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Funding certainty vital to achieving drug strategy ambitions, says PAC
[…] PAC is disappointed that government departments seem unwilling to explore how to provide local authorities with more confidence over long-term funding,’ it states. Efforts to reduce drug-related harm were seeing ‘mixed’ progress, according to the committee. The report welcomes the achievement in recruitment so far, with more than 1,200 new drug and alcohol workers […]
The main man
[…] while the left think we’ve got a failed war on drugs that will be solved by decriminalisation or legalisation, and the right think we’ve got a wrong-headed harm reduction-led policy when we ought to have abstinence – the only thing they can agree on is that we’re going to hell in a handcart. Which is […]
Letters
[…] People put themselves at risk to demand better services. Knowing a little about the oppression in some European countries, I was truly humbled by the user and harm reduction groups working in those countries. Misbehaving and fighting for their rights can easily lead to them ending up in prison. Then came the Action Summit on […]
The best laid plans
[…] said that the government would soon be announcing its new alcohol and drugs strategic plan. That came less than two weeks later, with the publication of Preventing harm, promoting recovery. Backed by £160m of funding for this financial year, the new plan aims to improve collaboration between the government and grassroots delivery, with a […]
Use taxes to encourage switch to safer nicotine products, governments urged
[…] their tax systems to encourage smokers to switch to using safer nicotine products instead of cigarettes, says a new briefing paper from the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) project. Taxation has long been seen by tobacco control groups as one of the most effective tools for controlling the use of cigarettes, says Safer […]
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 Harm Reduction International (HRI) and the STOPAIDS network of organisations. Governments from around the world were represented at the commission, which aimed to find ways forward in addressing world drug problems. […]
International aid money being spent on punitive drug control, says HRI reportÂ
Almost $1bn from aid budgets intended to help end poverty was spent on the global ‘war on drugs’ over the last decade, according to a report by Harm Reduction International (HRI). The report is calling for governments and donors to divest from ‘punitive and prohibitionist drug control regimes’ and instead invest in evidence-based programmes such […]
TRAINING DIR DDN 1113
[…]  t o  i m pro ve  p eo p le ’s  l iv e s t h ro u gh  r e d u cin g t h e harm  c a u se d  b y a lc o h ol. S in ce  2 000 A lc o h ol C on ce rn  h as d eliv e […]
Countdown to Elimination
[…] about how we might access them,’ agreed consultant epidemiologist and head of hepatitis C and BBVs at UKHSA, Dr Monica Desai. While there was new focus on harm reduction through the drug strategy, it was also crucial to make sure that investment continued and ‘we monitor needle and syringe provision to fully understand what coverage […]
Doorstep Challenge
[…] obstacles and a way forward for making SIFs a reality. ‘Not only do they save lives, they help people to improve their injecting technique, access treatment and harm reduction services, and address other vulnerabilities in their lives,’ he said. Niamh Eastwood, executive director of Release looked at whether a SIF could be legal. With the […]
DDN190606
[…] of a crystal meth epidemic would be ‘without foundation and alarmist’. Sebastian Saville, director of Release, attacked the ‘over hasty official response’ as unhelpful when working towards harm reduction. (See DDN letters, page 10) Welsh events in July for user support A new peer support group is opening in Newport, Gwent – the first of […]
DDN220908
[…] talking about ‘refusal skills’ or situations where they feel uncomfortable, and it might involve discussing how to avoid things happening in future. But they also offer basic harm reduction advice; ‘so if someone’s saying I’m going out at the weekend and thinking of taking this or this [drug], we would then have quite a detailed […]
July issue 2013
In this month’s issue of DDN… ‘It’s very strange to sit in a harm reduction conference and realise that the last needle exchange programme in Romania will close this year. We in harm reduction will increasingly be at the cold intersection of austerity and social exclusion.’ The July issue reports from the International Harm Reduction Conference […]
IHRA Daily Updates
Harm Reduction International is a leading non-governmental organisation working to promote and expand support for harm reduction. Their annual international conferences are a key event for all those interested in harm reduction around the world. In order to keep delegates up-to-date with the latest developments and announcements during the events and to provide a record […]
Soapbox
[…] a regular user will spend around £15 a week. Intuitively a device that delivers nicotine without the carcinogenic chemicals in cigarette tar and smoke looks like a harm reduction winner for heavy tobacco smokers. If no major risks are identified from vaping, then eventually we may have a product which, when set in a CBT-type […]
Soapbox
[…] us on pharmacotherapies cannot live ‘meaningful lives’ is an insult to the many tens of thousands of us who are on long-term maintenance scripts, who are accessing harm reduction services, and are, at the same time, succeeding professionally and personally. Equally this agenda does nothing to give confidence to those who rely on them that […]
May issue
Learning curve Lessons from global harm reduction  AFTER A TURBULENT FEW WEEKS the election is finally over, with a hung parliament a certainty as we go to press. What will happen next in terms of configuring government is still anybody’s guess – and has been, during the hours of tv coverage through the night. All we know is […]
Harm reduction in Belfast
[…] John Moores University chaired the event, introducing the keynote speaker, Professor Carl Hart of Columbia University, NYC. Carl’s impassioned presentation outlined the moral case for a baseline harm reduction response for people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in the city centre, with a drug consumption facility (DCR) in an area where drugs are already bought and […]
Benefits of therapeutic communities
[…] time window either, he states, with opioid-replacement therapy appearing affordable over the period of a year, but less so over ten. One early ‘fundamental error’ of the harm reduction community was its failure to recognise, or effectively promote, the fact that it’s ‘actually about two things’, he says – reducing the harm that people do […]
In mind and body
[…] that providing attractive alternatives to drugs is ‘a big job’, there is a way people can change the narrative and reduce the harm. He sees decriminalisation and harm reduction as vital. Meanwhile drug users need to ‘get out of the closet and admit their use’, as President Obama has done, in order to normalise the […]
Getting real
[…] ketamine use reinforces the importance of a client-centred, empathic approach that responds to ketamine users by offering chances to explore risk reduction, self-control or cessation. The key harm reduction messages for active ketamine users revolve around dose management and hydration. Understanding how to dose, avoiding dose stacking and learning to take breaks between using sessions […]
Harm reduction-based taskforce to look at student drug use
[…] student drug use has been launched by Universities UK (UUK) in partnership with Unite Students, GuildHE and Independent HE. The taskforce will make recommendations ‘firmly based on harm reduction’ and have student ‘safety and health at its heart’, it says, and will be advised by Professor Dame Carol Black alongside ACMD chair Professor Owen Bowden-Jones […]
Parties set out drug and alcohol manifesto pledges
[…] Labour government would establish a Royal Commission to ‘develop a public health approach to substance misuse’, says its manifesto, It’s time for real change. This would focus on harm reduction rather than criminalisation, the document states. A Labour government would establish a Royal Commission to ‘develop a public health approach to substance misuse’ The party would […]
Government reverses controversial FOBT delay
[…] for me to be able to justify or even explain the delay.’ The decision to abandon the delay would ‘affect many lives for the better and reduce harm on our high streets’, she added. ‘There are many more gambling issues that need to be dealt with including online harm, advertising and the poor standards […]
Economic burden of alcohol could be almost 3 per cent of GDP, says PHE
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 to a wide-ranging review by Public Health England (PHE). Plans to introduce MUP were shelved by the coalition government on the grounds that there was not enough ‘concrete evidence’ to […]
Getting proactive
[…] a lecture, and disengage before the conversation has even properly started. People don’t ask questions because they think they’re going to be judged. But, as with all harm reduction work, timing and tone are critical. If we can reach people before patterns become entrenched, and if we frame the information with respect and realism, we’re […]
Ketamine deaths increase twenty-fold in a decade
[…] policies, such as reclassification, are unlikely to tackle the real drivers of harm. Illicit ketamine use has moved beyond the recreational setting. To reduce deaths, we need harm reduction, treatment, and social support strategies that reflect the realities of polydrug use – not just legislative changes focused on one substance.’ Deaths following illicit ketamine use […]
Ketamine use in the UK: insights from Phoenix Futures’ residential services
[…] To address these challenges the survey highlighted a number of recommendations from staff and residents including: Early, factual education in schools Peer-led awareness campaigns Development of ketamine-specific harm reduction materials Creation of dedicated ketamine support groups Improved access to urology and pain management services And most importantly for residential services the development of specialist treatment […]
Chloe Cooke – I am a…
[…] when they do, it’s massive. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE? The stigma schools have around substances. We often find that schools won’t deliver any form of harm reduction or awareness of any substances because they’re afraid that they’re teaching the young people to use substances rather than how to keep safe. But I speak […]
Over the threshold
[…] designed to be flexible, immediate and to build trust,’ said Morales. ‘It’s not just about work – it’s a holistic programme.’ SIMPLE STEPS TAPAJ firmly adopted a harm-reduction approach, he stated, with no requirement for participants to ‘stop their substance use or change their life.’ The programme had ‘three simple steps’, he explained. The […]
The age of overwhelm
[…] member of Students for Sensible Drugs Policy) highlighted a zero tolerance approach and lack of knowledge in many universities. But there were barriers to universities having a harm reduction focus, she said – including misunderstanding of drugs laws – and there were obvious opportunities for interventions and initiatives that were being ignored. Greater trust between […]
DDN conference 2024: session one
[…] people receiving naloxone it was their first kit, and almost half were not in treatment at all. ‘These are the people we need to be getting the harm reduction messages about nitazenes to.’ A fifth had even refused naloxone, she added. ‘I don’t know why that is, but maybe it’s because of who offered it. […]
Harm reduction flyers on nitazenes
Release, alongside EuroNPUD and other drug treatment service colleagues in the UK, have produced harm reduction advice on nitazenes. There has been an increase of nitazenes detected across the 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 […]
Festive Fears
[…] time. Every year, in the two weeks leading up to Christmas we attend reception daily and see everyone who is being released. We talk to them about harm reduction and how to keep themselves safe if they do end up using drugs or alcohol. We also hold a daily drop-in service on wings, which gives […]
Rough Justice
[…] Managing drug and alcohol problems in primary care conference. When it came to reducing drug-related deaths in custody settings there ‘could be a much greater use of harm reduction initiatives, and a much better dissemination of recommendations’ following a death – ‘to learn what could have been done and apply that’. Her panel – which […]
Letters
[…] Rao, consultant old age psychiatrist and chair of Royal College of Psychiatrists Substance Misuse Working Group   How lucky we are Reading the coverage of the International Harm Reduction Conference really brought it home how lucky we are in the UK. Sadly I was unable to attend in person but by reading the DDN Daily […]
News Focus
[…] was clear is that traditional drug services – which we absolutely support and which have done amazing work – are used to opiate users, used to providing harm reduction with needle and syringe packs with citric acid for heroin use. They’re not necessarily trained in what harm reduction means for these new drugs, nor are […]
A crucial conversation
Peter Furlong, North West harm reduction lead and development manager at Change Grow Live Change Grow Live’s National Naloxone Conversation event was a vital opportunity to keep up the momentum for widening access, says Pete Furlong. Our sector is very aware of the crucial need to increase naloxone access and availability nationally. Last year’s ONS […]
DDN Magazine September 2019
Harm reduction is not the preserve of one community September is a glorious opportunity to celebrate recovery month and we’re delighted to hear about the activities taking place all over the country. The Recovery Games in Doncaster (page 16) sums up the spirit of events and we’re looking forward to following what’s happening around […]
Universities and colleges ‘failing to protect’ students from drug harms
[…] deal with stress, and more than 20 per cent to self-medicate for mental health issues. Institutions should make sure that a range of appropriate support – including harm reduction advice – is made available to students, the document stresses, and students should not be ‘disciplined for drug-related behaviour that does not constitute a criminal offence’. Any […]
Brief encounter: what happened to alcohol brief interventions?
[…] and others only modestly, but – unlike treatment – the population was the target. Screening and brief intervention was primarily a public health strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm at the level of a whole population, to a degree otherwise unattainable without imposing politically unpalatable restrictions on the availability of alcohol. This is the story […]
A guide to fentanyl – Meet the fentanyls
[…] more widespread could impact not solely on heroin users, but people using any white powder drug – populations that are likely to be harder to reach with harm-reduction messages and less likely to have naloxone at point of overdose. Issuing warnings about fentanyls is a finely balanced judgement call, as premature warnings about ‘dangerous […]
More choice, more options
[…] next key step, asks DDN. Although divisions inevitably still exist, and probably always will, we’ve come a long way since the sector was polarised by those bitter harm reduction versus abstinence arguments, with concerns over budget reductions and the austerity agenda perhaps helping to focus minds on the bigger picture. A significant step on this […]
Get real
[…] me greatly. They comment that the schools just tell them not to do it, but that there is no advice or education on the alternatives – despite harm reduction being the most obvious and sensible one. I liken harm reduction education to age-appropriate sex education, which empowers young people and helps them to make more […]
News in brief
[…] among people who use drugs could be almost entirely eliminated by 2030 with ‘just a tiny shift in global drug control spending’, according to a report from Harm Reduction International. Redirecting 7.5 per cent of the US $100bn spent on drug enforcement and control to harm reduction measures would cut deaths by 93 per cent, […]
UK drug policy reform
[…] stemming from overriding priorities at the time; firstly to call for services for drug users in the 1980s, and then to argue the necessity and priority of harm reduction in the 1990s. Treatment providers were urgently distancing themselves from the moral panics stirred up in the tabloid press about drugs and HIV/AIDS, placing themselves within […]
Campaigners welcome increase in alcohol duty rates
[…] ‘This will see the country’s total alcohol duty receipts reach £15.9bn per year by 2029/2030. Yet this is still less than half of the cost of alcohol-related harm in the UK, currently estimated to be at least £33bn each year. This gap needs closing.’ The move was an ‘important moment for public health,’ added […]
Street Benzos: Clinical Management That’s Fit for PurposeÂ
[…] made these observations, the clinical team decided to review WithYou’s approach. Firstly, the clients were encouraged to test their samples using the WEDINOS external testing facility and harm reduction project. In some instances, flubromazolam was identified and it was possible to screen for it as part of the treatment programme. New Guidance Following this — […]
Four in ten smokers believe vaping is as harmful
[…] the evidence in context at: ash.org.uk/resources/view/addressing-common-myths-about-vaping-putting-the-evidence-in-context Related articles (Features, August 2023): DDN visited the Global Forum on Nicotine in Warsaw to hear about the challenges of mainstreaming tobacco harm reduction. (Features, February 2023): The genie’s out of the bottle – embracing tobacco harm reduction could end smoking within a generation, says Knowledge Action Change. (News, June 2021): Health […]
Another increase in suspected Scottish drug deaths
[…] certificates and forensic pathologists. The predominant picture of drug-related harm is still polydrug use involving benzodiazepines, opioids and stimulants, the report states, with partners ‘advised to strengthen harm reduction and support measures with particular consideration for those who may have limited contact with health and social care services’. Although 2021 saw a tiny reduction in […]
Life-saving knowledge
[…] people with co-presenting mental health and substance use issues. We provide semi- independent supported accommodation for 33 service users across eight properties, and place an emphasis on harm reduction. A key aspect of the Working together to reduce harm strategy 2012 is the development of ‘take-home’ naloxone. After working with service users with dual diagnosis, […]
Welsh Government moves to introduce minimum pricing
[…] 2016, page 4). David Cameron’s coalition government, meanwhile, shelved its plans to introduce minimum pricing on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence that it would reduce harm without penalising moderate drinkers (DDN, August 2013, page 4). The impact on moderate drinkers in Wales would be small, the country’s chief medical officer, Dr Frank […]
News in brief
[…] and treating drug misuse, said UNODC chief executive Yury Fedotov in his closing message to the 58th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna. Harm Reduction International (HRI) used the event to launch its ’10 by 20’ campaign, which wants to see governments redirect 10 per cent of the money they spend […]
Hungry for change
[…] to be impactful, but it could help build capacity within services to recognise nutrition as a core part of care. PRACTICAL CHANGE We talk a lot about harm reduction, but we sometimes forget that harm includes poor nutrition. If we’re serious about supporting people who use stimulants we need to start asking them how easy […]
‘Soaring risk misperceptions’ around vaping, warns ASH
[…] soaring risk perceptions’, ASH states. Delegates at the recent Global Forum on Nicotine in Warsaw heard how ‘fear-driven’ media narratives were undermining vaping’s potential as a tobacco harm reduction tool. While 7 per cent of 11-17-year-olds currently vape, 20 per cent have tried it. However, despite ‘compelling evidence’ that vaping can be an effective smoking […]
Message from the frontline
[…] Most of my time was spent in the third sector and over the first ten years I was very proud of this. Often at the vanguard of harm reduction, we clearly had a positive impact on society – reducing drug-related deaths, IV-related harms, HIV and BBVs.  Back then drug teams were staffed by very […]
DDN conference 2024: session three
[…] for opiate users, and we all know that half of those who die have never been in treatment. Peer activism helps us get life-saving treatment, support and harm reduction advice into the hands of the people most at risk. It changes minds, and it changes lives.’ Challenges remained, however. ‘Everyone wants to do this and […]
Care for another?
[…] have sufficient training, so it really isn’t great for people with complex needs related to their substance dependence to be in one of these mainstream care homes.’ Harm Reduction Model While some homes tried to care for people with alcohol dependence using a harm reduction model – without requiring them to stop drinking as a […]
Drug deaths are everyone’s business
[…] poster campaign to raise awareness and challenge stigma and the Carry Naloxone app that tells people where they can pick up a kit. Chris Rintoul, head of harm reduction at Cranstoun, explored what more we can do to reduce overdose deaths. He reflected on the resistance in his native Northern Ireland towards the shift to […]
Consumption rooms among ‘key interventions’ to prevent infections, says EMCDDA
[…] that limit and overcome these barriers and that promote service accessibility, uptake and coverage through the combined provision of interventions.’ Alexis Goosdeel: ‘We have the knowledge’ for harm reduction interventions The guidance reiterates the need for countries to ‘expand their coverage of a number of life-saving harm-reduction and treatment services which have proven to be […]