DS Daily - 26th September 2012 |
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Public Health England national leadership and funding for drug and alcohol services
Removal of ‘ring-fencing’ from the drug budget, the shift of responsibilities from the National Treatment Agency (NTA) to the new public health structures and a more localised approach to service provision is likely to result in the long term disinvestment in drug and alcohol services, with a negative impact on vulnerable individuals, families and communities, John Jolly, CEO | Blenheim CDP, UK
Never A More Important Time for Bold Leadership in Charities and the VCS
The prospects over the next few years will be very challenging for many voluntary and community sector and more significantly its beneficiaries. John Tizard | Huffington Post, UK
Tough choices ahead for tax and spending
Whoever is in government after the 2015 general election will have to face up to tough choices – more spending cuts, cuts in welfare, tax increases or run higher deficits for longer – or some combination of all of the above. Slidecast | IPPR, UK
National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Waiting Times
Also Summary and Data tables | Scottish Government, UK
Treatment waiting times target met nine months early
Scotland is leading the way in recovery and getting individuals into treatment for addiction problems quicker than ever, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs Roseanna Cunningham announced | Scottish Government, UK
Griffith Edwards obituary
Expert on alcohol and drug addiction who pioneered new forms of treatment | Guardian, UK
Dr. Griffith Edwards, Addiction Specialist, Dies at 83
Dr. Griffith Edwards, a psychiatrist who helped establish addiction medicine as a science, formulating definitions of drug and alcohol dependence that are used worldwide to diagnose and treat substance abuse, died on Sept. 13 | New York Times, USA
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland Annual Report 2012
Third Annual Report | Scottish Government Criminal Justice Directorate, UK
Ipswich tries to curb street drinkers by banning super-strength cider and beer
Street drinkers as young as 35 are dying from extra-strong booze so Ipswich is hoping retailers will observe a voluntary ban | Guardian, UK
Recoverfest 2012: A celebration of recovery and transformation
On Saturday, 15th September Roundhay Park rocked to the sound of music and cheers as Recoverfest got underway. This was a festival with a difference, the UK's first ever event exclusively for people recovering from drug or alcohol problems | NTA, UK
J.K. Rowling's New Novel Tackles Addiction
The Harry Potter author's highly-anticipated novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy, depicts heroin addiction and a treatment clinic | The Fix
Can LSD cure depression?
Controversial research suggests that LSD and other psychedelic drugs could have vital medical uses | Telegraph, UK
Does taking ecstasy live on telly glamorise drugs?
As controversial Channel 4 show airs, we hear both sides of the argument| The Sun, UK
Family Voices 2012 now open!
Adfam has launched Family Voices 2012, our annual writing competition for families affected by drug or alcohol use | Adfam, UK
Don’t smoke drugs on the school run, head teacher tells mothers
A headmistress has sent out a newsletter in which she accused mothers of dealing drugs and smoking cannabis on the school run | Telegraph, UK
Belfast nightclub revellers targeted by drugs police
Officers in the south of the city conducted 60 drug-related searches over the weekend, some using drug sniffer dogs to sweep people queuing for venues | Belfast Telegraph, UK
NHS Smoking Cessation Service Statistics (Scotland)
This report presents information on quit attempts made with the help of NHSsmoking cessation services, and 'self-reported' quits at one month after 'quit date', in Scotland, 1 st April 2011 to 31 st March 2012 | ISD Scotland, UK
Quit chewing tobacco advice issued for UK South Asians
An English advisory body has issued new guidance aimed at helping people in South Asian communities stop using smokeless tobacco products like paan | BBC, UK
New guidance sets out public health recommendations for councils
New local government public health briefings from Nice set out what interventions work best to keep people healthy | Guardian, UK
Social Charity Index: Charities begin to harness networked power
Social media business skills are now crucial to realising the networking power of non-profits. Download the full report here | Guardian, UK
A diary of mindfulness
Week one - automatic pilot | Mind, UK
Krokodil: the drug which gives you a one-year life expectancy
Last year, The Independent reported on Krokodil, the home-made heroin substitute which is severely affecting thousands of people in Russia | Independent, UK
Ottawa sued over ‘failure’ to provide needle-exchange programs in prisons
A former prisoner and several advocacy groups are suing the federal government over its "failure" to provide needle-exchange programs in prisons | CTV, Canada
Lawsuit seeks needle exchange programs for prisons
Prisoner, public health at risk without syringe exchanges, AIDS groups allege | CBC News, Canada
Addiction treatment sorely lacking
Part of problem is lack of trained professionals; a $5-million contribution from Goldcorp should help fill the gap | Vancouver Sun, Canada
Reckitt Benckiser to stop selling suboxone heroin tablets in US
Heroin substitute suboxone pulled after study shows pills are more likely to be accidentally taken by children | Guardian, UK
The Golden Mean of Drug Policy?
The US drug czar claims his government is paving the way to a progressive, innovative and science-based drug policy - watch our video featuring his speech and read our blog! | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Peeing to participate
America has become a country where drug testing is common | The Economist
Guatemala prez urges drug legalization while escalating war on cartel gangs
Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina is advocating the international legalization of drugs even as he is moving to fight narcotics cartels with the biggest military buildup in the Central American country since its long and bloody civil war | Washington Post, USA
Report claims gangs and drug cartels run most of Mexico’s jails
Six out of ten Mexican jails are “self-governed” by prison gangs or drug cartels, according to a report issued by the country’s human rights commission | The Scotsman, UK