DS Daily - 18th April 2013

Drug experts urge action to raise awareness on dangers of legal highs

Drug experts have called for action across the board to raise awareness of the dangers of so-called legal highs as the impact of the new psycho-active substances on communities in Scotland was revealed | Herald Scotland, UK

SDF concern over potential impact of new party drugs on most vulnerable young people

Concern that New Psychoactive Substances – so-called party drugs/legal highs – could end up impacting most severely on Scotland’s most disadvantaged young people is being expressed by Scottish Drugs Forum | SDF, UK

Save someone: launch of new look for Scotland's take home naloxone programme information materials

Save SomeOne! That’s the message from new look information materials on Scotland’s world-leading lifesaving community-based naloxone programme which are being launched across the country this week | SDF, UK

Brighton considers drug-use rooms in bid to reduce deaths

Brighton could become the first city in the UK to provide rooms where people would be able to use illegal drugs safely without the fear of prosecution | BBC, UK

Brighton could introduce 'drug consumption rooms' to try and cut number of fatalities caused by substance misuse

Drug consumption rooms should be considered in a city once dubbed the drugs death capital of the UK to help cut the number of fatalities from substance misuse, according to a report | MailOnline, UK

'Shooting galleries': The drug plan that could be too liberal for even Brighton

Plans for Britain’s first legal ‘consumption rooms’ are unsettling the resort widely touted as a prime location | Independent, UK

What is recovery?

What is ‘recovery’ and what does it mean for the roles of treatment and of doctors? This analysis based on the last ten years’ writings on the subject makes an intriguing comparison with mental health, where recovery in terms of a meaningful and self-directed life is reserved for persisting severe disorder resistant to ‘cure’ via treatment | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK

Drinking too much? Head to the gym: Exercise can repair damage to the brain caused by alcohol

Working out can help former heavy drinkers limit the damage alcohol has done to their brain.New research has found that aerobic exercise may alleviate some of the white-matter damage caused by heavy drinking | MailOnline, UK

Independent review of The Drinkaware Trust (2006–2012) (PDF)

We are pleased to bring you this review of The Drinkaware Trust. We hope that this report will provide clear direction to the Trust as to how the Trust might optimise its activities | 23red, UK

Binge drinking crackdown in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot

Binge drinkers are to be offered courses to help rehabilitate them after they commit offences while drunk | BBC, UK

Nottinghamshire campaign targets underage drinkers - video

Children as young as eight are being targeted as part of new efforts to combat underage drinking in Nottinghamshire | BBC, UK

How pupils view PSHE – the view from the HBSC England Report

The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children England Team were tweeting about perceptions of PSHE as covered in their National Report of 2011 | Mentor Thinks, UK

Colombia seizes drug lord Madman Barrera's properties

Police in Colombia have seized almost 300 properties belonging to one of the country's most notorious drug lords, Daniel Barrera - known as The Madman | BBC, UK

Lack of strict legislation governing alcohol advertising and sponsorship is allowing Irish children to be “groomed” by the alcohol industry

The lack of strict legislation governing alcohol advertising and sponsorship is allowing Irish children to be “groomed” by the alcohol industry, the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications has heard today (Wednesday) | Alcohol Action Ireland, Ireland

Statement to the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications by Dr William Flannery

The College has repeatedly called for the implementation of evidence based measures to reduce alcohol related harm. Such measures include pricing, reducing availability and banning the promotion of alcohol | Alcohol Action Ireland, Ireland

Electronic cigarettes briefing (PDF)

In this briefing: What are electronic cigarettes? Market trends, The scientific evidence, Regulation of e-cigarettes, Expert and stakeholder positions, Main references, Regulation in EU Member States | Library of the European Parliament, Belgium

Drunk driving not the only way alcohol leads to teen deaths, study says

Less than one-third of the 4,700 annual underage drinking-related deaths in the United States result from road crashes, according to a new study | Medical Xpress, USA

Parents Can Help Their Children Avoid Alcohol Pitfalls During Transition from High School to College

Prior research has shown that the transition from high school to college is a particularly vulnerable time, associated with increased alcohol use and risk of negative alcohol-related consequences | Science Daily, USA

Health law could overwhelm addiction services

It has been six decades since doctors concluded that addiction was a disease that could be treated, but today the condition still dwells on the fringes of the medical community. Only 1 cent of every health care dollar in the United States goes toward addiction, and few alcoholics and drug addicts receive treatment | Big Story, USA

Tens of millions to receive substance abuse help under Obama’s health reform law

When the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented in 2014, over 32 million Americans will get access to substance abuse and mental health treatments not currently available to the uninsured or through today’s most common health insurance policies | Raw Story, USA

Recovery From Addiction and Depression: An Interview with Vivian Eisenecher

Today I have the honor of interviewing Vivian Eisenecher, author of “Recovering Me, Discovering Joy,” and a sought after speaker, mentor and writer since 1996. Her other published works include articles for “Chicken Soup for the Soul” and Woman’s World | PyschCentral, USA