DS Daily - 21st May 2013 |
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Can the Work Programme work for all customer groups? Report of the Work and Pensions Select Committee
The Work Programme has the potential to work well for relatively mainstream jobseekers but is unlikely to reach the most disadvantaged long-term unemployed people, argues the Work and Pensions Committee in a Report - Can the Work Programme work for all customer groups? (PDF) published today | Work and Pensions Committee, UK
Can the Work Programme work for all customer groups? Report of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, DrugScope Comment
Today’s report will make interesting reading for people in the drug and alcohol sector and beyond. The report reflects many aspects of the submission DrugScope made jointly with Homeless Link in December 2012, and makes some of the same recommendations we called for | DrugScope, UK
May/June Druglink
This issue focuses on the evidence base for drug policy and practice, including an interview with Professor John Strang; a debate arguing the merits or otherwise of the randomised control study; and a review of the Cochrane Handbook on alcohol and drug misuse. In our free article (PDF) this month, Paul Anders looks at the Work Programme in detail, and considers its relevance for the drug and alcohol sector | DrugScope, UK
Welfare-to-work: Jobseekers' scheme failing, say MPs
A scheme to help the unemployed find work appears to be failing the most disadvantaged jobseekers, according to MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee | BBC, UK
Guide for Commissioners of Drug and Alcohol Services (PDF)
This guide has been written to provide practical advice on developing and delivering local plans and strategies to commission the most effective and efficient drug and alcohol services for adults. Based upon clinical best practice guidance and drawing upon the range of available evidence, it describes what should be expected of a modern drug and alcohol service | JCPMH, UK
Performance of Payment by Results Pilot Areas: April 2012 to February 2013
This document provides an overview of the performance to date of the drugs and alcohol recovery Payment by Results (PbR) pilots | DoH, UK
Drop in Scottish alcohol sales 'due to multi-buy ban'
The amount of alcohol sold in Scottish shops has fallen by 2.6% in the year since multi-buy promotions were banned, according to research | BBC, UK
Lib Dem minister urges coalition to carry out plain cigarette packet plan
Norman Lamb will argue the case to stick to policy but Tory MPs say David Cameron has been persuaded to drop it | Guardian, UK
The Purple Bull Podcast: Episode 1 - What is Recovery?
Welcome to the first ever Purple Bull Podcast from UK Recovery Radio. Starting from scratch in January 2013, this is the work of fifteen recovering volunteers who have interviewed people in recovery and professionals across the addictions field | Recovery Radio, UK
How drug treatment is following drug dealing onto the internet
In Carole Cadwalladr’s recent review of Drugs 2.0, the new book by Mike Power, she noted that long before Amazon, people were selling marijuana online | Russell Webster.com, UK
RisKit Programme: Operational Manual (PDF)
The RisKit programme is a multi-component risk reduction programme for young
people who are vulnerable to risks including drug and alcohol use, early and unprotected
sex and offending | KCA, Univ of Kent, UK
A package of measures to help the voluntary sector and mutuals compete for contracts to cut reoffending
The Ministry of Justice awarded a grant to 3SC to develop an action plan setting out a series of specific, costed recommendations which were required to develop the capability of the voluntary sector to compete for and deliver rehabilitation services | MoJ, UK
Gawker, the mayor of Toronto and the crack cocaine video
The US gossip website Gawker is attempting to raise $200,000 in donations to buy a video alleged to show mayor of Toronto Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine | Guardian, UK
Time to overturn the 1971 drugs law
The UK government spends around £3 billion a year on its current drugs policy. We know from research, such as the recent report from the UK Drugs Policy Commission, that the war on drugs isn’t working | Virgin blog, UK
Students' 'suicidal thoughts' warning from NUS
There are under-recognised problems of stress, depression and suicidal thoughts on university campuses, warns a survey from the National Union of Students on mental health problems | BBC, UK
Alarm at rise of cheap new crystal meth variant
A deadly new drug, dubbed “cocaine of the poor”, which burns the internal organs of users and has a cheap street value, has alarmed health authorities in Greece | Irish Examiner, Ireland
African gangs use 'front' businesses to sell 'meth'
African gangs using front businesses as bases in inner-city Dublin are the main suppliers to the city's growing market for the highly addictive substance methamphetamine, known as crystal meth | Independent, Ireland
Study shows continuing decrease in alcohol consumption
The study highlights a continuing a trend of declining alcohol consumption levels since 2001 | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Revisiting the ‘Crack Babies’ Epidemic That Was Not
This week’s Retro Report video on “crack babies” (infants born to addicted mothers) lays out how limited scientific studies in the 1980s led to predictions that a generation of children would be damaged for life | NY Times, USA
Drug Warriors and Gun Violence: The War on Drugs Fuels Violence
A CBS report on street violence in Chicago makes clear that a major cause ... of these deaths is because drug gangs are fighting over turf. Jack Riley, the DEA chief for Chicago, says that he is absolutely sure that most the gun deaths are part of the fight for drug turf | Huffington Post, USA
Heavy Drinking and Smoking Linked to Early Brain Aging
New research suggests chronic smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and increasing age are all associated with increased oxidative damage to brain tissue | PsychCentral, USA
Ketamine shows significant therapeutic benefit in people with treatment-resistant depression
Drug associated with rapid antidepressant effect in largest clinical trial to date | Machines Like Us, USA
Illicit Drug Data Report 2011-12
The Illicit Drug Data Report is produced by the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and is recognised as one of the most valuable tools for law enforcement agencies, policy and decision makers, research bodies and other stakeholders in developing strategies to combat the threat posed by illicit drugs | ACC, Australia
Lessons in steroid danger urged for all schoolchildren
The World Anti-Doping Agency has called for every Australian school student to be taught about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs, saying children are putting their health at risk by taking steroids and sports supplements | Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Renewed calls for safe injecting rooms
A three-fold increase in syringes discarded in the city of Yarra in the last two years has prompted calls for bigger needle bins and syringe vending machines | Age, Australia
Record drug haul as steroids and hormones flood the market
Steroids and hormones are flooding into Australia compared to a decade ago and detections of amphetamines and ecstasy at the border increased by more than 50 per cent in a year, the annual report card of drug seizures has found | Age, Australia
Matters of Substance May 2013
Sex addicts are comic gold, coffee addicts are the epitome of urban cool, but drug addicts? Media coverage always needs two sides, so when the issue is addiction to alcohol or illicit substances, the tone is generally disapproving | NZ Drug Foundation, New Zealand