DDN

High Stakes

Lives first – always
Public health’s no follower of fashion
Editorial - Claire Brown
The language of recovery can be exciting. It enthuses, it galvanises, it stirs people into action. Most of all it can make us feel we’re doing something very positive to counter the negative energy of addiction. But as the story on public injecting demonstrates (page 14), many of the challenges o drugs work are much less visible and no less vital for it. The recent anthrax outbreak among Scottish heroin users demonstrates these challenges at their most extreme (cover story, page 6). Why was the public health response so inadequate? Would it have been an entirely different scenario if the sufferers were in danger of infecting the public, rather than contained within the injecting drug user population? Why was the official advice to those at risk so impractical?
Any drugs worker knows the impossibility of long-term heroin users being able to stop injecting immediately, let alone to push themselves forward for emergency treatment, so why was this patient group not supported through this crisis as intensely as society’s most vulnerable? Positive initiatives are great for the morale of this field but they should never introduce an either/or option to fundamental treatment rights. We know that – but do our politicians? Never has the tired old harm reduction versus abstinence debate seemed so hollow and we must insist on public health policy that learns from this tragedy. As Andy Stonard points out (page 8), now is the time to lobby from an informed perspective to make sure the politicians of each party understand the policies they are moulding around their voters. Public health is everyone’s business and whichever way the political winds blow over the next few months, we should never forget we’re talking about the right to life and not just how we choose to live it. Talking of debate, there will be some very different views aired at our DDN/Alliance service users conference on Thursday 4 February (still time to book... just) – we hope we’ll have the chance to meet you there!

Magazine Features

"High stakes"

Scotland’s recent anthrax outbreak from contaminated heroin has raised urgent questions about forfeiting essential public health measures, says Sara McGrail.

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"Fight the power"

The treatment field should be using the coming election to put candidates on the spot and demand some answers, says Andy Stonard.

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"Personal services"

The NTA’s Mark Gillyon tells David Gilliver about the thinking behind its new Commissioning for recovery guide.

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"Deal or no deal?"

David Finney simplifies the new rules on registration for treatment providers.

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"Keeping it together"

David Gilliver hears about the Liverpool-based supported housing project providing intensive, round-the-clock support for families affected by substance use.

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"Going public"

New research demonstrates the importance of understanding drug use in public settings. Stephen Parkin, Ross Coomber and Gary Wallace look at a controversial issue.

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