DS Daily - 26th January 2011

2009/10 Scottish Crime and Justice Survey: Drug Use

The survey is based on, annually, 16,000 in-home face-to-face interviews with adults (aged 16 or over) living in private households in Scotland [Scottish Government, UK]

Drug use report

The main findings [Scottish Government, UK]

The National Drug Related Deaths Database (Scotland) Report 2009

Drawing from a wide range of local data sources, the report provides a comprehensive picture of the majority of nationally reported drug related deaths [ISD Scotland, UK]

Drug deaths database

Detailed information on the circumstances of those who died a drug-related death in Scotland in 2009 has been published by NHS Information Services Division Scotland [Scottish Government, UK]

Drug treatment 'not reaching addicts'

Figures show that more than a third of Scots who died from the effects of drugs had not received any treatment for the addiction [BBC, UK]

Scunthorpe community 'awash with methadone'

A coroner who examined the deaths of two North Lincolnshire teenagers warned "the community is awash" with the heroin substitute methadone [BBC, UK]

Millionaire among gang of six jailed over heroin plot

A gang which included a millionaire businessman has been jailed for a total 26 years after a police operation uncovered a plan to flood the streets of a Scottish city with heroin [The Herald, Scotland, UK]

Criminal proceedings in Scotland 2009-10

The number of persons with a charge proved increased for a handful of crime groups, including drugs crimes which increased by 5 per cent [Scottish Government, UK]

Christian appointed to Government drugs panel

Dr Raabe is the medical co-ordinator for the Council for Health and Wholeness (CHW), a Christian organisation based within the Maranatha Community [Christian Concern, UK]

Is this the right GP for the drugs advisory council?

Neither religious devotion nor offensive views are necessarily a bar to advising government. But expertise is crucial [Guardian, UK]

SMMGP 5th National Conference Presentations & Photos Online

Presentations, workshop notes, and photos from the SMMGP 5th National Conference (held in Newcastle,15 October 2010) are now available [SMMGP, UK]

Consortium welcomes its role in the Drug Strategy 2011

With the NTA's help the Consortium has already started work on its key task, to “develop a skills framework which supports the recovery agenda” - Statement [Substance Misuse Skills Consortium, UK]

Information request from EMCDDA

The EMCDDA is preparing a thematic paper to highlight key issues from the perspective of people who are attempting to reduce their drug, cigarette and alcohol consumption or overcome their dependence [NTA, UK]

Prof David Clark guest blog

There is now a real momentum to the Recovery Movement in the UK ... Wired In has become deeply ‘embedded’ into the recovery culture in the UK [Binge Inking]

Offenders denied stable places to live on release

One in 10 young offenders leaving custody are not released into suitable accommodation, figures uncovered by CYP Now show [Children & Young People Now, UK]

The Government is protecting the homeless from council cuts

Housing Minister Grant Shapps responds to Guardian article about Supporting People funding [Communities and Local Government, UK]

Scottish alcohol tagging scheme goes live

Shops in parts of Dundee have started tagging bottles of alcohol as part of a police plan to find stores selling to underage drinkers [BBC, UK]

Wine, supermarkets and British alcohol policy

Recent concerns over cheap drink have led to a policy debate on minimum unit pricing and the banning of the 'below-cost' sale of alcohol. Such interventions target off-licenses and supermarkets, since alcohol in pubs is generally sold above proposed minimum prices [History & Policy, UK]