Weekly news - 27th May 2011

The Essential Guide to Problem Substance Use During Pregnancy on sale now

New DrugScope book will help practitioners support clients with drug and alcohol problems during pregnancy | DrugScope, UK

The transition to Public Health England: NTA Action plan 2011-12

DH and the Inter-Ministerial Group on Drugs have approved the NTA's work programme for the transition year 2011-12, while Public Health England is being set up. DH letter | National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, UK

Drug Deaths in Fife, Scotland 2008 - 2010

The report looks at and analyses information under a number of headings such as drug use, physical and emotional well being, and contact with services prior to death | NHS Fife, UK

National Care Standards: Care Homes for people with drug and alcohol misuse problems

The standards have been developed from the point of view of people who use the services and are grouped under headings which follow the person's journey through the service | Scottish Government, UK

The Family Drug & Alcohol Court (FDAC) Evaluation Project

This report presents the findings from the evaluation of the first pilot Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) in England and Wales | Brunel University, UK

Wales - Substance Misuse, October-December 2010

There were almost 7,000 referrals for treatment of alcohol or drug misuse notified to the database. During the quarter over 4,500 assessments were carried out by treatment services and nearly 3,500 treatments commence | Welsh Assembly Government, UK

APPG on Complex Needs responds to NHS Future Forum

The key issues facing excluded groups, particularly people with complex needs and dual diagnosis - via | Turning point, UK

Statistics on Alcohol: England, 2011

A list of resources | NHS, UK

Hidden harm? Alcohol and older people in Wales

This briefing paper highlights that although drinking tends to decline with age, this pattern may conceal serious alcohol-related problems amongst some older people | Alcohol Concern, UK

Improving accuracy in recording alcohol consumption

A survey in Greater Manchester | Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University, UK

You are not on your own

The Children's Commissioner for England and The Children's Society have today published the first booklet of its kind for use by children affected by a parent or carer drinking too much alcohol. It will help them to have frank discussions with teachers, professionals or an adult who they trust when they are worried about a parent or carer and the problems caused by their alcohol consumption | Children's Commissioner, UK

Criminal Justice Statistics in England and Wales

information on the latest twelve months (to December 2010) in the Criminal Justice System for England and Wales, including accompanying commentary, analysis and longer term trends | Ministry of Justice, UK

The Economic Impact of Illicit Drug Use on American Society

The assessment is conducted within a Cost of Illness framework that has guided work of this kind for several decades. As such, it monetizes the consequences of illicit drug use, thereby allowing its impact to be gauged relative to other social problems | National Drug Intelligence Center, U.S. Department of Justice