DS Daily - 14th February 2013 |
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The public health reforms: What they mean for drug and alcohol services (DrugScope) (PDF)
In April 2013, most of the current funding for drug and alcohol services will transfer to Directors of Public Health employed by local authorities, who will be statutory members of new Health and Wellbeing Boards. Important and far-reaching changes will impact on the planning, commissioning and delivery of services. This DrugScope briefing for the Recovery Partnership provides a summary of the public health reforms and aims to inform and guide thinking about how your organisation can most effectively prepare for this new environment | DrugScope, UK
ACMD advice on tramadol
Report (PDF) covering pharmacology, toxicology, dependence liability, deaths attributed to tramadol, conclusions and recommendations | ACMD, UK
ACMD advice on independent prescribing of controlled drugs
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is pleased to provide
the advice (PDF) on the recommendations to extend independent prescribing
responsibilities to physiotherapists and chiropodist / podiatrists (allied health
professions)| ACMD, UK
ACMD advice on Sativex
Letter (PDF) outlining definition of cannabis based medicine | ACMD, UK
Plain packs limit marketing power
Anti-smoking campaigners are calling for the government to commit to plain packaging for cigarettes and other tobacco products | BMA, UK
Effective commissioning is more important now than ever
The Cabinet Office and the LGA are launching an academy to help senior public servants improve commissioning | Guardian, UK
Mexico unveils new strategy in war on drugs and for preventing crime
President Peña Nieto says his government will spend billions on social programmes in the most violent areas of the country | Guardian, UK
Police get new powers to crack down on drugs in Soho
New powers aimed at making London’s clubland a “no go zone” for drug dealers are the latest stage in a project to clean up the area | London Evening Standard, UK
Drug victims and users should not be criminalised
The Green Party said today that Malta should stop criminalising persons who make use of drugs for personal use. AD said that Malta should follow the succesful model of countries such as Portugal which decriminalised drugs for personal use | GozoNews.com, Malta
Abstinence Can Lift Drinking-Induced Depression
Although experts have long known that heavy drinking can spur temporary episodes of depression — what’s known as “substance-induced depression” — the new research shows the prevalence and clinical importance of the phenomenon | PsychCentral, USA
Heroin use skyrockets impacting families, community
A killer is back on our streets. A staggering rise in heroin use is tearing families apart and sending ripple effects through every corner of our community. The numbers are jaw dropping and lots of people are paying the price, but none more so than the families of people who get hooked | Wave3.com, USA
Statewide Task Force on Prescription Drug Abuse & Newborns (PDF)
The national prescription drug abuse epidemic is now affl icting increasing numbers of pregnant women, fueling an explosion in cases of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in Florida’s newborns | Florida Office Attorney General, USA
Withdrawal from Psychiatric Meds Can Be Painful, Lengthy
Although this will not come as news to anyone who’s been on any one of the most common psychiatric medicationsprescribed — such as Celexa, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Prozac, Xanax, Paxil, Effexor, etc. — getting off of a psychiatric medication can be hard. Really hard | PsychCentral, USA
A Workout Booster, and a Lawsuit
For the last few weeks, GNC, the dietary supplements retailer, has run a special on its Web site for a workout booster called Jack3d | New York Times, USA
Russian parliament adopts anti-smoking law by a landslide
Russia: The State Duma adopted the anti-smoking law in the third and last reading on Tuesday. It bans smoking at state organizations, universities and schools, hospitals, stadiums, restaurants, trains and by metro stations from June 1, 2013. Only offices and industrial enterprises will be allowed to retain their segregated smoking areas | RAPSI, Russia
Government approves initiative on forced treatment of drug users
Moscow - The Government Commission on Legislation has approved a bill sponsored by the Federal Drug Control Service on the forced treatment of drug users upon a court order, the government press office said on Wednesday | RAPSI, Russia