk of its victims are middle-aged pain sufferers | ABC News, Australia
Accidental opioid-induced deaths in Australia 2008
Opioid deaths include those due to heroin, but may also include overdoses due to other opioids such as opium, morphine and oxycodone | NDARC, Australia
Cannabis spray may help severely ill cope with pain
Cannabis prescriptions could soon be available to Australians for the first time as evidence mounts for its medicinal use in people with cancer and multiple sclerosis | The Age, Australia
Australian Health Survey
First Results, 2011-12 | Australian Bureau of Statistics
Collins tunes in to US drug plan
It may seem an unlikely alliance, but Judith Collins and Barack Obama are on the same page when it comes to drug crime. The Justice Minister has just returned from a week-long trip to the US to see drug courts in session | Stuff.co, New Zealand
UK aid to Iran's war on drugs has led to rise in hangings, UN warns
Human rights groups say executions raise concerns over violation of death penalty standards | Observer, UK
WHO expert committee on drug dependence
Thirty-fifth report | World Health Organization