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Crack Cocaine – Cracks in the mirror
[…] markets – expanding market share by offering two-for-one deals or mixed ‘any five for £30’ offers, where the buyer could have four rocks and a bag of heroin for the comedown, or three bags of heroin for an opiate habit and two rocks as a ‘treat’. This expansion into existing heroin markets is, of […]
Highest number of drug deaths in quarter of a century
[…] legal and illegal drugs, almost 70 per cent were classed as drug misuse deaths. However, while more than half of recorded drug poisoning deaths involved an opiate, heroin and/or morphine deaths have remained ‘stable’, says ONS, at 1,209 compared with 1,201 in 2015. The number of heroin and/or morphine deaths in males also fell […]
In tune with nature
[…] things I wanted was to come somewhere where I could get away from things. At Bosence I feel completely removed from temptation and can focus on my treatment and concentrate on getting well.’ Coming down from London to 22 acres of beautiful Cornish gardens and woodland, Nick found a tranquil environment away from all […]
Early Intervention
[…] and 3 (non-residential) alcohol and drug services between April 2020 and March 2021. Cannabis remains the most common substance (89 per cent) for which young people seek treatment. Around four in ten young people in treatment said they had problems with alcohol. Meanwhile, among 17-year-olds in the UK, one in 10 will have used […]
One step beyond
[…] substitute medication. The report recognises that both sides have valid points and that the division between the ‘abstinence’ and ‘prescribing’ approaches is a false dichotomy. Indeed, drug treatment services do not have to choose to favour one approach over the other but should move towards a holistic approach that uses a wide range of […]
West Midlands PCC proposes consumption rooms and prescribed heroin
[…] drug-related crime and deaths, and reduce costs to public services, has been set out by West Midlands police and crime commissioner (PCC) David Jamieson. They include prescribing heroin in a medical setting for people who have not responded to other forms of treatment, establishing a formal scheme to divert people away from the courts […]
Time to Breathe
[…] substance misuse clients. When clients are admitted to the detox unit, they often present with COPD, which is caused by long-term regular smoking and the smoking of heroin/crack cocaine. Education to aid self-management is paramount for our clients as they are only with us for a short period and must be allowed to understand […]
Driving Change
[…] was no association with theft. We’ve gone from the prescription pad to the hand grenade.’ A high proportion of drug crime was driven by people who used heroin – ‘so the logic of using heroin-assisted treatment is that you take half of the market from organised crime, just like that.’ County lines were mainly […]
Soapbox
[…] recovery first – a document that has come to be known as the ‘recovery roadmap’, given that it described itself as a ‘roadmap for building a new treatment system based on recovery.’ Notable too is that the document not only insists on abstinence from substances that are causing the individual problems, but is also […]
DDN Conference 2023 session one: Rising to the challenge
[…] colleague Faye. The network’s starting point for naming, understanding and calling out stigma was the health and social care sector, she told delegates – including drug and alcohol treatment. ‘We all have examples of how services and pathways stigmatise people.’ Alongside structural stigma, this was also down to individual assumptions and actions, she stressed. A […]
Staying alive
[…] increase in drug-related deaths and 20 per cent of that down to opiates. The government says the cause was likely to be the increased strength of street heroin, but the same stuff hits Wales where there was no increase in drug-related deaths and recovery there is not the driving force it has become in […]
‘Considerable progress’ towards eliminating hep C, says UKHSA
[…] been a 40 per cent reduction in the number of people injecting drugs, UKHSA says. The reduction in prevalence is largely a result of improved access to treatment, with almost 60,000 treatments taking place between April 2015 and March 2021. Of the 81,000 people in England estimated to be living with hep C, around […]
Mental block
[…] a pilot launching during the COVID period following an audit of more than 3,000 clients. This had identified two significant groups where there were gaps in accessing treatment – populations involved in injecting drug use who were ‘frequent flyers’ at local hospitals and also presented with high levels of risk around mental health, including […]
Myths and Legends of Residential Rehab
[…] rehab and highlights the tangible truth. Phoenix Futures chief executive Karen Biggs Over the course of the last 30 years we have developed a robust set of treatment interventions in the UK, based on evidence, research and practice. Delivered by a range of professionals with expertise from different disciplines, they are summarised in drug […]
Stepping up
[…] viable options at various stages of an individual’s journey, and detox services can also play an important role in enabling people to stabilise on their community delivered treatment options. UPTAKE TARGETS Improving treatment outcomes, reducing drug-related harm and death and increasing the number of people in treatment are at the heart of the UK’s […]
Delayed drug strategy promises ‘national recovery champion’
[…] demand include continued expansion of the Alcohol and Drugs Education and Prevention Information Service (ADEPIS). The strategy also includes changes to the way the ‘long-term success of treatment’ is determined, with a requirement on services to ‘carry out additional checks to track the progress of those in recovery at 12 months, as well as […]
16th June issue
[…] been put forward by a group representing different disciplines, interests, viewpoints and backgrounds? Do semantics matter – ie is this statement helpful in refocusing the drug and alcohol treatment field in the same direction? Or could it be counter-productive in giving us more definitions to argue about? The logic behind the exercise is that we need […]
CQC inspections
Get in gear David Finney guides you through the new CQC inspections The Care Quality Commission has just published guidance on the new way in which treatment services will be inspected. The process will be very different from before, because the inspections are now organised by the Hospital Directorate. The first major change is […]
Trauma of war
[…] to Tehran. At this time Mr A began to consume theriac, as opium is called in this part of the world, and then after a while to smoke heroin. In his early twenties he was arrested and faced the choice of avoiding the expulsion of his family by registering as a “volunteer” for deployment in […]
19th May issue
[…] harm, and when the lack of dedicated support services for the young client group are highlighted, there is no justification for not catching them earlier. If adults who enter drug treatment environments and the criminal justice system are vulnerable to learning from those with more extreme habits, how much more at risk is a young person? Mark surely has a point […]
Prescription for action
[…] this topical issue and consisted of a panel of clinicians, service users and experts in their respective fields, with direct experience of addiction to prescription drugs and treatment services. It was the first time an event on this issue had been held in parliament and marked a momentous day for many people in the […]
Public health focus for drugs and alcohol?
[…] else’ – few noticed that Anna Soubry had replaced Anne Milton as parliamentary under secretary of state. At least that was the case until her comments about assisted suicide led to her being branded a ‘train wreck’ and the knives coming out in the press. The Daily Mail’s Melanie Phillips, however, chose […]
Speaker presentations
[…] CEO, and was previously Head of the Policy and Parliamentary Unit at Mind and Policy Manager at Nacro. Outlining the challenges and opportunities for the housing and drug treatment sectors. Ron Dougan, Trent and Dove housing association Ron has been CEO of Trent and Dove Housing for the past ten years and has worked […]
Celebrating recovery with Peer Mentor graduates in Somerset
[…] those that have completed Turning Point’s Somerset Drug and Alcohol Service’s (SDAS) ‘Peer Mentor’ training programme. The group of graduates are all people who have successfully completed treatment through SDAS and will now be able to support others suffering with addiction. The programme is a 10-week, level 2 accredited training course which will […]
A moment to reflect
[…] charity’s purpose grows ever stronger, says Alistair Bohm. Fifty years ago, the Guardian newspaper published a letter from Mollie Craven (above). Mollie’s son had been a registered heroin addict since the age of 18 and, feeling powerless to help, she wrote: ‘we parents of addicts are a neglected and ignored group.’ Her vision was for […]
Prison perspectives
[…] Last year I resigned from my position as a service manager due to burnout, having spent the last two years fighting to offer the best level of treatment and support to the clients we had in our care. I am a resilient individual but the experiences I encountered made it impossible for me to continue […]
All in the Family
[…] than 20 years Phoenix has been delivering residential services that support parents while they are still looking after their children. These services are whole-family interventions. They deliver treatment to the parents for substance use and help develop parenting skills while providing care and developmental support to their children. Studies show that alcohol and drug […]
Bill Nelles – Doctor Wars (part one)
[…] It wasn’t until the late ’60s that serious prohibition started in the UK – largely because young people, not elderly users and dependent doctors, were now using heroin and getting it from doctors famous for their unusual prescribing locales like coffee bars and street corners. Some changes were understandable as the system was anarchic […]
Right to choose
[…] pregnancy ending in a baby being removed into care immediately after birth is one of the most distressing experiences known to those involved in drug and alcohol treatment – yet it is all too familiar to drug and alcohol service users, their families and clinical staff. When it has happened once to an individual […]
WDP and partners shortlisted for HSJ Awards 2022
WDP has announced that it has been shortlisted for the Performance Recovery Award at this year’s HSJ Awards, along with its partners in the Hepatitis C Drug Treatment Services (DTS) Provider Forum. The HSJ Awards recognise the outstanding contributions made to healthcare across the UK and showcase these achievements on a national platform. The […]
Over-supervised, Under-dosed
[…] Allie has a textbook list of withdrawal symptoms, which she could reel off to any doctor if they asked. Because of the withdrawal symptoms, Allie was buying heroin to manage. This was neither what Allie wanted to be doing nor was it financially sustainable. To make matters worse, drug alerts for nitazenes, as well […]
Behind the data
[…] per cent of deaths for which the cause was known. The cause of death was unascertainable or not yet known in 21 cases (7 per cent). After heroin or opiate toxicity, drugs such as diazepam, temazepam, gabapentin, mirtazapine and increasingly pregabalin were frequently highlighted under section 1b (‘underlying cause’ of the main cause of […]
Gilead Sciences and WDP partner up to eliminate hepatitis C
[…] renewed partnership with Gilead, WDP has recruited a dedicated hepatitis C coordinator to help its services achieve this 2023 target. WDP has over 2,500 service users in treatment across the Barts, South Thames, West London and Cheshire and Merseyside Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs). WDP’s hepatitis C coordinator will be liaising with these ODN teams […]
Harm reduction flyers on nitazenes
[…] UK drug supply. These substances are a class of synthetic opioids that are believed to be as strong (or stronger) than fentanyl. The 2022 Afghan ban on heroin production, jointly with a spike in heroin price and availability across Europe, may have triggered its appearance in the market. And while the drug has circulated […]
Delphi Medical
The Pavilion is a stunning residential drug and alcohol treatment centre situated in picturesque private grounds just outside Lancaster.
What will people say?
Shame, stigma and inappropriate services are serious barriers to recovery for South Asian women, says Shinasa Shahid. There is evidence to suggest that gaps in treatment provision and lack of culturally sensitive addiction recovery services in the UK are making it difficult for South Asian (SA) women to access the support they need. According […]
The DDN Conference 2023
[…] never just one straight route. We are never just waking this alone.’ You talked about the key issues facing members of the community, and the barriers to treatment. We discussed the overriding stigma that affects everything – housing, employment, every aspect of daily life – and you said that if we can’t (all of […]
Survival strategies
[…] clients onto systems like NDTMS as ‘there’s only a finite number of drugs you can list’. The extent to which the sector has been target-driven around heroin and crack has also meant that, until recently, other drug users and alcohol users weren’t prioritised. ‘If you provided treatment for them it didn’t count towards […]
Via to provide new drug and alcohol recovery service in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire CC will fund charity Via with £5.8 million per year to provide drug and alcohol treatment services.
Sheffield Addiction Recovery Research Group
[…] aimed at promoting research, good practice and joined-up working A group of researchers from Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield, alongside representatives from the main treatment providers in the city, formed the Sheffield Addiction Recovery Research Group (SARRG) in September 2014. Professor of criminology and well known addiction recovery researcher David Best […]
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 three weeks after another fatal anthrax case in the town (DDN, September, page 5), and Public Health Wales has confirmed that a Gwynedd drug user has also been hospitalised with […]
HIV Testing Week 2023 and Turning Point’s HIV Strategy
[…] HIV strategy, the aim of which is to ensure everyone that Turning Point supports in our drug and alcohol and sexual health services can easily access testing, treatment and ongoing support for HIV. We have made great progress in tackling HIV in the UK; however, there is more to do and drug and alcohol […]
Back to reality – treating ARBD
Getting the right treatment can reverse effects of alcohol-related brain damage, says Alyson Smith. Read the full article in June 2018 issue of DDN Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) refers to the damaging effects of long term alcohol consumption on the brain. Alcohol toxicity, vitamin deficiencies and disrupted blood supply to the brain can result […]
In it together
[…] had similar experiences are acknowledged as a vital aspect of recovery from problem drug and alcohol use, and Public Health England (PHE) is keen to see the treatment sector strengthen its relationship with mutual aid organisations. A new range of PHE resources aims to raise awareness of the benefits of mutual aid among commissioners, […]
Addiction Treatment Residential Rehab Guide
DDN Directory Rehab Guide Spotlights Editorials Rehab News Residential Addiction Treatment Routes to Recovery Finding the right treatment option can be a daunting prospect. DDN magazine cannot recommend one facility over another, but the one piece of advice we can offer is to contact them directly and talk to the people who work there […]
All Change
[…] will be a new inspection methodology in place, so inspectors will be looking for different things and writing different reports. The big news for the substance misuse sector is that all treatment services, whether residential or community services, will be based within the hospital directorate; more specifically within the section of this directorate that deals with ‘community based services for people with mental health needs’. […]
We’ll publish drug strategy by end of the year, government says
[…] plan. The announcement comes in the government’s response to the second part of Dame Carol Black’s Independent review of drugs, which was published earlier this month (https://www.drinkanddrugsnews.com/more-than-550m-needed-to-save- treatment-system-says-black-report/). The strategy will present a ‘whole-of-government’ response to help drive down drug supply and demand, it says, including support for people through treatment and recovery combined […]
News in Brief
[…] Care Alliance, with huge discrepancies in provision worldwide. ‘This is a public health emergency and an intolerable situation,’ said senior fellow at the alliance, Dr Stephen Connor. ‘Barriers to adequate pain treatment worldwide include overly-restrictive laws and regulation, over-exaggerated fears of addiction and a lack of understanding of the issues among governments and health professionals. Attitudes need to change.’ Situation Stable The […]
Nine out of ten councils now provide take-home naloxone
[…] by 90 per cent of English local authorities, according to a report from the Local Government Association (LGA). Of those, 90 per cent provide it through drug treatment services, 25 per cent via hostels and 25 per cent through outreach workers, says Naloxone survey 2017. The survey was sent to 134 of the 152 […]
News in brief
[…] in drug injecting and associated health risks, such as exposure to blood born viruses, vein collapse and overdose,’ said DrugScope chief executive Martin Barnes. ‘Support that enables heroin and other drug users to reduce the risks to themselves and others can be the catalyst for engaging with treatment and support for recovery.’ Hep C […]
Vital Link – Forward Trust, The Bridges
The Bridges – Hull, Forward Trust’s residential treatment centre, supporting people on their drug and alcohol recovery journeys since 2004.
Tsunami of Need
Phoenix Chief Exec Karen Biggs on the impact of COVID-19 on people who rely on drug and alcohol treatment services.
WDP responds to the government’s new drug strategy
[…] HM Government’s 10-year drugs plan and, in particular, its adoption of the recommendations of Dame Carol Black’s Review of Drugs. As a third sector provider of recovery treatment and support services, we welcome the additional investment in these systems. We are positive about the difference this can make to the health and wellbeing of […]
Inside Out
[…] recovery services to prisoners, demonstrating impact is a complex but vital process, says Carwyn Gravell. Read the full article in DDN Magazine Forward’s range of structured, abstinence-based treatment programmes (which we refer to as the ‘RAPt’ programmes) have supported thousands of people into lasting recovery. Our range and type of programmes have grown and […]
Letters and Comment from DDN’s December issue
[…] Kaleidoscope was one of the original drug services in England, and a pioneer of harm reduction services, campaigning against long waiting lists by providing rapid access to treatment. Over time local authorities improved the services to their own drug using population and the need for our services was reduced. At the same time, however, […]
The end, my friend
[…] form of long-term abstinence, but also feel we need to have a pragmatic and kind response to those for whom prognosis is poor. Danny had been a heroin user for 30 years. Having started in the early 80s he had a history of IV drug use and had been diagnosed as hep C positive […]
Five steps to lower your risk of hepatitis and protect your health
[…] C by 2030. To support this target, The Drug and Alcohol Wellbeing Service (DAWS) want to raise awareness about hepatitis locally and get more people access to testing and treatment. An estimated 60,000 people in London have been infected with hepatitis C (they are hepatitis C antibody positive), of these, 69% have not cleared the infection. […]
Working at WithYou: Emma and Jade’s pharmacy technician journeys
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a pharmacy technician at WithYou? We hear from Emma and Jade who help WithYou clients throughout their treatment journeys at the charity’s drug and alcohol services. Emma (left) and Jade (right) What does a typical day look like? Emma: ‘There is no typical day for me. One […]
From our foreign correspondent
[…] I now know as Siobhan was telling me a story about her son Gary. Just 31 years old, he had died in the family home from a heroin overdose about three months previously. On returning from work one evening, Siobhan had called up to Gary and getting no response she went upstairs to investigate. […]
The right focus
[…] especially those using services. DDN reports. There have been many calls for a review of commissioning practice as budget cuts have sliced through services and severely curtailed treatment capacity. So the newly formed Expert Faculty on Commissioning’s consultation (page 10) is certainly timely. ‘The financial squeeze on drug and alcohol services will seriously undermine […]