Reports November 2011

Online sales of new psychoactive substances / 'legal highs'

A summary of results from the 2011 multilingual snapshots | EMCDDA

Methamphetamine on the rise in East and South-East Asia

The report, 2011 Patterns and Trends of Amphetamine-Type Stimulants and Other Drugs, Asia and the Pacific, highlights the latest patterns and trends of ATS - a market which includes amphetamine, methamphetamine, methcathinone, and ecstasy-group substances - as well as other illicit drugs in East and South-East Asia | UNODC

NACD study reveals that home grown cannabis has stronger potency than imported variety

The research entitled The potency of cannabis products and their THC content provides the first national baseline for measuring the potency of the drug | National Advisory Committee on Drugs, Ireland

Patterns and Trends of Amphetamine-Type Stimulants and Other Drugs – Asia and the Pacific – 2011

A Report from the Global SMART Programme | UNODC

Estimating the prevalence of problem drug use in Scotland 2009/10

The report contains estimates of the prevalence of problem drug use (opiates and benzodiazepines) in 2009/10 for council, Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP), health board (HB), and police force areas in Scotland - Summary | ISD, Scotland

National Prison Entrants’ Blood borne Virus and Risk Behaviour Survey Report

Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, sexually transmissible infections, and risk behaviours among Australian prison entrants | Kirby Institute, UNSW, Australia

Young people's lifestyle choices and related health indicators: local area profiles

They include findings from a survey conducted across the North West to assess behaviour and attitudes towards alcohol and tobacco. In addition they draw on other well-established indicators that measure the impact of alcohol and drugs | North West Public Health Observatory, UK

Changing the Future - Experiencing Adolescence in Contemporary Ireland

This third report in UNICEF Irelands’ Changing the Future series addresses the very pertinent themes of drugs and alcohol, the different levels of consumption that the young respondents to UNICEF Ireland’s survey report and, most critically, the roles that drugs and alcohol seem to be playing in the lives of young Irish people today | UNICEF Ireland

People living with psychotic illness 2010

The report’s chapter on co-occurring substance use disorders is attached and can be downloaded here | Department of Health and Ageing, Australia

White working-class views of neighbourhood, cohesion and change

Most stakeholders were critical of community cohesion, viewing it as a 'top-down', government-imposed model. They emphasised the sense of being a forgotten group disconnected from policy and politics - Summary - Full report | Joseph Rowntree Foundation, UK

European Alcohol and Health Forum - Third Monitoring Progress Report

This report may be of interest to officials in the EU institutions who deal with alcohol and health policy; to Forum members; and to a wider audience of policy makers and researchers | EAHF

Small beer? assessing the Government's alcohol policies

A new Briefing Note looks at three policies in depth, using detailed data recording the off-licence alcohol purchases of more than 25,000 British households | Institute for Fiscal Studies, UK

Position Paper: Pharmacotherapy - Key Points

Key points and recommendations from the Pharmacotherapy Position Paper | VAADA, Australia

Statistics of Drug Misuse: England, 2011

This annual statistical report presents information on drug misuse among both adults and children. It includes a focus on young adults. Report | Health and Social Care Information Centre, UK

Drug Use in Ireland and Northern Ireland

2010/11 Drugs survey reveals that level of recent and current drug use remains stable | NACD, Ireland

Experiencing Adolescence in Contemporary Ireland: Drugs and Alcohol

More of the respondents reported that they took drugs than reported that they smoked cigarettes’ finds the first report which addresses the issues of drugs and alcohol | UNICEF Ireland

Experiencing Adolescence in Contemporary Ireland: Sexual Health and Behaviour

Report which examines adolescent perspectives on sexual health and behaviour | UNICEF Ireland

Substance Misuse Detainees in Police Custody

Guidelines for Clinical Management - Report of a Medical Working Group | Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK

Increase in use of methamphetamine

Findings from the DUMA program - Fact sheet | Australian Institute of Criminology

Russian Drug Policy as a Driver for Violations of the UN Convention against Torture

This report considers facts, reasons for and conditions for mistreatment of drug users in Russia | Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network

Inflicting Harm

Judicial corporal punishment for Drug and Alcohol Offences in Selected Countries | IHRA

Substance Misuse, April-June 2011

The latest quarterly statistics on Substance Misuse in Wales produced by the | Welsh Government, UK

California Faces Challenges Meeting Health Needs of Offenders Released from Prison

People released from prison have high need for health care, particularly mental health care and alcohol and drug treatment. Download | RAND, USA

Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

The new working protocol jointly developed and agreed between the Home Secretary and the ACMD. Download | Home Office, UK

ACMD Anabolic Steroids Advice

ACMD Anabolic Steroids Advice (2011). Download | Home Office, UK

Further advice on Diphenylprolinol (D2PM) and Diphenylmethylpyrrolidine

Further advice on Diphenylprolinol (D2PM) and Diphenylmethylpyrrolidine (2011). Download | Home Office, UK

Import ban on diphenylprolinol and diphenylmethylpyrrolidine

A notice to industry on the ban of imports of diphenylprolinol (diphenyl-2-pyrrolidinyl-methanol or D2PM) and diphenylmethylpyrrolidine. Download | Home Office, UK

New drug control power takes effect

A new power to temporarily control potentially harmful new drugs came into effect overnight, alongside an importation ban on two substances closely linked to chemicals found in ‘legal high’ brand ‘Ivory Wave’ | Home Office, UK

Temporary class drug - factsheet

This fact sheet setting out temporary control provisions and how temporary class drugs orders will work, including offences and criminal penalties. Download | Home Office, UK

Interventions for Drug Users in the Criminal Justice System: Scottish Review

The purpose of this review was to examine the available research evidence on criminal justice interventions in Scotland in terms of „effectiveness‟, (measured by rates of reconviction/reoffending, and reductions in drug use) and costs | SCCJR, University of Stirling, UK

2011 Annual report on the state of the drugs problem in Europe

The report on the state of the drugs problem in Europe presents the EMCDDA's yearly overview of the drug phenomenon. This is an essential reference book for policymakers, specialists and practitioners in the drugs field or indeed anyone seeking the latest findings on drugs in Europe | EMCDDA

Annual report 2011: Highlights 1

Policies and responses must be fit to face the challenges of the next decade, says drugs agency chief | EMCDDA

Mortality related to drug use in Europe

This Selected issue focuses on mortality among drug users due to all causes, of which drug-induced deaths (overdoses) is only a component, albeit the one most well-documented. Download | EMCDDA

Cost and financing of drug treatment services in Europe

This Selected issue provides an exploratory European overview of costs associated with treatment for drug dependence. The cost of drug treatment in Europe is looked at from two main angles in this report. Download | EMCDDA

Child runaways in significant danger as professionals fail to step in

Still Running 3 (full text, summary), the first comprehensive picture of running away for under 16s for six years, also shows that one in five child runaways have begged, stolen or done 'other things' to survive | Children's Society, UK

Drug prevention programmes in schools: What is the evidence?

Mentor has undertaken a literature review of drug prevention programmes in schools which has six key messages for the government | Mentor, UK

The Challenge of Violent Drug-Trafficking Organizations

An Assessment of Mexican Security Based on Existing RAND Research on Urban Unrest, Insurgency, and Defense-Sector Reform | RAND, USA

New guidance on prison prescribing

The Secure Environments Group at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has published guidance for GPs and pharmacists on Safer Prescribing in Prison. Download | RCGP, UK

Holding Pattern

An exploratory study of the lived experiences of those on methadone maintenance in Dublin North East | The Clients Forum of the Dublin North East Drugs Task Force, Ireland

Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, 2010/11

The Home Office Statistical Bulletin contains figures for seizures of drugs made in 2010/11 by local police forces and the UK Border Agency within England and Wales | Home Office, UK

Drugs in Australia 2010: tobacco, alcohol and other drugs

Drugs in Australia 2010 provides a comprehensive summary of Australians¿consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and use of treatment services, drawing on the latest statistics from major national collections | AIHW, Australia

Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2009-10

Report on the National Minimum Data Setreport on the National Minimum Data Set - Download | AIHW, Australia

Mexico: Widespread Rights Abuses in ‘War on Drugs’

Mexico’s military and police have committed widespread human rights violations in efforts to combat organized crime, virtually none of which are being adequately investigated, Human Rights Watch said in a report: “Neither Rights Nor Security: Killings, Torture, and Disappearances in Mexico’s ‘War on Drugs,’” | Human Rights Watch

National drug control strategy

Data Supplement 2011 | ONDCP, USA

Traveller drug programme

National research exploring the experiences of Travellers using drug services - Guideline 15MB PDF | Drugs.ie, Ireland

Adjunctive counselling during brief and extended buprenorphine-naloxone treatment

In this randomised clinical trial conducted in the US, researchers sought to evaluate the efficacy of brief and extended buprenorphine hydrochloride–naloxone hydrochloride treatment, with different counselling intensities, for patients dependent on prescription opioids | National electronic Library for Medicines, UK

Brief interventions: achieving widespread delivery?

A briefing paper has been released exploring the barriers and challenges to implementing routine alcohol brief interventions across England. Report | Alcohol

Latest trends in treated problem alcohol use

Figures from the National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) show that the number of cases of treated problem alcohol use rose 43% in the period between 2005 and 2010 | Health Research Board, Ireland

Thousands caned, whipped, lashed or flogged each year for drug and alcohol offences

Thousands of drug users and alcohol consumers – and people found in possession of small amounts of drugs and alcohol – are subjected to judicially-sanctioned caning, flogging, lashing or whipping each year, says a new report. Download | Harm Reduction International

Child Protection and Mothers in Substance Abuse Treatment

This report presents the major findings from the Child Protection and Mothers in Substance Abuse Treatment study, a three-year study funded by NSW Community Services, Department of Family and Community Services, and the University of New South Wales | NDARC, Australia

Buprenorphine Guideline for treatment of Opioid Dependence

A new clinical guideline released by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health will help enable health care practitioners to provide buprenorphine (combined with naloxone), the most effective medication since methadone to treat the growing problem of opioid addiction in Canada | CAMH, Canada

Why wouldn't I discriminate against all of them

A Report on Stigma and Discrimination towards the Injecting Drug User Community | Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users’ League

The EU drugs strategy

Unrevised transcript of evidence taken before The Select Committee on the European Union | House of Lords, UK

Increase in use of methamphetamine

Findings from the DUMA program | Australian Institute of Criminology

Developing the workforce for mental health improvement: a strategic approach

In 'Towards a Mentally Healthy Scotland' the Scottish Government committed to produce a workforce development strategy for the mental health improvement workforce. This strategy was to guide planners and the workforce themselves to ensure that they have the skills needed to further mental health improvement in Scotland. Download | Health Scotland, UK

Using evidence to improve social policy and practice

Perspectives on how research and evidence can influence decision making | NESTA, UK

Epidemic: responding to America’s prescription drug abuse crisis

This Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan expands upon the Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy and includes action in four major areas to reduce prescription drug abuse: education, monitoring, proper disposal, and enforcement | White House, USA

New five-year vision for NHS published (Wales)

A new five year vision for the NHS, based around community services and placing prevention, quality and transparency at the heart of healthcare has been published by Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths | Welsh Government, UK

What's your poison?

A special report on alcohol in the media 3MB doanload | NHS Choices, UK

Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Bill

A Bill to make provision about the price at which alcohol may be sold from licensed premises; and for connected purposes | Scottish Parliament, UK

The four steps to alcohol misuse

This report also shows that super-low prices are just one of the industry’s ‘tricks of the trade’ to get people to buy ever more alcohol | Alcohol Focus Scotland

Ending gang violence

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. Summary - Full report | Home Office, UK