Call for new drugs policy organisation
A new drug policy body with responsibility for collecting and sharing evidence should be established in order to ‘improve drug policy knowledge and evaluation’,...
Scots record highest ever drug deaths
More drug-related deaths were registered in Scotland in 2011 than in any previous year, according to figures released by National Records for Scotland. There...
Brighton to consider ‘consumption rooms’
The provision of drug consumption rooms will be considered in a meeting of Brighton and Hove’s Safe in the City partnership board at the...
E-cigarettes ‘safer than smoking’
E-cigarettes are around 95 per cent less harmful than tobacco and have the ‘potential to help smokers’ quit, according to a new expert independent...
‘Aspirational’ treatment standards published by WHO and UNODC
A revised edition of the International standards for the treatment of drug use disorders has been published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and...
PHE alcohol adviser resigns over industry partnership
The co-chair of Public Health England’s (PHE) alcohol leadership board has resigned over the agency’s partnership with industry-funded Drinkaware for its new ‘Drink Free...
Black people six times more likely to be stopped and searched...
Black people are stopped and searched for drugs at 6.3 times the rate of white people, according to a new report from Release and...
Public health body backs festival drug testing
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has called for music festivals to provide drug safety testing facilities ‘as standard’, as the summer festival...
Homeless deaths up by a quarter over five years
There were almost 600 deaths of homeless people in England and Wales in 2017, according to ONS figures, an increase of 24 per cent...
Rodrigo Duterte’s punishing regime
The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has been taking the ‘war on drugs’ to extremes that have shocked the world. DDN asks what,...
Government to set up county lines ‘coordination centre’
The government is to establish a £3.6m National County Lines Coordination Centre as part of its new Serious Violence Strategy.
The strategy identifies ‘the changing...
News in brief
City services
Drug and/or alcohol prevention work with staff and businesses in the City of London has been of ‘limited scope and unknown efficacy’, according...
Even moderate drinking can have ‘negative impact’ on children
Nearly a fifth of children have experienced embarrassment as a result of their parents’ drinking, according to a report from the Institute of Alcohol...
Regular drinkers consuming more during lockdown
Almost 20 per cent of daily drinkers are consuming more alcohol during the coronavirus lockdown, according to research commissioned by Alcohol Change UK.
However,...
Scots consider methadone evidence
The Scottish Government has commissioned an independent expert group to ‘objectively consider the evidence’ supporting the role of opiate replacement therapy in treating problematic...
Local authorities unprepared for hep C responsibility
Local authorities are ‘not ready to take responsibility’ for hepatitis C, according to an audit of English commissioners and local councils by The Hepatitis...
Recovery focus for updated ‘Orange Book’
The government has published the updated version of its Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management, usually referred to as the Orange...
Coronavirus guidance issued for providers and commissioners
New guidance for commissioners and treatment providers during the COVID-19 outbreak has been issued by Public Health England (PHE) and the Department for Health...
A grand new website!
Welcome to our new website! We're very excited that we can now share DDN with you in a more dynamic, interactive format. When we set...
Council alcohol funding fears
Local authority areas with a high level of alcohol-related harm are the least likely to expect increased funding to tackle the problem, according to...
Public health directors voice cuts concerns
More than 70 per cent of directors of public health say that drug and alcohol services in their area are likely to be reduced...
UN highlights ‘alarming’ rise in new drugs
New psychoactive drugs are proliferating at an ‘unprecedented’ rate and pose ‘unforeseen public health challenges’, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and...
New psychoactive substances detected
Two new substances a week identified in Europe
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are now being detected in Europe at a rate of two per week,...
Extra 3p on beer would ‘raise £100m for alcohol treatment’
Increasing alcohol duties by just 1 per cent would raise around £100m a year to invest in treatment services, according to a new briefing...
‘Loneliness epidemic’ pushing people towards alcohol
More than one in ten people who experience loneliness are turning to alcohol to cope, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by Turning Point....
‘A third’ of HMP Birmingham prisoners using drugs
Drug testing suggested that a third of prisoners in HMP Birmingham are using illicit drugs, according to a prison inspectors’ report, while one in...
Substance-related bereavement
Don’t worsen substance-related bereavement, professionals urged
A new set of good practice guidelines to support people who have lost a family member or friend through...
Time for a ‘fresh approach’ to policy, says UKDPC
There should be a wholesale review of both the Misuse of Drugs Act and the drugs classification system, according to a report from the...
News focus
Prescription for change?
With addiction to prescription and over-the-counter drugs at epidemic proportions in the US, GPs here are being warned to take care when...
Number of over-40s in opiate treatment triples in a decade
The number of people aged over 40 in treatment for opiate use has tripled in little over a decade, according to a report from...
Time to stop criminalising drug users, says global commission
A new report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy has called for an end to the criminalisation of drug use and possession. Among...
Step up testing to meet hep C target, say MPs
‘Significantly greater’ numbers of people need to be tested, diagnosed and treated in order to eliminate hepatitis C, according to a report from the...
Minimum pricing law passed in Wales
The National Assembly for Wales has approved the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol. Approval of the Public Health (Minimum Price for...
‘New pledges’ announced as part of alcohol deal
A set of new pledges has been announced by the government as part of its ‘responsibility deal’ with the alcohol industry. They include an...
Liver disease stats map out stark inequalities
People in Blackpool are almost eight times more likely to die prematurely from liver disease than those in South Norfolk, according to new figures...
Heroin deaths double in just four years
The number of heroin-related deaths in England and Wales has doubled since 2012, from 579 to 1,201, according to the latest ONS figures.
Last...
Scots pass ‘landmark’ alcohol minimum pricing bill
The Alcohol Minimum Pricing Bill has been passed by the Scottish Parliament, 18 months after the previous Alcohol etc (Scotland) Bill had its provisions...
Upgrade ketamine to class B, urges ACMD
Ketamine should be upgraded from a class C to class B drug, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has recommended.
The recommendation...
Alcohol services ‘improving’
The situation regarding alcohol treatment in England is improving, claims a new report from the NTA. While alcohol has long been seen as a...
Health groups call for ‘radical steps’ on alcohol
A minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol should be introduced for ‘all alcohol sales’ along with prohibition of ‘all alcohol advertising and...
It’s time to get tested, urges PHE
Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England have launched a nationwide exercise to identify and treat people who have previously been diagnosed with hepatitis...
Categorise people dependent on drugs as high-risk population, government urged
People who are dependent on drugs – including alcohol – should be categorised as a high-risk population for COVID-19, says a submission from Release and...
Sales of low-alcohol beers up 30 per cent
Sales of no-alcohol and low-alcohol – or ‘nolo’ – beers have increased by 30 per cent since 2016, according to a report from the...
‘Biggest ever’ drugs importation operation busted
Thirteen men have been arrested as part of an investigation into what the National Crime Agency (NCA) is calling the largest UK drugs importation...
FDAP members offered support and development by SMMGP
SMMGP has reassured members of the Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals (FDAP) that they will be fully supported throughout their takeover of the...
News from the substance misuse field
News in brief
A round-up of national news from the substance misuse field
Special measures
The Portman Group is instructing off-licences, supermarkets, convenience stores and other retailers not...
Harm reduction worldwide has ‘stalled’, warns HRI
The number of countries providing harm reduction initiatives has stalled in the last two years, according to Harm Reduction International’s (HRI) Global state of...
Local authorities failing to provide sufficient naloxone
The amounts of naloxone being provided by local councils and prisons are ‘extremely limited’, warns a new report from Release. While all but three...
Glasgow considers case for UK’s first consumption room
Glasgow could become the site of the UK’s first consumption room, after the Glasgow City Joint Integration Board officially approved the development of a...
More support needed for older people with drug and alcohol problems
Improved support is needed for older people with drug and alcohol issues, says a new report from DrugScope. While the focus of policy and...
First national guidance on tackling street drinking issued
The first national guidance on tackling street drinking has been launched by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). Written by Alcohol Concern...
News in brief
Cocaine cutting agents
More than 50 different cutting agents have been identified in cocaine, including some that can cause ‘serious medical harm’, according to an...
Alcohol deaths up again
There were 8,758 alcohol-related deaths in the UK in 2015, according the latest ONS figures, a slight increase from 8,697 the preceding year. The...
FDAP members’ interests and accreditation safe with SMMGP
It's business as usual for FDAP members, the organisation's outgoing chief executive has confirmed. In a statement on 19 January that the professional body for substance...
Local news from the substance misuse field
Live LSD drug trials take place
Research has taken place that saw the world’s first live brain scans of individuals taking LSD.
A group of scientists,...
Tougher rules to protect children from gambling ads
New standards to protect children from ‘irresponsible’ gambling adverts have been published by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP). The new guidelines prohibit online...
Government seeks to address prisons crisis with extra staff
Justice secretary Elizabeth Truss has announced funding to recruit 2,500 more prison officers as part of the government’s new prison safety and reform white...
Government urged to overhaul drinks marketing regulation
The government needs to undertake a ‘thorough review’ of the way alcohol marketing is currently regulated, according to a report from the charity formed...
Figures reveal worrying increase in number of rough sleepers
The number of people sleeping rough in England has increased by 16 per cent in a year, according to government figures. The autumn 2016...
Wiltshire police issue Xanax warning
Police in Wiltshire have issued a warning to parents following incidents in which around 20 young people in the Salisbury area have received medical...
Blackpool sees second fatal anthrax case
A person who injected heroin has died in hospital in Blackpool from anthrax infection, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has confirmed. The death comes...
Minimum pricing fails to make Queen’s Speech
Plans to introduce minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol were absent from last month’s Queen’s Speech, which set out the government’s legislative programme for...
Naloxone provision ‘chronically inadequate’, says Release
Levels of naloxone provision by local authorities are ‘chronically inadequate’ and ‘certainly not sufficient to prevent opioid deaths to any meaningful extent’, according to...
Regulated cannabis market would generate ‘£1bn’ in tax
Introducing a legalised, regulated cannabis market in the UK would generate ‘at least £1bn in tax income, if not more’, according to a report...
Government must ‘create a national strategy’ for children of alcoholics
The government needs to develop a national strategy for the children of alcoholics alongside properly funded local support, says the first ever manifesto for...
Scots drug death taskforce up and running
The taskforce set up by the Scottish Government to try to address the country’s rising drug death rate will hold its first meeting later...
‘Put people first,’ Fedotov tells UNGASS
The world needs global drug policies that ‘put people first’, UNODC executive director Yury Fedotov told the opening session of the UN General Assembly...
National news from the substance misuse field
A round-up of national news – October 2015
Emergency inquiry
An inquiry into the impact of alcohol-related incidents on the emergency services has been launched by the...
Family members urged to share their experiences
A major new national survey on the impact of addiction and recovery on family members has been launched by Adfam and Sheffield Hallam University,...
PHE to produce ‘orange book’ for alcohol treatment
Public Health England (PHE) is working to produce the first UK-wide set of clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment, the agency has announced. While the...
Minimum pricing still on the cards
Alcohol minimum unit pricing is ‘not dead and buried’, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Misuse, Tracey Crouch MP, told Alcohol Concern’s...
Trump calls for death penalty for drug dealers
US president Donald Trump has said that his Department of Justice intends to seek the death penalty against drug traffickers ‘where appropriate under current...
Government promises to ‘transform’ mental health support
Prime minister Theresa May has announced a range of measures to ‘transform’ mental health support across the country. Tackling the ‘burning injustice’ of mental...
Correct methadone dosage vital for people being treated for TB
Methadone dose optimisation is vital when treating people on opioid substitution programmes for tuberculosis (TB) and other conditions, according to new research.
Researchers at Aston...
SMMGP launches substance misuse training scheme
SMMGP has launched an updated website and ‘premium membership’ CPD scheme, which offers additional high quality professional development including regular clinical and policy updates,...
Scots record highest ever drug-related hospital admissions
Scotland has seen a fourfold increase in drug-related hospital stays in the last 20 years, according to the latest figures from the Scottish NHS....
Medications in drug treatment: tackling the risks to children
OST and children: lessons still ‘not heeded’, says Adfam
More children than previously thought are dying or being hospitalised after ingesting opioid substitution therapy (OST)...
Leeds peer support launched for people with hepatitis C
A new peer-led group has been launched in Leeds to support people with hepatitis C. Staff from Forward Leeds are aiming to help clients gain support...
Relax laws on e-cigarettes, urge MPs
Regulations on the licensing, prescribing and advertising of e-cigarettes need to be relaxed, says a report from Parliament’s cross-party Science and Technology Committee. Despite...
Substance misuse staff eligible for testing
People working in drug and alcohol treatment are among those now eligible for coronavirus testing if they develop symptoms, the government has announced.
While testing...
Scots drug deaths fall
The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland fell by 9 per cent last year, according to figures from the Scottish Government, with deaths among...
Only 4 per cent of global drug users with HIV receiving...
Just 4 per cent of the worldwide total of drug users living with HIV are receiving antiretroviral therapy, according to Harm Reduction International’s (HRI)...
Better joined up working needed between treatment and child sexual abuse...
Around six per cent of young people seeking alcohol or drug treatment report having been the victims of sexual exploitation, according to a PHE-commissioned...
Highest number of drug deaths in quarter of a century
Last year saw 3,744 drug poisoning deaths in England and Wales, according to the latest ONS figures – 2 per cent higher than the...
News in brief
Ageist agenda
Better knowledge is needed of what works in the identification, treatment and prevention of drug problems in older people, according to a report...
Local news – May 2015
Veterans’ service advances to South West
A new treatment service for military veterans with drug and alcohol problems is being expanded into the south...
Home Office stands firm on Glasgow consumption room
The government has reiterated its opposition to the opening of a drugs consumption room (DCR) in Glasgow, following a letter to home secretary Sajid...
Local news from the substance misuse field
Duchess of cambridge visits treatment programme
The Duchess of Cambridge visited HMP Send this month to see a RAPt addiction service in action.
The programme, based...
Government unveils ‘landmark’ prison and courts bill
The government has published its prison and courts bill, which it says will pave the way for the ‘biggest overhaul of prisons in a...
National news from the substance misuse field
News in brief – June 2015
Support. Don't Punish
The Support. Don’t Punish campaign will be holding its third global day of action on 26 June, to coincide...
Time to investigate Duterte for crimes against humanity, says Amnesty
The UN Human Rights Council should immediately open an investigation into Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’, states a report from Amnesty International.
The Philippine president’s...
News in Brief
Agonisisng Statistics
Almost 18m people died ‘in unnecessary pain’ in 2012 as a result of inadequate access to painkillers like morphine, says the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance, with...
Psychoactive Substances Bil
Psychoactive Substances Bill must be re-worded, warns ACMD
The Psychoactive Substances Bill should be re-worded to ensure the legislation is effective, enforceable and does not...
CGL and Sova announce full merger
Change Grow Live (CGL) and its subsidiary Sova are to fully merge, the charities have announced. The merger will mean integration of the infrastructure,...
Pharmacists allowed to dispense methadone without prescription
Pharmacists are to be allowed to give out methadone, buprenorphine and other medicines containing controlled substances such as opioids or barbiturates without a prescription...
Europe: ‘new era’ of declining heroin use and complex stimulant market
Europe could be moving into a ‘new era’ in which heroin will play a ‘less central role’ in the continent’s drug problem, according the...
NICE pill for heavy drinkers
A drug that helps to reduce the craving for alcohol in heavy drinkers has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care...
New chief appointed for Addaction
Mike Dixon will take over the role of Addaction chief executive from 1 May, the organisation has announced, replacing interim chief executive Guy Pink.
Dixon...
‘No let up’ on legal highs, says government
The government has initiated a range of measures as part of its stated aim to tackle new psychoactive substances (NPS). Along with the banning...
Tell us how you’ll mark International Overdose Awareness Day
Today is International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), a global event held annually to both raise awareness and reduce the stigma that still surrounds drug-related deaths....
News in brief
Deadly drinking
Vodka consumption is one of the main reasons why a quarter of Russian men die before the age of 55, according to a...
Stop and search reform pledged
Police stop and search powers are to be overhauled, home secretary Theresa May has announced, with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act code of...
Local news from the substance misuse field
DDN takes a look at local news from the substance misuse field across the country
Notts awards honour spirit of recovery
The first Spirit of Recovery...
New psychoactive substances in Europe
Two new substances a week identified in Europe
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are now being detected in Europe at a rate of two per week,...
Scots signal drug policy shift
Leading members of the Scottish Government have discussed a potential shift in policy ahead of the country’s new drug strategy, which is due to...
Deaths in prison hit record levels
Last year saw a record 354 deaths in prison custody, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice – an increase of nearly 100...
New psychoactive drug deaths double
Deaths involving new psychoactive substances in England and Wales have almost doubled in a year, from 29 in 2011 to 52 in 2012, according...
Tailored treatment needed for prescription drug misuse, says ACMD
Prescription-only drugs are being widely diverted to supplement the use of illegal substances, according to a new report from the Advisory Council on the...
Heavy cannabis use can cause lasting cognitive problems in young
Persistent cannabis use is associated with ‘neuropsychological decline’ among those whose use began in adolescence, says a new study.
The findings are ‘suggestive of a...
News in brief
Opium increase
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan rose by 7 per cent to more than 220,000 hectares in 2013, according to UNODC figures, with opium...
Universities and colleges ‘failing to protect’ students from drug harms
Educational institutions are failing to protect their students from the ‘potential harms of drugs’, according to a report from the National Union of Students...
Gambling firms suspend TV ads during lockdown
British betting firms will voluntarily remove their TV and radio advertising during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has announced.
Existing advertising...
Drugs market has ‘never caused greater harm’, says Carol Black review
The illegal drugs market ‘has long existed but has never caused greater harm to society than now’, according to the first phase of Professor...
One in 20 global deaths caused by alcohol, says WHO
More than 3m people died as a result of harmful alcohol use in 2016, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), representing one in...
Hepatitis C ‘grossly under-prioritised’, warns charity
Just 3 per cent of people infected with hepatitis C are treated each year, despite it being curable, says a new report from the...
Improve cooperation to tackle criminal justice system’s health inequalities
The mortality rate for prisoners is 50 per cent higher than for the general population, according to a new report from the Revolving Doors...
Government’s coronavirus advice on protecting rough sleepers ‘inadequate’, says Crisis
The government’s new COVID-19 guidance for hostels or day centres for people rough sleeping is inadequate and fails to include measures that would allow...
Drug policy reform calls gather momentum
Last month saw demonstrations in 100 cities as part of the Support. Don’t Punish campaign for ‘moreeffective and humane’ approaches to drug policy, according to campaign...
Proposed Glasgow consumption room moves a step closer
A report to be presented to the Glasgow City Integration Joint Board later this month will identify potential sites for what could be the...
Local authorities ‘not recognising impact’ of alcohol
The impact of alcohol is not being recognised and prioritised by local authorities, according to a report from Alcohol Concern. The document looks at...
Betway hit with record £11m fine for failing ‘VIP’ customers
Online gambling company Betway will have to pay £11.6m for failings relating to a number of high-spending customers as well as its money-laundering responsibilities,...
‘More than 50’ cocaine cutting agents identified
More than 50 cutting agents have been identified in cocaine, including some that can cause ‘serious medical harm’, according to a report from the...
‘Unprecedented’ purity levels for heroin, cocaine and ecstasy
Heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and MDMA are now being sold at ‘unprecedented’ levels of purity, according to the latest DrugWise survey of the UK’s...
World Hepatitis Day 2019 DDN Round Up
World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is held each year on 28 July to raise awareness of viral hepatitis read our round up of what is happening and how you can get involved.
Set target to cut Scots alcohol consumption by 10 per cent,...
The Scottish Government should establish a target to reduce overall alcohol consumption by 10 per cent over the next decade, says a new report...
Government denies imminent end to rough sleeper funding
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has denied claims that it will no longer be funding the scheme to provide emergency accommodation...
Campaigners call for urgent reform in sixth annual day of action
The sixth Support. Don’t Punish global day of action is taking place on 26 June. Last year saw events in more than 200 cities...
UN drug statement ‘an embarrassment’, say harm reduction groups
The joint ministerial statement issued at the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna represents a capitulation to hardline states, according to...
Government to consult on calorie labelling for alcohol
The government will launch a consultation on plans to provide calorie labelling for alcohol, it has announced. The consultation, which will be launched before...
Government to consider benefit sanctions for refusing treatment
The government has re-ignited the debate over whether benefit entitlement should be linked to accepting treatment, with the publication of a new review by...
Government backs plain tobacco packaging
The government has announced that it backs the public health case for introducing standardised packaging of tobacco, with MPs set to vote on the...
‘No safe level’ of alcohol consumption
The health risks associated with drinking are ‘massive’ and there is no safe level of alcohol use, according to a major new study published...
Be overdose aware
Yesterday (31 August) marked International Overdose Awareness Day, a global event designed to spread the message that ‘the tragedy of overdose death is preventable’,...
Nurses at risk from synthetic cannabinoid use in prisons
The widespread use of synthetic cannabinoids like ‘spice’ in UK prisons is risking the health of nurses and other staff, according to the Royal...
Urgent action needed to address lockdown ‘time bomb’, warns Adfam
People coping with a loved one’s drug use, drinking or gambling have been hard hit by the COVID-19 lockdown, according to a new survey...
Services continue to feel cuts pain
Nearly 60 per cent of residential treatment services have reported a decrease in funding to the Recovery Partnership’s latest State of the sector report,...
No apparent link between ‘toughness’ of drug laws and use, says...
There is ‘no apparent correlation’ between the toughness of a country’s approach to drugs and levels of use, according to a Home Office study...
National News July/August 2016
INTERVENTIONS UP
There were nearly 100,000 alcohol brief interventions carried out in Scotland in 2015-16, according to official figures – 59 per cent more than...
Lib Dems would ‘adopt Portugal approach’
The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto will ‘contain the most far-reaching drug reform policies ever put forward by a major political party ahead of an election’,...
Millions being prescribed potentially addictive drugs
Millions of people in England are being prescribed potentially addictive medications, according to the findings of a major review by Public Health England (PHE).
Announced...
Economic burden of alcohol could be almost 3 per cent of...
Combining minimum unit pricing (MUP) with increased alcohol taxation would lead to both ‘substantial’ reductions in alcohol-related harm and increases in government revenue, according...
MDMA back in vogue as NPS numbers continue to rise
The declining levels of MDMA use in Europe since the early to mid 2000s have been reversed, according EMCDDA’s annual drug report, with nine...
Scotland’s drug death toll at record high
Scotland has yet again recorded its highest ever number of drug-related fatalities, with 1,187 registered in 2018.
The number, which was described as ‘shocking’ by...
Prisoners dying ‘preventable deaths’ because of NPS, says ombudsman
Prisoners are dying ‘preventable deaths – particularly as a result of the alarming levels of drug abuse in jails’, says the annual report of the...
Gambling oversight ‘complacent’ and ‘weak’, says Commons committee
The bodies overseeing gambling are failing to protect people who are vulnerable to gambling harms, says a report from the House of Commons Public...
News in brief
Coca review
A report commissioned by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform is calling for a review of the illegal status of the...
A third of Scottish drug related deaths are parents
More than a third of Scottish drug-related deaths in 2013 were parents or parental figures, according to figures from ISD Scotland – affecting more...
Lib Dems make legal cannabis case
A report setting out what a regulated cannabis market in the UK could look like has been published by the Liberal Democrats. The document...
Government announces new drug powers as Baker replaces Browne
The government is creating new powers to seize chemicals suspected of being used as cutting agents for illegal drugs, as part of its Serious...
‘New era’ for European drug market
Supply and demand of illicit drugs in Europe is entering an ‘important new era’, according to a report from the European Monitoring Centre for...
Alcohol minimum unit pricing still on the cards
Minimum unit pricing (MUP) is ‘not dead and buried’, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Misuse, Tracey Crouch MP, told Alcohol Concern’s...
Prison safety under threat from rising NPS use
The rise in NPS use in prisons has had a serious impact on safety, with increasing rates of violence and self-harm, says the annual...
A round-up of national news: December 2016
WORRYING PREDICTIONS
Alcohol is expected to cause around 135,000 cancer deaths over the next 20 years, costing the NHS an estimated £2bn, according to a...
Lib Dems promise legal cannabis market
The Liberal Democrats have made a manifesto commitment to decriminalise the possession of illegal drugs for personal use and introduce a ‘legal, regulated’ market...
Duterte temporarily suspends his ‘war on drugs’
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has announced a temporary suspension of his violent ‘war on drugs’ while he addresses the problem of police corruption.
He told...
New helpline for prisoners released during pandemic
A new free-phone helpline has opened for men and women in the North East who are being released from prison during the coronavirus crisis.
The...
Obama commutes drug sentences before leaving office
Barack Obama marked the end of his presidency by commuting the sentences of 330 prisoners, bringing the total number of commutations granted to more
than...
Leeds volunteers thanked for their vital role
The vital role of volunteers was recognised by Forward Leeds, at a celebratory meal to thank them for their ‘fantastic commitment’ throughout the year.
The...
Label calories on drinks, says health body
Calorie labelling should be introduced for alcoholic drinks, according to the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). More than 80 per cent of the...
Migrants will not be charged for most drug and alcohol services,...
Updated government guidance on implementing health charging regulations for overseas visitors has clarified the position on drug and alcohol services. These can be considered...
Monthly drug-driving arrests top 400
More than 400 people a month are being arrested for drug driving in England and Wales, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM)....
Scottish alcohol-related deaths fall nearly 40 per cent in a decade
Alcohol-related death rates in Scotland fell by 37 per cent – from 39.5 to 24.8 per 100,000 population – in the ten years to...
Record number of drug-related mental health admissions
There were 82,135 hospital admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of drug-related mental and behavioural disorders in 2016-17, according to figures from NHS...
News in brief
Care consultation
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is carrying out a consultation to get feedback on its plans ‘to help ensure that people receive...
Drugs trade driving huge increase in modern slavery cases
The exploitation of young people by drug dealers is contributing to a significant increase in the number of ‘modern slavery’ cases, according to a...
Around 9,000 children are ‘problem gamblers’
Approximately 450,000 children in England and Wales are now gambling every week, according to a report from the Gambling Commission, with around 9,000 of...
News in brief
POPPING OUT
The implementation of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, which was due to come into force last week, has been temporarily postponed by the...
News in brief
Mixed results
The overall performance of the drug and alcohol Payment by Results (PbR) pilots has been ‘mixed’ so far, according to a report from...
Frontline staff worn down by alcohol-fuelled behaviour
Alcohol-related behaviour is having a severe impact on the ability of emergency services staff to do their jobs, according to a report from the...
Plain tobacco packaging
Government backs plain tobacco packaging
The government has announced that it backs the public health case for introducing standardised packaging of tobacco, with MPs set...
Minimum pricing ‘could breach EU law’
The Scottish Government’s plans to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol could potentially breach EU free trade laws, according to an initial ruling by...
A third of services report funding decrease
More than a third (35 per cent) of drug and alcohol services reported a decrease in funding last year, according to a report from...
Early Day Motion salutes vital role of treatment services
An Early Day Motion has been tabled to recognise the essential role of treatment services and thank the 'unsung heroes' on the frontline of...
Politicians and charities call for ‘immediate’ minimum pricing
More than 100 MPs, police commissioners, charities and health organisations have called for minimum pricing to be implemented in England ‘immediately’.
‘Lives will be lost...
Drop ‘politically motivated’ charges against drug war critic, Duterte told
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on authorities in the Philippines to immediately drop ‘politically motivated’ charges against senator Leila de Lima, ‘one of...
Local news from the substance misuse field
‘LOCK, STOCK’ STAR GIVES BOOST TO RAPT DAY PROGRAMMES
Jason Flemyng, star of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, lent his support to Alcohol Awareness...
Scots drug-related deaths down from record highs
The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland fell by 9 per cent last year, according to figures from the Scottish Government, with deaths among...
Glamourised ‘lifestyle’ promotions must be banned, says Alcohol Concern
Alcohol advertising that promotes ‘lifestyle’ images of drinkers or scenes that glamourise drinking should be banned, according to a report from Alcohol Concern. The...
Scottish Affairs Committee calls for decriminalisation
The Scottish Affairs Committee has become the latest group of MPs to call for an overhaul of the UK’s drug laws, saying that the...
Put health warnings on all alcohol labels, say MPs
Health warnings should be included on all alcohol labels, says the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Alcohol Misuse, to go alongside a new...
Legal high deaths ‘could’ top heroin deaths, says CSJ
The rate of deaths linked to new psychoactive substances could be ‘higher than heroin’ within two years, according to a report from the Centre...
ACMD highlights prevention knowledge gap
More needs to be done to ‘identify and understand the best approaches to substance abuse prevention’, according to a briefing paper from the Advisory...
News Focus
Do emerging drug use trends in parts of London’s gay scene risk creating a new health crisis? - DDN reports on the National Aids Trust’s...
Northern Ireland records highest drug death total
Northern Ireland has recorded its highest level of drug-related deaths, according to figures published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
There...
Time to ban all gambling ads, say MPs
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Gambling Related Harm has called for a ban on all gambling advertising as well as a complete...
Government launches prescription drug review
Public Health England (PHE) is to launch an independent review into the ‘growing problem’ of prescription drug dependency, the government has announced.
Dependence-forming drugs such...
Nearly 2m drinkers should be sent for liver scans, says NICE
People drinking at potentially harmful levels should be sent for scans to detect early liver disease, according to new draft guidance from the National...
Local news from the substance misuse field
Addiction charity wins excellence awards
Phoenix Futures has been awarded two UK excellence awards for leadership and customer satisfaction by the British Quality Foundation (BQF).
The...
OST: more needs to be done to protect children
The safeguarding of children is not being sufficiently prioritised by professionals making decisions about drug treatment medications, says a new report from Adfam. Improved...
Record drug fatalities ‘a national tragedy’ for Scotland
Scotland has once again recorded its highest ever number of drug-related deaths, at 706 – almost two per day.
The 2015 figures are 15 per...
News in brief
Not foiled again
The government has accepted the ACMD’s advice to allow for the provision of foil by treatment providers ‘subject to the strict condition...
News in brief – May 2015
Who's responsible?
Responsible drinking messages in advertising are being used by the alcohol industry to promote their brands rather than help consumers ‘make sensible choices...
Injecting young people a ‘blind spot’
Injecting drug use among under-18s remains a global data ‘blind spot’, according to a report from Harm Reduction International (HRI).
Young people who inject drugs...
Nine out of ten councils now provide take-home naloxone
Take-home naloxone has been made available by 90 per cent of English local authorities, according to a report from the Local Government Association (LGA)....
More than half of services see reduction in frontline staff
More than half (53 per cent) of respondents to DrugScope’s latest State of the sector survey have reported a reduction in the number of...
UK drug policy failing, say MPs
Drug policy in the UK is ‘clearly failing’ and requires radical change, says a report from the Health and Social Care Committee. With rates...
Better collaboration needed to tackle county lines properly
Efforts to tackle the activities of county lines drug gangs are being hampered by lack of a ‘fully integrated, national response’, according to a...
Government announces new drug powers as Baker replaces Browne
The government is to create new powers to seize chemicals suspected of being used as cutting agents for illegal drugs, as part of its...
‘Laughable’ alcohol responsibility deal has worsened nation’s health, says charity
The government’s controversial public health responsibility deal for alcohol has pursued initiatives ‘known to have limited efficacy’ while obstructing more meaningful action, according to...
Public health bodies call for decriminalisation of drugs
A report from the UK’s two major public health organisations has called for the personal possession of all illegal drugs to be decriminalised.
Published by...