DS Daily - 16th July 2010

Tackling problem drug use

Thirtieth Report - see page 88 [Home Office, UK]

Crime in England and Wales 2009/10

Findings from the British Crime Survey and police recorded crime. Links to tables [Home Office, UK]

Temporary ban on legal highs needed

Theresa May has said that the government wants to introduce legislation that will allow so-called legal highs to be banned temporarily giving scientists time to consider evidence [Home Office, UK]

An alternative to the war on drugs

Stephen Rolles argues that we need to end the criminalisation of drugs and instead set up regulatory models that will control drug markets and reduce the health and social harms caused by current policy [BMJ, UK]

Articles on harm reduction

Strict laws on the criminalisation of drug use and drug users are fuelling the spread of HIV and other serious harms associated with the criminal market and should be reviewed, say experts in this series of articles, published to coincide with the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna, which runs from 18 to 23 July 2010 [BMJ, UK]

HIV Shoots Up - Video

Epidemiologist Elizabeth Pisani and other leading commentators describe which countries are leading the way in tackling HIV infection among injecting drug users [BMJ, UK]

New Aspire project

Two separate projects with shared aspirations and outcomes. Aspire Cornwall started in May 2010 and in June 2010 Aspire North Lancashire [Addaction, UK]

Evaluation Resources for Mentor Programs

Several resources and starting points for building an evaluation plan or strengthening your current program evaluation [Mentor Foundation]

Rough Sleeping England - Total Street Count 2010

These figures have been pre-released in accordance with the Pre-release Access Order and the pre-release access list can be found in the downloads [Communities and Local Government, UK]

Wales - Homelessness, October-December 2009 and January-March 2010

In general, the number of households accepted as homeless have fallen since the end of 2004-05. This trend has continued through 2009-10, with 5,564 total homelessness acceptances during the year, down 5 per cent on 2008-09 [Welsh Assembly Government, UK]

Anti-smoking law may be overturned in government review

Government could scrap Labour legislation to ban cigarette machines from pubs and tobacco displays from retailers [Guardian, UK]

Video: Addiction to Recovery: Maggie White

As part of Inexcess TV’s two year celebration we bring you one of our landmark interviews and compelling life stories. In December 2008 Maggie White joined us as a guest in series two; Maggie is a prime example of where addiction can take you and what recovery can bring you [Inexcess TV, UK]

National reports 2009

Commissioned each year by the EMCCDA and produced by the national focal points of the Reitox network, the National reports draw an overall picture of the drug phenomenon at national level in each EU Member state [EMCDDA]

International AIDS Conference stimulates call for drug law reform

The International AIDS conference is held next week (18-23 July) in Vienna, and has focussed attention around the world on the linkages between HIV prevalence and drug policy [Release, UK]

944 Brits arrested abroad for drugs

The 944 arrests accounted for a seventh of all arrests of British nationals abroad in the period of April 2009 to March 2010, the Foreign Office said [Daily Express, UK]

Citywide submits to Review of the Methadone Treatment Protocol

CityWide is clear that methadone has been a very useful element of drug treatment in Ireland. But we are equally clear that it is not a treatment in itself. Methadone should be used as part of an overall care plan for drug users; this intervention should include all other elements required for progression in recovery [Citywide, Ireland]

Illegal drugs

Is the illegal drug industry in this country fuelled by crime gangs, by violence, or by public demand for a product? Or is it simply profit? [Cork Independent, Ireland]

Dutch told they can ban sale of drugs to tourists

The Netherlands can ban over-the-counter sales of marijuana in Dutch "coffee shops" to non-residents to end drugs tourism from Ireland, Belgium, France,Germany and other countries, a senior adviser to the European Union high court said yesterday [Irish Examiner]