DS Daily - 25th February 2011

Specialist Drug and Alcohol Services for Young People – A Cost-Benefit Analysis

This summary of the report looks at the costs and benefits associated with young people’s drug and alcohol treatment [Frontier Economics, Department of Education, UK]

Cost benefit analysis

Full report [Frontier Economics, Department of Education, UK]

New research ‘makes the case’ for investment in young people’s drug and alcohol treatment

DrugScope has welcomed new research demonstrating that drug treatment services for young people are extremely cost effective, with long term savings of between £5 and £8 for every pound invested [DrugScope, UK]

Experts value help for young on substance misuse

The benefits of helping teenagers cope with drug and alcohol problems significantly outweigh the costs, according to leading economists [NTA, UK]

Wales Children in Need Census, 2010

Parental substance or alcohol misuse and domestic abuse were the most frequently recorded parenting capacity factors [Welsh Assembly Government, UK]

Guidance for the use of substitute prescribing in the treatment of opioid dependence in primary care

1st Edition from [RCGP Substance Misuse Unit (SMU), RCGP Sex, Drugs and HIV Group (SDHIVG), Substance Misuse Management in General Practice (SMMGP), The Alliance]

Shaping recovery

Key events for the residential rehabilitation sector [NTA]

Maintaining legitimacy and authenticity when the money comes in

This historical legacy and current sentiments within grassroots recovery community organistions (RCOs) would suggest 10 characteristics that define authentic RCOs and that can help RCOs manage threats to their authenticity [Annemarie, Blog WiredIn]

Mainstreaming Recovery: Building a United Drug Treatment Field

Any drug treatment strategy and the system it describes, has to offer a range of concrete evident benefits - Ian Wardle [Lifeline, UK]

'Heroin is the cheapest drug we can buy' say Llanelli addicts

The shocking statement came from two men who are undergoing treatment to help them battle their addiction to the drug [This is South Wales, UK]

Harm Reduction and the Heroin Drought

New poster designed and written by Mike Linnell [Lifeline, UK]

Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction

Not only are these drugs highly addictive with significant side effects, they can also have incapacitating withdrawal symptoms making coming off them extremely difficult [Mind, UK]

How the media helped ban mephedrone

The media led the campaign for the government to ban mephedrone and did not cease sensational reporting until the ban was achieved [BMJ, UK]

Doctors in UK alcohol network may refuse to sign action pledge because it is too weak

Doctors in the UK government’s “responsibility deal” network on alcohol are considering refusing to sign the group’s plan of action because the policies don’t go far enough in tackling the price and availability of alcohol [British Medical Journal]

New plan to cut smoking rates and protect children

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales Tony Jewell has announced the start of a consultation on new plans to reduce smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke [Welsh Assembly Government, UK]

YOT funding fears could lead to an increase in social work caseloads

The Youth Justice Board has confirmed that the central funding pot for YOTs, which makes up 30% of the funding for teams, has yet to be decided despite councils having to finalise their budgets over the next few weeks [Community Care, UK]

NEET Statistics - Quarterly Brief - Quarter 4 2010

This brief sets out the latest statistics available on NEET (young people not in employment, education or training) in England [Department of Education, UK]

Poverty, joblessness pushing youth to drug addiction

Ever growing poverty and joblessness and resultant despair and hopelessness is pushing Pakistani youth towards drug addiction and every year about 0.6 million new addicts are joining the army of drug addicts [News International]

Italy plans random drug testing of healthcare staff

In a move that has the largely unanimous backing of health unions the Italian government is planning random drug testing of clinical staff [British Medical Journal]

Fact sheet on cannabis prohibition

To help inform policy makers, we have produced a fact sheet that outlines the key points and evidence on why cannabis prohibition has not reduced cannabis use or availability among young people and how it serves to support the persistent unregulated market that exists only to the benefit of organized crime, fuelling gang-related violence in our province [UHRI, Canada]