Weekly news - 4th June 2010

Alcohol use disorders: preventing harmful drinking

This guidance is for government, industry and commerce, the NHS and all those whose actions affect the population’s attitude to - and use of - alcohol [National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, UK]

Alcohol use disorders - clinical management

Care of adults and young people (aged 10 years and older) who have any of the following physical health problems that are completely or partly caused by alcohol use: [National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, UK]

Alcohol podcast

Professor Eileen Kaner and Professor Anne Ludbrook discuss the NICE public health guidance that aims to tackle the worrying rise in levels of alcohol consumption, binge drinking and alcohol-related deaths across the UK [National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, UK]

'Clarifying brief interventions' Academy briefing paper

The paper aims to clarify key issues relating to the delivery of brief interventions and related practice, particularly distinctions in the types of interventions and their key characteristics [AERC Alcohol Academy, UK]

New pan-London guidance on children, young people and alcohol

The guidance was produced by gathering information from a select number of statutory bodies and practitioners across London and therefore cannot be taken as a comprehensive guide; however we hope that it will [London Drug & Alcohol Network, UK]

State of the Nation report

Poverty, worklessness and welfare dependency in the UK [Department for Work and Pensions, UK]

Iain Duncan Smith

Reforms will tackle poverty and get Britain working again - The speech [Department for Work and Pensions, UK]

Time to re-examine UK drug policy and take a different approach to decision making

The news of the toxicology tests showing that the two teenage deaths in Scunthorpe (March 2010) were not linked to mephedrone, provides more evidence to support recent calls by the UK Drug Policy Commission for a fresh look at different ways of formulating drug policy [UKDPC]

Coming Clean: Combating drug misuse in prisons

This report contends that there are a series of fundamental problems with the way these issues are approached – and that despite repeated warning signs, the Prison Service appears destined to continue down the same failed path - PDF [Policy Exchange, UK]

Commissioning health and social care for offenders

We assess how Primary Care Trusts and local councils commission health and social care for offenders - report [Care Quality Commission, UK]

Cocaine dossier updated

Over fifteen years reporting on cocaine [DrugScope, UK]

CQC registration

FAQs developed by the NTA/CQC for substance misuse service providers [NTA, UK]

Addiction, Self-responsibility and the Importance of Choice

One of the central facets of addiction is the unwillingness to take responsibility. Without exercising the all-important watershed of self-responsibility, breaking the compulsive cycle that leads to addictive behavior is all but impossible [Psychology Today]

Children's voices

Experiences and perceptions of European children on drug and alcohol issues - PDF [EMCDDA]

Drug-related research: Member States

Updated - A better overview of ongoing research and existing research structures may assist researchers in Member States to avoid duplication, improve collaboration and help disseminate knowledge of funding opportunities [EMCDDA]

Prevention and Evaluation Resources Kit (PERK)

This manual compiles basic but evidence-based prevention principles, planning rules and evaluation tips [EMCDDA]

Treatment of illicit drug use at individual level

This section summarises evidence about the effect of the most common treatments offered to illicit drug users [EMCDDA]

Protection from illicit drugs – a child rights issue

Protecting children from illicit drugs is not an option for State Parties to the Convention of the Rights of the Child. It is an obligation. This is the conclusion in a report that was presented at the World Forum Against Drugs in Stockholm [Alcohol Drugs and Development, Norway / Sweden]

High levels of mental illness, substance use and communicable diseases among Australian prisoners

Australian prisoners have significant health issues, with high levels of mental health problems, communicable diseases, smoking, risky alcohol consumption and illicit drug use, according to a new report released today by the [Australian Institute of Health and Welfare]