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Obituary
[…] death of Alan Joyce. I first came across Alan when he started working as a volunteer for the Methadone Alliance. He popped up on some of the harm reduction mailing lists, full of passion for his new role, and with an interest in politics and post-structuralist philosophy. An ex-art student, Alan had studied Fine Art […]
Euro drug scene in ‘state of flux’
[…] western European countries, and smaller proportions of injectors. Recent HIV outbreaks in Greece and Romania, however, have ‘interrupted this positive trend’ and underline the need for adequate harm reduction and treatment services, says the document. A key theme of the report is that drug treatment remains ‘a cost-effective policy option, even at a time of […]
European drug scene in a ‘state of flux’
[…] western European countries and smaller proportions of injectors. Recent HIV outbreaks in Greece and Romania, however, have ‘interrupted this positive trend’ and underline the need for adequate harm reduction and treatment services, says the document. A key theme of the report is that drug treatment remains ‘a cost-effective policy option, even at a time of […]
Your letters
[…] people get to experience anything like what Dr Brinksman describes at his own practice. Name and address supplied Electro revolution Professor Howard Parker acknowledges the harm reduction benefits of e-cigarettes (DDN, April, page 18), but also says they do not have a scientific clean bill of health. E-cigarettes deliver nicotine in aerosol form […]
Weathering the storm
[…] 15 April (see news, page 4) which – alongside instructions to minimise face-to-face contact, scale back hep C testing and defer detoxes – recommends increasing provision of harm reduction measures including naloxone, and encourages services to increase stock held by NSPs and allow people to take more equipment. The guidance also advocates new ways of […]
Cannabis class
[…] Prozac – could worsen cannabis withdrawal. He reminded people that the cannabis drugs meter (www.drugsmeter.com) was a simple way for people to think about their use and harm reduction. Dr Malcolm Bruce explained that while some people using cannabis did present themselves to NHS cannabis services, the numbers were low, which was why the role […]
Drug Reporter
[…] policy website of the Rights Reporter Foundation. The website was created in 2004 to promote drug policy reform advocacy in the region. In 2007 we started our video advocacy program and our website has become an international hub for English and Russian language news articles, blogs and films about harm reduction and drug policy reform. www.drogriporter.hu/en en Drug reporter
Matters of Life and Death
[…] on an NPS course, and the conversation related to a worker struggling with a young person whose high-risk polydrug use and apparent unwillingness to take on board harm reduction measures left the worker desperately worried and stuck. We discussed the idea of the young person writing a ‘what if…’ letter to their parents. ‘You think […]
Shared perspectives
[…] year saw the first reduction in overdose deaths since 2012, dropping from 1,600 to 1,000. While they remain far above the 400 a year before the crisis, we are getting much better at responding to them. Bill Nelles harm reduction activist 2016: Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood, a mural highlighting fentanyl-related drug deaths Credit: Gerry Rousseau/Alamy
DDN April 2020
[…] proportion to the task ahead. With so much beyond our control, we need to focus on essential priorities – which is where the clear protocols and sound harm-reduction practices are so useful. We have been so impressed by the swift initiatives to share action that will save lives. In the rush to convert everything […]
Inside Out
[…] worse. I had three children when my husband asked me for a divorce. I was drinking in public toilets and was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. I was looking at nine years. I knew going to prison would save my life. I was taken straight to healthcare at Bronzefield, very […]
DDN Magazine December 2019
[…] that our opinions count. The HIT Hot Topics conference (page 8) is familiar with this sensation. Speakers travel across the world to share frustration at opportunities for harm reduction being squandered and governments driven by greed and ignorance. It would be easy for any one of us to think our voice didn’t matter – but […]
DDN Magazine November 2019
[…] published our first issue of DDN. I interviewed the drugs minister Caroline Flint, who talked about the new drug intervention programme (DIP) and the recently launched Alcohol harm reduction strategy. There was a lot happening – the Home Office was pumping money into the sector to ‘break the cycle between drugs and crime’. By our […]
UK drug policy failing, say MPs
[…] on the government to consult on decriminalising possession for personal use to a civil matter, and urges it to examine the Portuguese system, which also includes improved harm reduction and treatment provision. Money saved in the criminal justice system through decriminalisation could be used for investment in treatment and prevention, the report argues. With funding […]
April issue
[…] who don’t have the vote is not. Our cover story this issue (page 6) gives insight to the slow steady progress on prison welfare reform, focusing on health and harm reduction. Practice in other countries in Europe and the US is constantly informing suggestions of radical change in our own criminal justice system. The picture is of painfully […]
The power of naloxone
[…] prescribed to a responsible person and kept in communal areas of supported accommodation facilities. Over the last ten years naloxone has become an integral part of Harbour’s harm reduction procedure, with kits easily available across all of its properties in boxes attached directly to the walls, as well as in first-aid kits and kept in […]
Case dismissed
[…] (DDN, July/August, page 5). Only 12 per cent of prisoners who were previously dependent on heroin left prison with naloxone in 2017-18 A look at the ‘substantial harms’ that contribute to the unacceptable death rate showed that many prisoners were still being released without the certainty of accommodation, increasing their risk of relapse and […]
DDN Magazine June 2019
[…] and into education and treatment programmes (page 14). Since then disinvestment has become the norm. So where does that leave us? In dire need of a clear harm reduction led strategy to replace a ‘tough on drugs’ approach that is unfit for purpose in every way, according to a parliamentary meeting that included senior police […]
Man of principle
[…] engaged with the process. A police officer for 33 years, George Gallimore is principal officer at the Police Federation, and speaks on its behalf on drugs and harm reduction issues. ‘The electorate will worry about lower level anti-social behaviour, dog fouling, litter and the minor things that you worry about when you live in an […]
Becoming visible: homelessness
[…] No help for smokers Dr Lynne Dawkins of London South Bank University (LSBU) explained the strong link between homelessness and tobacco use and looked at opportunities for harm reduction. Smoking killed around 200 people a day in England and was responsible for more than a quarter of cancer deaths – and with the average pack […]
DDN February 2019
[…] (page 16), to challenge the narrative and acknowledge the moral bankruptcy involved. Crucially, we must do more to bring evidence to daily practice through simple, cost- effective harm reduction, early interventions, and the confidence to reach out and create strong peer networks. Turning our backs on this situation and leaving it to others is not […]
DDN Wider Health
[…] It contains articles published in our monthly DDN magazine, alongside reports, research and contributions that add to our knowledge bank looking at lung health, smoking, vaping, tobacco harm reduction and safer nicotine products. We have also produced a special supplement on End of Life Care for Manchester Metropolitan University and our own Routes to Recovery […]
The power of connection
[…] ‘We listen to our women and give them a voice.’ Improving the women’s health is a driving force of SWOP’s work and the approach is grounded in harm reduction. The network of partner agencies enables swift referral to treat sexually transmitted diseases, infections and HIV, and working with sexual health and homeless health teams helps […]
State of the sector: Time to talk
[…] social support. ‘There have been calls for solutions that dovetail with the mainstream – long-term recovery and support,’ says Dale-Perera, and these should include strong elements of harm reduction – community OST, more needle exchanges, and better coverage with naloxone. Mike Dixon, chief executive of Addaction, believes we need to ‘change the feel of services’ […]
Europe: ‘new era’ of declining heroin use and complex stimulant market
[…] are also continuing to decline, along with the numbers of newly reported HIV cases –particularly when compared to countries like Russia and Ukraine. In Greece, however, where harm reduction services have fallen victim to austerity measures, infection rates increased from less than 20 per year before 2010 to 241 in 2011, the result of ‘a […]
The Fear Inside
[…] activities. In a prison setting it carries additional challenges, with individuals often engaging in riskier behaviour due to contextual factors such as unsafe environment, limited availability of harm reduction services and a climate in which they have to hide their drug use to avoid punishment for failing mandatory drug testing. Incarceration has an overwhelming impact […]
Royal College of Physicians comes out for decriminalisation
[…] our position on drug policy reform,’ said RSPH chief executive Shirley Cramer. ‘That such an influential medical body has put its weight behind a public health and harm reduction approach to drugs, including the decriminalisation of personal possession and use, goes to show just how far the debate on this issue has moved forward – […]
How do we keep up this momentum?
[…] associated with the economic climate and spending squeeze. ‘The lesson from Greece is that disinvestment comes at a heavy price,’ he says, with cuts in treatment and harm reduction services leading to the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases among injecting drug users rising from around ten in 2009-10 to 190 the following year. In […]
One size fits nobody
[…] to reduce – that it’s the law. I know it isn’t, but I have to fight at each appointment. The new staff don’t understand, or believe in, harm reduction – but I’ve seen too many friends die when they stop treatment and I’ve got to live to bring up my kid.’ For those trying to […]
Review of the year
[…] member and ex-UKDPC chief Roger Howard tells DDN. ‘But in this circumstance I think that narrative probably needs to be challenged.’ JUNE An optimistic month for the harm reduction community as a new report moves Glasgow’s proposed consumption room a step closer and one of the country’s leading public health bodies calls for music festivals […]
North Wales PCC calls for introduction of consumption rooms
[…] immediately’. Meanwhile, a report from the Cross Party Parliamentary Group on Drugs, Alcohol and Justice sets out ten key demands on the UK government, including prioritising ‘coordinated harm reduction strategies’ to reduce drug and alcohol-related deaths, and identifying a single government minister responsible for drug and alcohol policy. Charter for change also urges the government […]
Reflection of hope
With their roots in harm reduction services, Kaleidoscope Project provide both community and residential drug and alcohol treatment. Their new 20-bed detoxification unit in Merseyside continues their tradition of providing life-changing support for every individual. Birchwood Residential Treatment Centre ‘For the last 49 years Kaleidoscope has worked with some of the most marginalised clients with the […]
Counter culture
[…] people more often than anyone else in the system. So there’s a lot of stuff they can do.’ He reels off a list of basic interventions and harm reduction advice, as well as the opportunity to introduce patients to the right kind of hepatitis C treatment to suit their condition – ‘if you’re on OST […]
A moment to reflect
[…] at the age of 21, but she continued her pioneering work into the 1990s, helping to influence policy in the UK. APA also continued, moving increasingly into harm reduction and treatment services throughout the heroin epidemics of the 1980s and 90s, and rebranding as Addaction in 1998. Addaction has grown significantly since then, from 19 […]
By hook or by crook
[…] while reducing stigma attached to drug treatment. A move towards a regulated market would offer a targeted dialogue with people experiencing problematic cannabis use, offering opportunities for harm reduction advice to be delivered at point of purchase, and any person in need of support to be linked into reformed public health measures. There would also […]
Industrial strength: Where next for alcohol policy?
[…] offered to review beer, wine and cider duties, which are calculated according to alcohol by volume (ABV). In terms of the retailer role in helping to reduce harm, alcohol remained an ‘incredibly important’ category for shopkeepers, said public affairs executive at the Association of Convenience Stores, Julie Byers. ‘Our members have a huge responsibility […]
Naloxone outreach – Reaching out
[…] who have contact with our service users to try to get as much out there as possible.’ It’s not just about the naloxone, but about ‘the whole harm reduction message’, she says. ‘We’re trying to make it a whole health and wellbeing approach, rather than just “here’s naloxone”.’ Among the community partners, she says pharmacies […]
January issue
[…] for alcohol services on page 11; and a fresh look at local treatment services versus out-of-area provision on page 14. John Ryan gives insight into his experiences working with harm reduction in Australia (page 12), while Brendan Georgeson gives a motivational account of organising Bristol’s first dual diagnosis recovery conference. And we’re pleased to welcome Release’s first legal column, […]
Rodrigo Duterte’s punishing regime
[…] ‘mostly for using or having used drugs, or simply being arbitrarily placed ona published list of so-called drug suspects’, as well as provision of drug treatment and harm reduction services. It could also address some ‘alarming legislative proposals’ including one to re-instate the death penalty, abolished a decade ago, and another to lower the age […]
Model of choice: a new addiction paradigm?
[…] the so-called ‘medical model’ with its alleged transfer of dependence to state-endorsed substances, while others shout loudly in support of what they claim is a more inclusive harm reduction approach. But what if there was a model that encompassed all these laudable ideas and then took things a stage further? In 2007 the World Health […]
September 2016
[…] than a disease, as Maia Szalawitz suggests? Will we listen to new evidence to reshape drug policy, asks David Nutt. And what should be the purpose of harm reduction – as primary goal or to eliminate drug use? Mike Ashton presents both sides of the argument. Read on for ideas and inspiration, including a look […]
May 2016
[…] at stake and real hope of reform (page 6). What actually took place makes you question the value of such processes, watered down by the need for consensus. What is the point, if there’s no movement on abolishing the death penalty and little progress on harm reduction? Virtual Mag / PDF Version Drink and Drugs News
False economies
[…] stubbornly high and had increased again, with last year’s figure of 613 the highest ever recorded. Looking back, policy responses in the 1980s had been rooted in harm reduction and methadone, until the newly elected SNP introduced a strategy of ‘drug- free recovery’ in 2008 (and a ‘new hostility to methadone’). Drug services began changing […]
April 2016 DDN
Drink and Drugs News April 2016 Thirty years after his graphic harm reduction campaigns burst onto the scene, Michael Linnell’s work still has the capacity to shock. Is it the graphic drawings? Is it the confrontation of difficult and taboo subject matter? Or is it the fact that he refused to be deterred in creating […]
Media savvy
[…] BMJ editorial, 3 November Around the world, about 25 countries including Australia, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Switzerland have initiated reform. Even Iran’s theocracy brought in progressive harm-reduction measures and has influential voices calling for cannabis and opium legalisation. Slowly but surely we are seeing the end of stupid policies to prohibit drug use […]
November DDN 2015
In this month’s issue of DDN… ‘Talk of “ harm reduction” is increasingly taboo – and completely absent from government communications.’ In the latest issue of DDN, Ian Sherwood asks whether drug treatment is being derailed by the sector’s refusal to push for reform. Click on the links below to read more, and don’t forget […]
DDN 1015
[…] USE DRINK AUG I N N DRINASGEG DRINK RAUGSKE E GSEWANRWONSWEDNACGTND NCNAB20UB1D E 2 DGSNDD ISSN 1S75 -623 INSIDE NNEF: reports from the frontline of harm reduction Turning science into policy Recovery month round-up Sb FE G UbRD IN G I N T R Eb TM EN T S E R V IC ES ; […]
DDN 0615
DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS ISSN 1755-6236 JUNE 2015 Join us and have your say: www.drinkanddrugsnews.com TAKING HARM REDUCTION TO THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT DRINK AURG DRINK AN UNGSINEDW USIW E U NDUKGS U N DUK SIRIN GSNU INSIDE Getting naloxone out there Meeting the needs of steroid users Canine care at Chandos House Sh are […]
UK drug policy
[…] policies on skewed statistics will never result in anything other than further harm. Criminalising drugs and sticking to a purely abstinence-based approach will not make drug use disappear. It only puts people in danger, increases stigmatisation, and places unrealistic conditions on those would benefit from harm reduction practices. Prison Door - illustrating drug use in prisons
Meeting the needs of anabolic steroid users
[…] injecting temazepam, and they had horrendous injuries from poor injecting techniques. That’s how I got into working in drug services, through that desire to get involved in harm reduction.’ There’s a great deal of harm to be prevented when it comes to users of anabolic steroids and associated drugs. As well as putting themselves at […]
European Alcohol Conference
[…] tended to drink more were the ones that wanted help to drink less – but were also reluctant to change their behaviour. ‘We underestimate our personal vulnerability to harm,’ said Winstock – pointing out that individuals not only enjoyed drinking, but rationalised and normalised their behaviour when it suited them, so they were more likely […]
Engaging dependent drinkers
[…] project has developed the Blue light project manual, which contains tools for understanding why clients may not engage, risk assessment tools that are appropriate for drinkers and harm reduction techniques that workers can use. The manual also offers advice on crucial nutritional approaches, which can reduce alcohol-related harm, questions to help non-clinicians identify potential serious […]
Comment from the drug and alcohol field
[…] getting any airtime at all. One articulate morphine-scripted friend said, ‘the problem is that the message he gives makes it OK for treatment providers to radically reduce harm reduction services’, and that should worry us all at a time where overdose deaths have doubled in the UK and the government is planning to build more […]
LGBT drug support
[…] it became apparent that there was a real opportunity to get to people ‘much earlier in their cycle of drug use’, he says. ‘We can give some harm reduction advice, maybe some motivational interviewing sessions to look at behavioural change, but in the context of their sexual behaviour and their drug use together, which I […]
GP advice – Steve Brinksman
[…] weekly consumption was 60 units in the first week and 45 units in the second. He was pleased with this progress and it will obviously reduce the harm if his drinking can be maintained at this level, although both he and I acknowledged that it would be better if he could reduce further. Previously, […]
Treatment complete?
[…] already in drug treatment, asks Dr Steve Brinksman There is still a lot of – sometimes heated – debate about whether drug services should be recovery or harm-reduction based. Yet I rarely hear the same passion when we talk about treating viral hepatitis. Services will talk about high levels of BBV screening and uptake […]
What price life?
[…] with witnesses (other drug users) present. A Patient Group Direction (PGD) had been sent out to nurses and pharmacists in community addiction teams, needle and syringe programmes, harm reduction teams and the Scottish Prison Service, and Lord Advocate’s Guidelines allowed naloxone to be supplied by staff working for services in contact with people at risk […]
A dangerous game
[…] access effective treatment. Nevertheless, at Release we are still seeing too many services around the country failing to protect people who use benzos from significant and avoidable harms. Max had been self-medicating his anxiety with illicit alprazolam for some time. Struggling to manage this by himself, he reached out to his GP for support. […]
Better joined up working needed between treatment and child sexual abuse services
[…] reported having mental health problems, along with 15 per cent of males, while 33 per cent of females and 9 per cent of males reported having self- harmed. The review stresses that these ‘multiple vulnerabilities and complex needs’ need to be properly addressed, while ‘young people becoming young adults need to be supported as […]
The discovery of recovery – where did it all start?
[…] dated to May 2008, when governments in Scotland and England presented it as a new dawn, which would reinvigorate treatment services stuck in the rut of preventing harm and crime rather than redeeming and regenerating lives. In an ‘age of austerity’, commentators have noted that the ambitious rhetoric was not matched by the ‘intensive […]