DS Daily - 24th November 2011

Addiction centre starts new treatment for soldiers

A Surrey addiction centre has started a new treatment for veteran soldiers who have turned to alcohol and drugs | BBC, UK

Do you use drugs? Please take our survey

Mixmag's annual surveys identify trends in recreational drug use. The Guardian and Global Drug Survey are partners for 2011-12 | Guardian, UK

How we make Drug Policy in the UK - Time for a Rethink?

St George's House Interview with Roger Howard, Chief Executive of the UK Drug Policy Commission | Vimeo

Addicts get special bins for needles

Soaring drug use at the St Paul’s protest camp has forced council bosses to install special containers for used needles| The Star, UK

Christmas cocktail of drugs seized at Harwich

Heroin, cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis worth £4.1 million have been found hidden in a trailer full of Christmas decorations by the UK Border Agency | Home Office, UK

Llanelli town centre street drinking clamp down bid

Street drinkers in Llanelli town centre could be arrested if they refuse to hand over alcohol to the police | BBC, UK

Best to borrow? A charity guide to social investment

NPC’s guide to social investment aims to help charities understand the risks and opportunities social investment entails and the steps they need to think through before deciding if it is for them | New Philanthropy Capital, UK

Charities' debts worth over £500m and rising as donations dry up

Thinktank warns charities of risks associated with turning to lenders to counter drop-off in traditional fundraising income | Guardian, UK

Youth Justice Board saved from quango cull

The government has abandoned plans to scrap the Youth Justice Board, minister Lord McNally has announced | BBC, UK

£89K in small grants to tackle drug and alcohol issues

The Public Health Agency (PHA) recently issued over £89,000 in small grants to community and voluntary organisations in the Northern area to tackle drug and alcohol issues | PHA, Ireland

Police across Europe combine to foil cannabis haul bound for Ireland

A major international police sting has smashed an attempt to smuggle a £2m (€2.3m) haul of cannabis into Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Garda were involved in the operation, which led to the seizure of 200kg (441lb) of the drug in Greece | Guardian, UK

Portugal and the drug war

The decriminalisation of drugs in Portugal has been a success, but austerity measures may threaten drug treatment | Aljazeera, Qatar

Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment - $1.9 billion in savings at Québec's fingertips

A study conducted by SECOR on behalf of Portage, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the reintegration of people suffering from substance abuse back into the community, concluded that government investments in the fight against substance abuse have significant long term effects | CNW, Canada

NIDA Podcasts

Audio clips highlight research efforts at the National Institute on Drug Abuse and include interviews with prominent NIDA scientists | NIDA, USA

Medical Marijuana Industry Is Unnerved by U.S. Crackdown

An intensifying federal crackdown on growers and sellers of state-authorized medical marijuana has badly shaken the billion-dollar industry, which has sprung up in California since voters approved medical use of the drug in 1996, and has highlighted the stark contradiction between federal and state policies | New York Times, USA

Medical Marijuana: The Government’s View

The issue of medical marijuana is not about culture and counterculture. It is not a struggle; it is not a war. It simply comes down to how we approve medications as safe and effective for use in the United States - letter from Rafael Lemaitre, ONDCP | New York Times, USA