DS Daily - 19th January 2010

Doctors criticise ‘reckless’ drug abuse guidance

A group of doctors and drug experts has attacked the “reckless” advice given by a government agency that heroin addicts should quit the drug after the recent spate of anthrax deaths among users [The Herald, Scotland, UK]

£4.5million bill for junkie needles

Scottish Government is to spend £4.5million over three years on needles and other drug equipment to give to addicts [The Scottish Sun, UK]

And here is your starter for 2010

The January/February issue of Druglink, the first for 2010 in this, DrugScope’s 10th anniversary year, focuses on the changing landscape of drugs in the UK [Druglink Blog, DrugScope, UK]

Druglink - January/February 2010 issue

In this issue we focus on 'new drugs'. In addition to our double feature on mephedrone, we also report from K-day – an event where ketamine users expressed concerns over the lack of treatment options available to them and we hear from a treatment service in Kent about their approach to dealing with so-called ‘legal highs’ [Druglink, DrugScope, UK]

Legally High

The dangers of ‘legal highs’ have been hitting the headlines over the past few months, and the issue has inevitably brought with it its share of myth and conjecture. You only have to think about the storm in the ACMD’s teacup at the end of last year to see why the experts are circling the issue warily on all sides [Editorial, DDN, UK]

Magazine Features - DDN

Features from this week's [DDN Magazine, UK]

Is Meow Meow the new Ecstasy?

Meow Meow is easily, and legally, bought over the internet where it is advertised as plant food [Times, UK]

Priory Group owner of rehab clinics plans stock market flotation

The Priory Group, owner of the rehab clinic chain made famous by celebrity clients including Kate Moss, Amy Winehouse and Robbie Williams, is planning a stock market flotation to fund an ambitious expansion of the business [Guardian, UK]

SALSUS 2008

Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) 2008 National Report - national survey of 13 - 15 year olds [NHS Scotland, UK]

NHS feeling the burden as binge drinking becomes a British affliction

When the Government published its alcohol strategy in 2004, it concluded that drink was a problem for a “small minority” in Britain. The repeated warnings from health professionals, the statistics on alcohol-related ill health and hospital treatment, and the calculations of cost to the NHS tell a very different story [Times, UK]

360 pupils suspended over alcohol

Over a five year period, 360 pupils were suspended from secondary schools in Northern Ireland because of alcohol abuse, it has been revealed [BBC, UK]

All-you-can-drink pub offers facing ban

"All-you-can-drink" promotions could be banned and compulsory identity checks introduced under government proposals to crack down on binge drinking [BBC, UK]

New code on alcohol sales to include ban on drinking games

Licensing rules rewritten to target binge drinking, but ban on bulk discounts at stores has been dropped [Guardian, UK]

Tories call time on 24-hour drinking and cheap alcohol

The Tories will today pledge to end Labour’s ill-fated 24-hour licensing experiment and crack down on Britain’s binge-drinking culture [Daily Express, UK]

Turning Point to appear in BBC1 programme on teenage steroid abuse

Smart Muscle is a unique service, based in Central London and provides specialist advice for people who are using or considering using steroids [Turning Point, UK]

Thousands in Scotland overdosing on caffeine

Thousands of Scots are over-dosing on caffeine, with many being admitted to hospital for the problem [The Herald, Scotland, UK]

New laws to target 'cheap shot' publicans

Gardai are to be given new powers to clamp down on publicans and disco owners who are plying young people with 'cheap' drink [Independent, Ireland]

Cost of Enforcement of Poland’s Drug Use Prevention Act

The Institute for Public Affairs, a think tank in Poland, released a report that estimates that a single article of the severe Drug Use Prevention Act of 2005 drains roughly 80 million PLN (£17.5 million) out of the public coffers each year [IHRA]