DS Daily - 19th January 2011 |
 |
Review of Public Health guidance (PH4)
Conclusion: The guidance should not be updated at this time. (PH4: Community-based interventions to reduce substance misuse among vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people) [NICE, UK]
Substance misuse: consultation on the review proposal
A review is being undertaken to decide whether the public health guidance ‘Community-based interventions to reduce substance misuse among vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people’ should be updated. This consultation will take place between 18th January – 1st February 2011. Organisations not registered as stakeholders are not able to comment [NICE, UK]
Report warns economic climate may boost drug use
The current economic climate could lead to an increase in drug-taking in Scotland, a report has warned [BBC, UK]
Edinburgh hosts Child Protection conference as more parental substance misuse data is released
The figures show that Concateno analysed 11,500 samples across the UK for child protection purposes during 2010. In Scotland, only 15 tests were undertaken. This compares to 10,000 tests which were collected in the UK during 2009 with just 29 being carried out as part of Scottish child protection case work [Concateno, UK]
Alcohol pricing research
In early 2010, the previous government commissioned three pieces of research on alcohol pricing. This research has been considered as part of the review of alcohol pricing and the individual reports are available to download below [Home Office, UK]
The likely impacts of increasing alcohol price: a summary review of the evidence base
This review aimed to summarise the research evidence around the likely impact of policies designed to increase the price of alcoholic drinks in order to answer the following research questions ... [Home Office, UK]
Rules on alcohol pricing planned
Retailers will be banned from selling alcohol below the rate of duty plus VAT under new plans [Home Office, UK]
Drink minimum price 'important step' says Wales Office
A Wales Office minister says plans for minimum pricing for alcohol are "an important first step" towards tackling drink-related crime problems [BBC, UK]
UK drinking 'is out of control', two-thirds of public believe
Home Office research published as ministers detail plans for ban on cut-price alcohol sales [Guardian, UK]
How can raising the price of alcohol improve health?
What evidence is there to suggest a minimum alcohol price would help? [BBC, UK]
Price limit on alcohol 'will have no effect'
Minimum cost is not high enough to deter drinkers, warn doctors [Daily Mail, UK]
Tragic loss of an ex-offender who turned his life around
Craig overcame massive emotional barriers only to find that when he was ready to do something significant, there was little chance to do so. Now he is dead [Guardian, UK]
Matt Stevens says cocaine ban was a good thing
Former England prop Matt Stevens has described his two-year ban for cocaine use as "the best thing that ever happened to me." [BBC, UK]
The right statistics, the right methods, and the right explanation?
In the UK it would seem that national statistics have been recast to mirror government activity or created anew to monitor the gamut of performance measures and national indicators of the big state - Kathy Gyngell [Centre for Policy Studies, UK]
Smokers' brains light up during smoking scenes in movies and on TV
Brain areas associated with smoking a cigarette are activated when smokers watch an actor light up on screen [Guardian, UK]
Save lives – Support mandatory alcohol testing for crash drivers,
Alcohol Action Ireland is appealing to every member of the Seanad to save lives on Irish roads and support upcoming legislation which will allow for the early implementation of mandatory alcohol testing of all drivers in road collisions where someone has been injured [Alcohol Action Ireland]
Customs drug watch
A booklet produced by Revenue’s Customs Service to allow the public to assist Customs in tackling smuggling, especially drug smuggling [Customs Drugs Law Enforcement, Ireland]
Fighting drugs through jujitsu
Reports in the Boston Globe on a new study showing positive results from Portugal's nine-year-old experiment in drug decriminalisation [The Economist]
25 arrested as police smash Europe’s largest cocaine lab after two-year operation
Police in Spain believe they have smashed Europe's largest and most sophisticated cocaine lab following a two-year investigation [Daily Mail, UK]
Improving Treatment by Improving Medical Education
Physicians from Yale University and other institutions assert that medical residents need far more rigorous training and medical schools need stronger infrastructure in order to adequately deal with the medical, behavioral, financial and social problems created by substance abuse disorders [Health Canal]
Bolivia launches coca leaf diplomatic offensive
Bolivia has launched a diplomatic offensive to try to end an international ban on chewing coca leaf [BBC, UK]
IDPC calls on countries to abstain from objecting to Bolivian proposal to lift UN coca ban
The following press release and advocacy note were issued by the International Drug Policy Consortium (of which Transform is a partner member) on Jan 13th [TDPF, UK]
Latest National Teen Drug Usage Statistics Released
The National Drug Strategy Monograph: Australian secondary school students’ use of tobacco, alcohol, and over-the-counter and illicit substances in 2008, has been released by the Acting Minister for Health and Ageing, Mark Butler. PDF [Department of Health and Ageing, Australia]
Ecstasy use on the rise in older students
More older high school students are using party drug ecstasy, a new report has revealed [SMH, Australia]
O'Farrell pledges $10 million for rehab
The NSW Opposition has pledged $10 million to boost rehabilitation services for drug and alcohol problems in an election promise they say will help an extra 5000 people [SMH, Australia]
Alcohol-free month campaign to benefit Odyssey House
Kiwis are being challenged to go without alcohol for a month and Auckland-based addiction treatment centre Odyssey House stands to benefit [Scoop, New Zealand]
Iran has hanged 47 people in three weeks, say human rights groups
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) said 47 prisoners, or an average of about one person every eight hours, have been put to death since the beginning of the new year. Most of the executions are believed to be related to drug-trafficking crimes, although at least two were of political activists [Guardian, UK]