It is in the individual and within communities that recovery lies. We all have had to ‘recover’ in our lives from the slings and arrows of life, the abuse of self and others, the traumas of loss, fear, grief and anger, the corrosive dependency’s that have polluted our minds and hearts. Who doesn’t need to recover? [Alistair, Wired In]

We are asking you to join us in this dramatic display of support for recovery. Over the last few years, here in the UK, recovered people have taken significant strides in ‘putting a face on recovery’. Indeed, by having the courage to proclaim that ‘recovery is a reality’ in our lives, we believe we can help shape public policy and begin to reduce stigma [National Recovery Walk 2010]

Part one of Kiri’s story starts at the end of the bad life she endured since the age of 16 – drugs, crime, prison. She is now clean of all drugs and in a fantastic relationship with her partner who has never taken drugs in any form. So here’s how it all began [Kiri Ann Sykes, Wired In]

I didn’t want to take that first hit because I was afraid that I may get hooked. My friend tried it first and said it was really nice and that I had to try this. I fought with an inner voice that said “don’t do it”. I had fought this same ‘inner voice’ thing on numerous other occasions – so I tried it [Ken K, WIred In]

We sought to determine whether referring to an individual as “a substance abuser” vs. “having a substance use disorder” evokes different judgments about behavioral self-regulation, social threat, and treatment vs. punishment [International Journal of Drug Policy]

High on the UK pre-election policy agenda, alcohol tax rises have now been accepted by a national US panel of experts as a major public health measure to curb excessive alcohol use and related harms. Politicians remain wary for reasons which cannot just be dismissed as populism [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

The review which led a national US task force to recommend limiting the concentration of retail alcohol outlets as an important public health measure to curb excessive alcohol use and related harms [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

For drug treatment in England, studies do not get any more important than this – the first national reassessment for over 10 years. A year after starting treatment drug use, crime and health risk behaviour were all down, but quality of life gains were minor compared to treatment costs [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

Middlegate is the UK’s only residential rehab for teens- with 5 beds, in a rural, safe location; staffed by a dedicated, professional team. Without immediate central funding of those beds- which are much needed- Middlegate will close any day; and the teams expertise will be lost [Number10.gov.uk]

Recently, when I was working on a research project as part of a university course looking at how doctors recover from dependent drug use, my fellow students were incredulous. “Addicted doctors? You’re having us on”. I had to tell them that having a medical degree does not protect you from alcoholism and other drug addiction [David McCartney, Wired In]

The first highlights from 2010 Road to Recovery, Merseyside Event, covering the morning session and featuring passionate and inspirational talks from George Williams, Mark Gilman, Ronnie Purslow, David McCollom, Tony Mellor and Simon Jenkins {12’20”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

Benzodiazepines and other psychotropic drugs. What they do and problems of withdrawal. Discussion with: Prof. Heather Ashton, Dr. Joanna Moncrieff, Prof. David Healy and Adam Jhugroo {23’51”) [Vimeo]

I thought I’d share a little video I made using Windows Movie Maker to highlight a small part of my journey. I’ve used manipulated photographs of myself to highlight this along with various music that reflects what was going on for me at that time [Phil Hughes, Wired In]

David Gilliver hears about the Liverpool-based supported housing project providing intensive, round-the-clock support for families affected by substance use [Drink and Drugs News, UK]

As far back as the 19th century it was recognised that cannabis could induce a transient psychosis which mimics the symptoms of schizophrenia. Despite this, until the last decade or so, most psychiatrists regarded cannabis as essentially benign [New Scientist, UK]

This new tobacco control strategy for England establishes a vision of eradicating tobacco harms and creating a smokefree future, so that we can support people to live healthier and longer lives [Department of Health, UK]

The government wants to halve the number of cigarette users, infuriating the tobacco industry and diehard smokers [Guardian, UK]

The UK’s Department of Health (DoH) has announced an ambitious new strategy for reducing smoking in the population from 21% currently, to 10% by 2020 [Transform Drug Policy Foundation, UK]

Using data from three published randomized trials implementing BMIs, we examined motivation or readiness to change (RTC) as a potential mechanism of behavior change [Addictive Behaviour, USA]

[Faces and Voices of Recovery, USA]

What do people in prison have to say about the Canadian government’s unwillingness to permit the distribution of clean needles in prison? How has this policy, that denies the realities of injection drug use in prison, affected individuals who are struggling with drug addiction? [Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network]

Studies suggest that the popular drugs are no more effective than a placebo. In fact, they may be worse [Newsweek, USA]

IDPC has produce this short guide to provide logistical information to NGOs and civil society actors planning to attend the 54th session of the CND in Vienna from 8th to 12th March 2010 [International Drug Policy Consortium]

Cannabis supply to young people is largely through social networks and friendship groups rather than through overtly criminal drug markets [Joseph Rowntree Foundation, UK]

Distinguished voices are lining up behind England’s chief medical officer Liam Donaldson in support of a minimum price for alcohol [British Medical Journal, UK]

The qualitative study of the Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS) was designed to explore treatment providers’ and treatment seekers’ perspectives on the factors influencing the effectiveness of drug misuse treatment in England [University of Manchester’s National Drug Evidence Centre and Home Office, UK]

The overriding finding is that treatment reduces the harmful behaviours that are associated with problem drug use [University of Manchester’s National Drug Evidence Centre and Home Office, UK]

Population health tends to be better in societies where income is more equally distributed. Recent evidence suggests that many other social problems, including mental illness, violence, imprisonment, lack of trust, teenage births, obesity, drug abuse, and poor educational performance of schoolchildren, are also more common in more unequal societies [Universities of Nottingham and York, UK]

What comes first the chicken or the egg? In alcohol dependence, the question becomes; what comes first, the depression or alcoholism? And, I suppose what needs to be tackled first? [David McCartney, Wired In]

I was totally disgusted at the use of words in the following article which was written by Jasper Hamill. The title of this article is Doctors Criticise ‘Reckless’ Drug Abuse Guidance. The end result I am seeking here is that Herald Scotland should retract this article and apologies should be given for their use of words [KieCon01, Wired In]

Greetings one and all. Well that was the week that was, and what a week it was. Say it fast for a good oral work-out – who needs botox? This week my virtual and real worlds collided in a very positive way at the National Recovery Walk/Emerging Recovery Organisations planning meeting in Glasgow [Michaela, Wired In]

Or how I used booze and dope to get me by. Although booze is a powerful depressant and not exactly helpful to one subject to long periods of clinical depression, cannabis is a good cover for hypomania – I might have been thinking manic thoughts but being stoned was a powerful way of keeping me in check so that I did not actually do anything [Warriet, Wired In]

This was also the same day I had my last drink of alcohol at 8am in morning, shaking all over with my bottle of vodka and can of lager in my hands while waiting for someone to collect me from home to drive me through to the detox centre [Brian Morrison, Vimeo]

William talks about the treatments and beliefs held about addiction through history, and the need to remain humble. [Film Exchange on Alcohol & Drugs, UK]

William talks about the development of addiction treatment industries and the need to reconnect treatment to recovery. He talks about the need for the treatment and grassroots systems of support to be connected [Film Exchange on Alcohol and Drugs, UK]

In November last year, the Home Office, Department of Health and Department of Children, Schools and Families in partnership with colleagues in the North West hosted the 4th National Alcohol Conference, “Safe Sensible Social: Supporting Delivery” in Liverpool [Alcohol Policy, UK]

Transport for London’s Drug & Alcohol Assessment & Treatment Service enjoyed a success rate exceeding all properly researched treatment outcomes, can pay up to 50% of costs, offers six months’ aftercare and monitors clients for five years – but now finds it so hard to work with London Drug Action Teams that employees must be fired instead of treated [Addiction Today, UK]

Children of alcoholics can escape the emotional chaos at home with the right support. Here, three young people explain how their lives have been changed [Times, UK]

by William L White: The purpose of this document is twofold. First, it provides an overview of key findings drawn from historical and scientific research on social/professional stigma related to addiction to illicit drugs, with a particular focus on the stigma experienced by people in medication-assisted treatment and long-term medication-assisted recovery [Faces and Voices of Recovery, USA]

… it is critical to know the population – its needs, strengths, and resources. Equally critical is awareness of the rehabilitation and reentry capability of the institutions that serve as ‘home’ for this population for years and in many cases decades [Rutgers University, USA]

Patrick McGorry is an inspired choice for Australian of the Year, even if he is not – as has been routinely pointed out this week – a household name. The lack of name recognition is of little relevance when set against the importance and relevance of Professor McGorry’s mission: improving the mental health of young people [Sydney Morning Herald, Australia]

The US is slowly shedding the extremes of its long-standing war on drugs, as are other countries in Europe and South America. Australia cannot remain isolated from these powerful international trends [Alex Wodak, Australian]

The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that, across all nations, 160 million people used cannabis in the course of 2005, 4% of the global adult populations – far more than the number that used any other illicit drug, though far less than the number that consumed alcohol or tobacco [The Beckley Foundation, UK]

In this Report, the aim has been to draw on the available evidence to offer some possible paths forward to a more realistic and effective global regime for cannabis control [The Beckley Foundation, UK]

This paper contributes to recent debates surrounding the improvement of the UN drug control system’s methods of gathering and analyzing data. It critically examines the current predominance of quantitative evidence, arguing for a greater emphasis on the cultural understanding of drug use and more attention to the taken-for-granted assumptions underpinning policies [International Drug Policy Consortium]

Sweden’s drug policies have recently attained symbolic status in international policy debates. This paper examines the country’s policies, their effectiveness or otherwise and the histrorical and cultural context that underpins them. It considers whether these policies should or could be applied in other countries [International Drug Policy Consortium]

The once closed debate on drugs policy shows signs of opening up. But liberalisation would require the international restrictions on narcotics which do untold harm to the developing world to be relaxed [Open Democracy, UK]

People who use drugs in Cambodia are at risk of arbitrary detention in centers where they suffer torture, physical and sexual violence, and other forms of cruel punishment, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today [Human Rights Watch]

The government is spending £17.6m on alcohol education and information in 2009-10, but this is dwarfed by the UK drinks industry’s £600-800m annual spend on promoting alcohol [Editorial, British Medical Journal, UK]

Although the content of alcohol advertisements is restricted, Gerard Hastings and colleagues find that advertisers are still managing to appeal to young people and promote drinking [British Medical Journal, UK]

When it comes to alcohol awareness, is the government under the influence of the drinks industry? [British Medical Journal, UK]

We are delighted to announce that the Home Office has finally made the report available: Drugs Value for Money Review July 2007 Report. It’s worth a look to discover what the Home Office thinks is too sensitive for public viewing [Transform Drug Policy Foundation, UK]

This report is intended to inform the new Drugs Strategy, scheduled for publication in 2008 [Home Office, UK]

I lost my son, Marcus, seven and half years ago after a long battle with addiction. He tried desperately hard to overcome this, by going into rehab in Switzerland and then using opiate blockers. He was successful for a whole year when he met an old ‘friend’ [The Luke & Marcus Trust, Wired In]

I have been struck recently by the number of entries that mention how nervous people feel about dipping their toes into the blogosphere and ‘exposing themselves’ to others. So I have had a think and I hope the following helps those of you who are on Wired In and teetering on the verge of your first blog [Michaela, Wired In]

The NTA and the Guardian have launched a new resource about treatment and recovery. Hallelujah! It’s good to see the NTA moving on this front and it is welcome. But as I read through the site though something began to niggle [Peapod, Wired In]

Well I have to say that this has been a really good week in the Wired In community with some amazing entries and really insightful comments. A good reason to pat ourselves on our virtual backs I feel. I know that size doesn’t matter (!) but it feels good to see lots of blogs and lots of new people [Michaela, Wired In]

Ed Mitchell speaks to John Varley, Chief Executive of Barclays Bank, discussing the role and responsibilities that big organisations have towards society and disadvantaged groups {13’16”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

Release, and other leading drug organisations including IHRA and Transform, have sent a public letter to the Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon calling for an emergency public health plan to be initiated [Release, UK]

This is a website run by independent academics and healthcare professionals aimed at raising the awareness and profile of the use of take-home naloxone as a mechanism for reducing drug-related death, and to provide a forum for discussing innovation, training and practice developments [take-home naloxone, UK]

The chance to recover through abstinence-based residential programmes should be offered in jail – the place where most addicts go sooner or later [Mark Johnson, Guardian, UK]

The deaths of Michael Jackson and Brittany Murphy have highlighted the dangers of prescription drugs, and at least 1.5million people are thought to be addicted in the UK [Daily Mail, UK]

And the result is that our society is today being swamped as never before by ‘a torrent of gin and beer’ — as well as cut-price vodka, lager, rum and alcopops. Yet the politicians, who have presided over this social catastrophe, remain utterly supine in the face of this vast, destructive commercial monolith [Professor Roger Williams, Daily Mail, UK]

After 40 years, Washington is quietly giving up on a futile battle that has destroyed thousands of lives [Independent on Sunday, UK]

Eva Harvey describes how Phoenix Futures has piloted therapeutic communities training for its staff, and extends an open invitation to commissioners [Drink and Drugs News, UK]

Motivational interviewing can yield excellent results and the basic skills and techniques are easy to learn. Dr Malcolm Thomas sets out the basics of promoting behaviour change [DDN, UK]

Drug treatment, reintegration and recovery in the community and prisons: a guide for drug partnerships [National Treatment Agency, UK]

In this issue we focus on ‘new drugs’. In addition to our double feature on mephedrone, we also report from K-day – an event where ketamine users expressed concerns over the lack of treatment options available to them and we hear from a treatment service in Kent about their approach to dealing with so-called ‘legal highs’ {long download} [Drugscope, UK]

Justice Committee – First Report [UK Government]

Before patting yourself on the back for resisting that cookie or kicking yourself for giving in to temptation, look around. A new University of Georgia study has revealed that self-control – or the lack thereof – is contagious [Medical News Today, UK]

Despite the Obama administration’s tacit support of more liberal state medical marijuana laws, the federal government still discourages research into the medicinal uses of smoked marijuana [New York Times, USA]

The liquor industry shares the tunnel vision attitude of its more dangerously loyal customers, that nothing is more important than unfettered access to full-strength alcohol [The Age, Australia]

In conclusion, alcohol misuse imposes a substantial burden on Scottish society, costing between about £2,476.6 million and £4,635.4 million per year at 2007/08 prices, with a mid-point of £3,555.7 [University of York and Scottish Government, UK]

It is time the Government listened more to the CMO and the President of the RCP and less to the drinks and retail industry. If everyone drank responsibly the alcohol industry might lose about 40% of its sales and some estimates are higher. In formulating its alcohol strategy, the Government must be more sceptical about the industry’s claims that it is in favour of responsible drinking [Health Committee, UK Government]

The challenge of tackling blood-borne viruses in injecting drug users has been an important part of prison policy and strategy consideration for the past two decades because of the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and C and drug dependence in prisons [Addiction Editorial, UK]

Could the biggest ever media campaign by the US government aiming to turn US youth away from cannabis actually have done the reverse? At best it was a disappointment; at worst, it counterproductively fostered the impression that cannabis use was commonplace and hard to resist [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

My story starts back in 1989 when I first took any kind of drug. I was 16 years old. The drug back then was temgesic which I snorted – you got a tray for £20 and they had 10 tablets. But the first drug I fell in love with was DF118s. I used to have every DF you could buy in Baillieston, Glasgow [Jed Brady, Wired In]

My life slowly became more and more entrenched in the drug world – shop-lifting, buying, selling and finding ways and means to get more. I had heard of Narcotics Anonymous but I never thought people like me got clean. This was reinforced by doctors and key workers who kept telling me I had used for too long and should just stick to my script [Sharon Daniel, Wired In]

Well semi back into the swing of things after the season to be jolly but the weather is now getting on my nerves. Enough snow already. 2010 has a buzz about it in recovery terms (and I hope in other terms too) and it is good to see so many of you starting the New Year with hope in your hearts and eyes firmly focused on next steps [Michaela, Wired In]

If we don’t develop our drug interventions within a framework of harm reduction – pragmatically and sensibly dealing with the public and personal health issues related to drug use as they are, not as we wish they were, people will die. Harm reduction and recovery are not mutually exclusive [Sarah McGrail, UK]

I received a letter from Downing Street this week, in response to my meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown to call for an Impact Assessment of the Misuse of Drugs Act. In July of last year I met with the PM… [Transform, UK]

Whatever the cause, the result is a country with a significant drink problem. The figures quoted by the committee give the lie to the claim that alcohol is responsibly consumed by all but a minority [Mark Easton, BBC, UK]

A special treat this week on the Hooked podcast we have an interview with Niamh Eastwood from Release. Release are a charity working to help people with legal issues arising from their substance use [Injecting Advice, UK]

The group discuss the future of detox, and the speed with witch people can access detox in the North West. Therapeutic process’ are also on the agenda, the group look at how these process’ can be measured, as evidence based results become a priority {21’46”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

Nick distinguishes between harm reduction and harm elimination. He describes the way in which views of harm reduction in the USA have ‘muddied the waters’ in relation to the goal of controlled drinking {4’13”} [Film Exchange on Alcohol & Drugs, UK]

The Mental Welfare Commission has a duty under section 11 of the Mental Health (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 to investigate the case of any person subject to ill-treatment, neglect or some other deficiency in care and treatment [Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, UK]

Changing the words used to describe someone struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction may significantly alter the attitudes of health care professionals, even those who specialize in addiction treatment [Medical News Today, UK]

Home Secretary Alan Johnson today announced the new interim chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). Professor Les Iversen’s role as interim chair starts immediately and will run for 12 months {Home Office, UK]

HCLU presents the results of its video advocacy work in 2009, in a new report published today [Hungarian Civil Liberties Union]

In this report, Corporations and Health Watch analyzes changes in alcohol industry responses to criticisms of its marketing practices. One source for such an analysis is the documents disclosed by the tobacco industry[Corporations and Health Watch, USA]

This briefing paper offers a guide to public health professionals and activists for understanding and responding to the alcohol industry’s public awareness and education initiatives. Its central thesis is that these programs can only be understood in the context of the industry’s marketing and political agendas [American Medical Association, USA]

Get the tools and resources you need to work on two important Faces & Voices initiatives – The Recovery Bill of Rights and The Recovery Voices Count campaign [Faces & Voices of Recovery, USA]

This Guide is intended to help Level I and II Trauma Centers plan, implement, and continually improve the new Committee on Trauma (COT) alcohol-screening and brief intervention requirements [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, USA]

Anne M. Fletcher, MS, RD is the recipient of the Research Society on Alcoholism Journalism Award for Sober for Good: New Solutions for Drinking Problems—Advice From Those Who Have Succeeded [The Afflicted & Affected, USA}

These once confidential internal documents provide new evidence on the drinks industry’s concerns about possible alcohol control measures and the strategies used to help overcome these concerns. These document findings justify the public health community’s cynicism about the alcohol industry… [Australian Medical Journal]

‘Your attitude and your repeated statements lead one to despair of politicians. Like journalists they seem only interested in the subject for one moment. They may pay lip service but then turn to other matters. I understand that politics and academic medicine are worlds apart but feel that your interest in prescribed benzodiazepine users is facile and so far futile. As Health Minister the public expects more of you’ [Professor C Heather Ashton, UK]

Consumption of alcohol in the UK has increased by 19 per cent over the last three decades and is now higher than in any other European country. Recent reports indicate that 10.5 million adults in England drink above sensible limits and around 1.1 million have a level of alcohol addiction [NHS Confederation, UK]

One of the disadvantages of wine, Samuel Johnson said, was that “it makes a man mistake words for thoughts”. Alcohol seems to have a similar effect on government policy, causing a confusion between words and action [Observer Editorial, UK]

The national charity, the Mental Health Foundation, has today released a report calling for people who suffer repeated episodes of depression to be offered Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a clinically approved treatment based on meditation technique [Mental Health Foundation, UK]

An extensive report in response to the growing evidence for and popularity of Mindfulness. It examines the evidence for the effectiveness of Mindfulness-based therapies, lays the groundwork for developing the use of Mindfulness-based approaches within the NHS and beyond – and explores the potential positive knock-on effects for society at large [Mental Health Foundation, UK]

Professor Mark Williams talks about mindfulness meditation as an alternative treatment for depression [Be Mindful, UK]

By Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal and Jon Kabat-Zinn: A proven program from leading scientists, including a CD of guided meditations [Amazon, UK]

Bringing together addiction professionals to exchange practical perspectives: Europe’s largest conference on addiction treatment, 13-15th May 2010, London [UKESAD, UK]

Once upon a time in a land far, far away there lived a magician known as Phil the Sorcerer. It was this man our merry bunch of heroes were discussing one night, round a large open fire, whilst also sharing tales of the battles they had fought in his name [Phil Hughes, WIred In]

Here’s my take Scotland’s drug delivery commission, we have a 19-strong advisory committee which is made up of five methadone-prescribing doctors, one policeman, one academic, a social work head but no one specifically from children’s services and nobody from education [Dagny Taggart, Wired In]

On Monday I had a interview with a reporter about my recovery and its going to be placed in the local NHS newsletter and hopefully the local newspaper. I didn’t want to do this at first as I have had a bad experience in my past with the local newspaper [Mark Burns, Wired In]

Well, there were plenty of interesting movements in 2009 for the alcohol policy field, setting up an interesting but certainly challenging year ahead [Alcohol Policy, UK]

Nick says we demonise illicit drugs use to irrational levels but equally we underestimate the harmful effects of alcohol. He goes on the discuss ways of reducing alcohol-related harm by pricing, ontrolling the alcohol industry and reducing health inequalities [Film Exchange on Alcohol & Drugs, UK]

George brings together members of three of our earlier shares, to discuss and summarise some of the key issues that have been spoken about over the series. In this part, the group talk about the language that is used in the industry and between clients, specifically the term ‘recovery’ itself {16’10”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

Dedicated to sufferers of iatrogenic benzodiazepine tranquilliser addiction everywhere. Launched on July 6, 2000 with a dozen pages this site now has more than 1150 pages of articles and information, expert medical documents, news stories and personal accounts [benzo.org.uk]

Stephen Valle’s accountability model yields dividends in clinical eff ectiveness and cost eff ectiveness. It can cut re-off ending rates by an extra 10-40%, and has been applied to domestic violence programmes, courts, community and in-prison therapeutic communities. He gives us the inside story [Addiction Today, UK]

What all these have in common is that they are mostly female, all poor, and at the lowest rungs of the drug trading hierarchy. The very term “mules” denotes a beast of burden, that which does the labour no-one else wants to do [Release, UK]

The debate on drugs in sport has been driven by fanaticism for too long. The idea has been abroad that the only way to confront the scourge of cheating is to adopt a zero-tolerance approach that treats professional sportsmen as something akin to criminals. Oppressive monitoring, invasive scrutiny, blood testing — all are part and parcel of the Orwellian reality of modern sport [Times, UK]

Each year we lose far too many people to overdose (lets face it, one person dead is ‘too many’) so I decided it was about time I wrote a new workshop to try and help address the situation [Injecting Advice, UK]

The recovery model is a social movement that is influencing mental health service development around the world… Do the research data, in fact, support optimism about outcome from serious mental illness, the value of work, the importance of empowerment and other tenets of the recovery model? [The Psychiatrist, USA]

G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D spent many years as a Prof. of Psychology and Dir. of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of Washington. He has published over 200 articles and 5 books, and his work on relapse prevention, assessment and harm reduction has had a wide impact on the treatment of addictions in the U.S. and abroad [Afflicted & Affected, USA]

Nobody overdosed, but some of them had 10 times more cocaine coursing through their systems than researchers had encountered before, according to Kosten. He said some of the addicts reported to researchers that they had gone broke buying cocaine from multiple drug dealers, hoping to find a variety that would get them high [Washington Post, USA]

As 2009 winds to a close, we review the global year in drug policy [Stop the Drug War, USA]

In short, the impasse the U.S. faces in Afghanistan, in its efforts to support an unpopular and corrupt regime, must be understood in the light of its past relations to the drug traffic there – a situation which resembles the past U.S. involvement in Laos even more than in Vietnam [Global Research, Canada]

Incarceration, Ill-Treatment and Forced Labor as Drug Rehabilitation in China [Human Rights Watch]

Human rights group says Chinese authorities did not take British man’s mental health into account [Guardian, UK]

The case made by China in the execution of Akmal Shaikh undermines its claim to have a rational drugs policy [Clive Stafford Smith in Guardian, UK]

The more important an issue is, the more likely it is to be contested. These are the hot topics, some new, some perennial. From today we are offering one-click access to Findings analyses on a selection of hot topics renewed every two months [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

Thousands of Britons are also addicted to painkillers and other pills obtained legally from GPs or on internet [Observer, UK]

People drinking spirits at home in England are giving themselves more than double (12 percent extra) what they would get in a pub if they ordered a single shot according to new figures revealed today by the Know Your Limits campaign [Department of Health, UK]

Doug Sellman is a professor of psychiatry and addiction medicine in New Zealand. In the most recent edition of Addiction, a leading scientific journal, he attempts the difficult task of distilling the ten things you need to know about addiction from the research of the last thirty years. No mean feat [Peapod, Wired In]

The conclusion of this two-parter. Professor Selman’s last five essentials. Not everyone agreed with the professor’s first five things, is there more agreement on the second five? [Peapod, Wired In]

I published the story of how addiction affected my family in ‘Mum, can you lend me twenty quid? – what drugs did to my family’ hoping that the book would benefit other families and that they could learn from our experiences [Elizabeth Burton-Phillips, WIred In]

I don’t blog this as a boast, but rather to let those who are in the early stages of recovery, or thinking of going in to recovery, that there really is light at the end of the tunnel – and it’s not a train, it’s a future, and one that’s all yours [Brian White, Wired In]

As someone who attends most recovery events, it’s quite moving to see people who were previously parked up in the chemical graveyard of the treatment system, with little hope of recovery, who are now the very people that are going to continue to build and maintain the recovery net [Oliver, Wired In]

If the Chinese are going to bandy around meaningless statistics to justify their tawdry policies then the numbers deserve some scrutiny. Particularly when they are used to justify a grim act of abject inhumanity [Northern Doctor’s Antidote, UK]

Three drugs were prohibited yesterday; a synthetic cannabinoid often sold as ‘spice’, the synthetic stimulant benzylpiperazine or BZP, and the synthetic sedative gammabutyrolactone or GBL which also happens to be an industrial solvent [Transform, UK]

According to the Morning Advertiser, pub giant JD Wetherspoon will be running a ‘January sale’, with the 99p pint deal reportedly extended to glasses of wine and shots of gin [Alcohol Policy UK]

As it’s Christmas week and just before New Year we’ve decided to do a show on how to stay safe at parties [Injecting Advice, Uk]

{I had trouble downloading pdf} [Institute of Alcohol Studies, UK]

All 17 of Scotland’s public health chiefs have called on politicians to back a minimum price for alcohol [BBC, UK]

The British Medical Association Scotland unveiled a series of New Year resolutions for the country’s politicians. And top of the list was a plea for all parties to get behind the Scottish Government’s Alcohol Bill [Scotsman, UK]

Parents in England are being warned not to under-estimate the “dangerous consequences” of under-age drinking [BBC, UK]

Police, courts and prisons will test all adult offenders for attention deficit disorders in a bid to reduce reoffending rates and cut aggressive behaviour in prisons [Observer, UK]

The death brings the total number of infected heroin users to five, including the three who have died from the infection [Scotsman, UK]

Public health advocates held an understandably muted celebration when President Obama signed a bill repealing a 21-year-old ban on federal financing for programs that supply clean needles to drug addicts [New York Times Editorial, USA]

To weaken the cartels, some argue the U.S. should legalize marijuana, let cocaine pass through the Caribbean and take the profit motive out of the drug trade [Wall Street Journal, USA]

Senior Mexican officials have begun a sweeping review of the military’s two-year occupation of this dangerous border city, concluding that the U.S.-backed deployment of thousands of soldiers against drug traffickers has failed to control the violence and crime, according to officials in both countries [Washington Post, USA]

Despite the remarkable international trend towards the abolition of capital punishment over the past twenty years, the number of countries expanding the application of the death penalty to include drug offences has increased during the same period [International Harm Reduction Association]

If you were asked: ‘What are the most important things we know about addiction?’ what would you say? This paper brings together a body of knowledge across multiple domains and arranged as a list of 10 things known about addiction, as a response to such a question [Addiction, UK]

Compared to a typical group therapy model, holistic family therapy helped younger teens and their families get back on track before substance use escalated – but was substance use really their focal problem? [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

In April 2008 I was asked by the Secretaries of State for Health and for Children, Schools and Families to prepare guidance on the consumption of alcohol by children and young people – Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer of England [Department of Health, England]

The purpose of developing alcohol treatment pathways is to have the right people, doing the right things, in the right order at the right time, with the right outcome, right first time – all with attention to the service user’s experience and allowing for comparison of the planned care with the care that was actually delivered [Department of Health, UK]

This study compares the views of final year medical, and nursing and allied health professional (NAHP) students in relation to four governmental proposals impacting on the sale and purchase of alcohol [Alcohol and Alcoholism, UK]

“Treatment changed my life. Because it changed my life, it has effectively changed the lives of those I love and come into contact with: my partner, my family, my friends and, of course, my clients” [Androcles, Wired In]

I often said in rehab I would feel like I had achieved one of my biggest goals when I got up on a cold wet morning and HAD to go to work. This might sound strange but I had never done that before. I did what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it, always on my terms [Carl C, Wired In]

So here’s the deal. As I see it, there’s a big noise happening at governmental level on recovery, there’s a big noise happening at research/policy level on recovery – but where in Scotland is the big noise at treatment level? [Kuladharini, Wired In]

We attended the Wirral Recovery Convention that saw Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust come together with Wirral DAAT to deliver a convention that celebrated the great strides that have been made to deliver treatment and recovery {4’31”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

The two overall winners in this year’s Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Awards were announced by Home Office Minister, Alan Campbell, at an awards ceremony in London. The awards, now in their fourth year, recognise and celebrate the unsung heroes who go over and above the call of duty to tackle drug use and drug related crime in communities across the country {10’05”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

Joy says that if communities could resolve their own problems they would have done it by now {2’02”} [Film Exchange on Alcohol & Drugs, UK]

Routine survey measures of alcohol consumption in the UK grossly underestimate actual consumption. A new analysis carried out by Liverpool John Moores University finds that the discrepancy between alcohol surveys calculating consumption and actual alcohol sales equals 430 million units a week [Alcohol Concern, UK]

Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s are among those selling beer at just over 5p per 100ml. This contrasts with a typical price of about 8p for 100ml of brand-name mineral water [Sunday Times, UK]

Heineken plans to de-list the infamous ‘White lightning’ cider brand, reportedly to ‘reinforce its stance on responsible drinking and drive more value into the cider market’ [Alcohol Policy, UK]

Discusses the necessity of engaging people in recovery in the development of a recovery-oriented model of care to address individual employment, education, housing and other needs under a chronic-care model of sustained recovery management [Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, USA]

Promise to clamp down on happy hours shelved after industry lobbying and rows inside government [Observer, UK]

Afghanistan remains the world’s largest producer of opium and has an under-reported but growing heroin-use problem. Current drug control policies in Afghanistan lack focus and are unrealistic, driven by headlines rather than evidence [Transnational Institute, Netherlands]

Prepared for the Chicago Community Organizing Summit, “From Saul Alinsky to Barack Obama and Beyond …” by the Woods Fund of Chicago [National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, USA]

Janette, a 46-year-old woman who was recently divorced from her third husband, walked into a community mental health center with slurred speech, unable to make decisions, exhibiting extremely poor self-care and diminished expectations [Counselor, USA]

The Canadian federal government is again proposing mandatory sentences and stiff penalties for certain drug offences. But evidence shows that they only worsen an already dire situation [Canadian HIV/Aids Legal Network]

David L. Rosenbloom, Ph.D., is Professor of Public Health at Boston University where he directs Join Together, a program that helps communities throughout the country prevent and reduce alcohol and drug problems, and the Youth Alcohol Prevention Centre

The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing funded the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) to develop guidelines on the management of co-occurring mental health conditions in alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment settings {NB. Long download on pdf} [NDARC, Australia]

The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) was established by the Prime Minister in 1998 as a part of the Australian Government’s response to reduce the uptake and use of drugs and the harm it causes in our community [Australian National Council on Drugs]

To redress gaps in injection drug users’ (IDUs) knowledge about hepatitis risk and prevention, we developed a brief intervention to be delivered to IDUs at syringe exchange programs (SEPs) in three US cities [Harm Reduction Journal, UK]

Discusses the necessity of engaging people in recovery in the development of a recovery-oriented model of care to address individual employment, education, housing and other needs under a chronic-care model of sustained recovery management [Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, USA]

In Hooked this week we’re talking about social media and drugs work. We discuss the need to use these new services to engage with drug users and how they can be helpful for networking and research [Injecting Advice, UK]

Anyway, once again the issue of how an emerging recovery organisation should organise in terms of governance, structures and finance was raised [Mark Gilman, Wired In]

Summary of key findings from the Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS) [Home Office, UK]

The provision of methadone in prisons is considered best practice by esteemed national and international expert bodies [Times, UK]

Keeping drug addicts in jail under control with prescriptions ensures that the marginalised remain disempowered – and costs a fortune [Guardian, UK]

How should we cover drug dependence? [Addiction Inbox, USA]

Joy describes the model that built on the contributions of women who were tackling the problems drug use brought for them and their children. Joy continues to describe the work at Aberlour {7’36”} [Film Exchange on Alcohol & Drugs, UK]

In the British context, it was expected to decide whether an evidence-based, well structured and well resourced drug education programme could contribute to reducing youth substance use, yet the multi-million pound Blueprint study never got near fulfilling its promise [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

The first trial of implanted versus oral versions of the opiate-blocking drug naltrexone found that in the treatment of heroin dependence, the extended action of the implants helps avoid relapse to regular opiate use [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

Most people value providing treatment for drug addiction because it improves their local community and benefits society as a whole, rather than because it helps addicts become drug free, according to independent research by Ipsos MORI published today by the [National Treatment Agency, UK]

Problem drug use for many is a chronic and relapsing condition, where “cure” is often neither a reasonable or appropriate expectation and it can further be argued that in these circumstances problem drug use is no different from any number of chronic and enduring health conditions [Substance Abuse Policy, UK]

Highly-educated, professional women drink more often and more heavily than almost any other female group, a new study has found [Times, UK]

Compared to a typical group therapy model, holistic family therapy helped younger teens and their families get back on track before substance use escalated – but was substance use really their focal problem? [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

This blog is aimed at families – its point is to answer why people take drugs. This is, as always, my perspective and a belated answer to a question my mum used to ask, a woman who doesn’t even like alcohol for it’s effects make her off her guard [Tony A, Wired In]

Mr Hayes said the growing numbers in recovery were due to the efforts of services like CRI and others that help people to overcome dependency and tackle the effects of their drug use. Well-organised, flexible services, such as those provided by CRI, were the key to helping people to move through treatment successfully [CRI, UK]

More people who inject illegal drugs are being offered and are accepting confidential tests for Hepatitis C through contact with drug treatment services in England, figures from the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) show [NTA, UK]

So what advice should you give someone who has had or is planning a break from opiates? [Injecting Advice, UK]

Government ministers talk of “striking the right balance” between risk and regulation as they soften the effect of their vetting scheme.But another balance we may need to consider is that between risk and wider risk: the potential harm to an individual against the potential harm to the fabric of our society [BBC, UK]

The mental strain of expanded deployments is prompting the military to institute new programs aimed at helping soldiers most at risk. The Army’s corps of substance-abuse counselors is hundreds short of the number of trained personnel needed [Time, USA]

The report outlines the continued commitment to bringing about improvements for women offenders in both custody and the community. 22-page PDF [Ministry of Justice, UK]

Presents for the first time information in regards to Mental Health Officers in Scotland, as official statistics [Scottish Government, UK]

Joy says that there is a need for minimum standards, and people working with drug users need to have a theoretical grounding and competencies. She says this needs to be underpinned with an understanding of the value and nature of relationship. There has to be an honesty and a valuing of strengths as well as deficits {7’08”} [Film Exchange on Alcohol & Drugs, UK]

NIDA director discusses cannabis, addiction vaccines, and gambling [Addiction Inbox, USA]

This booklet defines and distinguishes acute care and recovery management models of addiction treatment, and the terms ‘recovery management’ and ‘recovery-oriented systems of care’ [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

Updated and revised by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, as part of the release of the new screening initiative NIDAMED [NIDA, USA]

Employment support for people in contact with secondary mental health services [Cabinet Office, UK]

One of the government’s former drug “tsars” has told me how a battle between two Whitehall departments is undermining efforts to get prisoners off heroin [Mark Easton, BBC, UK]

A dispute has erupted over the treatment of drug addicts in prisons. According to the former government drugs tsar, Mike Trace, the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health are battling to impose their differing approaches [Independent, UK]

The CPT report on its mission to the UK prisons was released 8 December 2009. It paints a very different picture than that reflected by the BBC [IHRA]

Independence, of course, means many things to many people. However, it is not a characteristic one would immediately associate with a commission whose members have been handpicked by the minister, whose secretariat is provided by the minister, whose existence has been announced by the minister and who will presumably be reporting to the minister [Scotsman, UK]

New Horizons sets out an intention across a wide range of agencies to move towards a society where people understand that their mental well-being is as important as their physical health if they are to live their lives to the full [Department of Health, UK]

New specialist coordinators and dedicated advice lines for small businesses are part of a radical overhaul of support for people with mental health conditions [Department of Health, UK]

I have spent many an hour pondering what a recovery focused service should feature and/or promote. It is something that I have found to be quite difficult. I have had problems putting my ideas in to something meaningful which everyone will understand [Matthew, WIred In]

Having being part of Wired In for a little while now, I see that recovery is more than just about how to stay clean from drugs (alcohol, heroin, speed, crack, tobacco, etc, etc) [Matt S, Wired In]

The government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has been a focus for media attention in recent weeks. With the dismissal of its Chairman David Nutt and resignation of a further five members, the group faces a difficult few months – but remains as important as ever [Leslie Iversen and Richard Phillips in Times, UK]

Mark talks candidly with George and a special studio audience about the role of the NTA, its successes, its challenges and plans for the future. Once again the scale and complexity of treatment and recovery are central to the show [Inexcess TV, UK]

ICAAT has produced a 15-minute video addressing the “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) phenomenon – probably the greatest barrier to meaningful expansion of methadone treatment availability in America [International Center for Advancement of Addiction Treatment, USA]

George Williams chairs a group discussion with five managers and commissioners of recovery services in the north west. In the first part of this share, George and the group look to the future. They discuss how they hope to progress the services that they deliver, and improve the accessibility and visibility of those services, to the people in the street {16’09”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

Big Decisions. In part two our managers and commissioners discuss personalisation of addicts services, and who is making the big decisions about the process of treatment and recovery {20’29”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

How should we cover drug dependence? [Addiction Inbox, USA]

Mike describes the processes by which the practitioners choices can make things better or worse. “People who have decided that they want to go for treatment… 90% of the work is done” [Film Exchange on Alcohol & Drugs, UK]

For years, drug policy discussions have foundered on a fundamental dilemma: If illegal and addictive drugs are freely available in the nation’s prison system—and there is no one who says otherwise—then how can we as a society expect to control the consumption of drugs outside the prison walls? [Addiction Inbox, USA]

The Hep C Review magazine is published every three months and provides news, information, posters, opinion and referrals [Hepatitis C Council of NSW, Australia]

In a very recent report, researchers in Australia conducted a randomized trial comparing intranasal with intramuscular (IM) naloxone administered in prehospital settings during 172 episodes of opioid overdose [Pain Treatment Topics, USA]

Devised by the Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Network (ChaMPs), and backed by regional brewery Robinsons, which is allowing its premises to be used and discounting non-alcoholic drinks, the initiative highlights the needs of what the network sees as an overlooked group of drinkers: working-class men aged 35-55 [Guardian, UK]

by Robert Granfield and William Cloud: Exploring stories of untreated addicts who have recovered from a lifestyle of substance use without professional help, this book examines reasons for avoiding treatment, strategies employed to break away from dependency and identifying candidates for this approach [Amazon, UK]

The latest national statistics on Statutory Homelessness for July to September 2009 [Communities and Local Government, UK]

Six years of bouncing from agency to agency, detox after detox, counselling and rehab couldn’t get me to the place in life where I wanted to be – recovery. Yes it brought me stability, but because the issues that had led me to develop a personal relationship with alcohol were never addressed, it lasted for a short while only [Kev, WIred In]

Bill Kenwright, Everton FC Chairman and theatre impresario, returns to SHARP in Liverpool to discuss with an invited group his remarkable introduction to abstinence based programmes and how he became involved with the recovery community {10’32”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

Yesterday Irene and I spoke at the first UK conference on ‘Bereavement by Addiction’, where we told our own story of how we came to be there, and provided a presentation about grief and loss, the processes and feelings involved, how we can deal with them, and promoted the message of hope in adversity [Ian MacDonald, Wired In]

Life, death and addiction inside Afghanistan’s opium trade. Only available in Australia at present – you can get in bookshops – this is A MUST READ {DD Editor} [Random House, Australia]

Gregor Salmon, author of ‘Poppy’, discusses the situation in Afghanistan {9’56”) [You Tube]

I was thinking last night of all the excuses I had for drinking. I became an expert in the excuse – but in recovery I have changed that to being an expert in giving myself reasons for not drinking [Seth, Wired In]

As William progressed from social drug taking to heroin addiction he became stuck in a destructive cycle. Having gone in and out of employment, and finding his life becoming more chaotic, he sought help, and was referred to BAC O’Connor in Burton upon Trent {1’56”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

For anyone involved in the addiction and recovery field, questions surrounding identity have a particularly urgent quality to them [theartoflifeitself]

Newham substance misuse partnership wanted to know what people thought of their services, so they asked them. DDN reports from the consultation day [Drink and Drugs News, UK]

The close-knit team at Lancaster Prison is urging inmates to take the road to recovery in the most challenging of environments [Drink and Drugs News, UK]

This study provides important points of reference for alcohol and drug service workers and community healthcare professionals, casting light on the abstinence process and providing a basis for intervention or rehabilitation services [BMC Psychiatry, UK]

We believe therefore that the quality of social work practice now needs to be raised significantly, through comprehensive, ambitious reform, including… The Social Work Task Force is an expert group, jointly appointed by the Secretaries of State for Health, and Children, Schools and Families, to advise the Government on social work reform [Social Work Task Force, UK]

The analysis covers a wide range of issues, ranging from low income, worklessness and debt, to ill-health, poor education and problems in communities [Joseph Rowntree Foundation, UK]

Dr Marta Di Forti and Prof Robin Murray, who are among the authors of today’s paper published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, say that skunk is now the same price as ordinary cannabis on the streets of south London, where the study was carried out, and that the strongest form of cannabis is now the one that is easiest for young people to obtain [Guardian, UK]

This annual statistical report presents a range of information on drug misuse amongst both adults and children [The Health and Social Care Information Centre, UK]

An analysis of data from the 2007 Slán lifestyle study suggests some four in 10 women are drinking excessively over an extended period, with seven in 10 men also at risk from this pattern of alcohol intake [Irish Times]

Twelve European health and safety umbrella organisations call for stricter EU-coordinated alcohol policies [Eurocare (The European Alcohol Policy Alliance)]

A revolutionary way to improve effectiveness through client directed, outcome-informed therapy: “Important read” {DD editor} [Amazon, UK]

This report summarizes the results of hundreds of studies of alcohol excise taxes, health and safety. The evidence is clear: alcohol excise tax increases save lives, reduce health care costs, create and preserve jobs, and prevent alcohol‐related problems. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA]

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common condition that has been defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) as a pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms that persist for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level [The Royal Australasian College of Physicians]

Brian ‘‘Coxy’‘ Cox brings new meaning to the worn-out term ‘‘Aussie battler’‘. The tough-talking, 69-year-old recovering alcoholic with 20 years’ sobriety under his belt has worked around the clock for 17 years to help alcoholics with nowhere else to turn [The Age, Australia]

Journey to the heart of coca country in Colombia where U.S. tax dollars have financed chemical spraying of the Amazon for the past nine years {24’36”} [Witness for Peace, USA]

This compilation of essays presents an opportunity to bring these many issues together. It is intended as a discussion piece to highlight the impacts of the war on drugs from the perspectives of children and young people and to promote a greater focus on children and young people in drug policies, nationally and internationally [International Drug Policy Consortium]

There is such a long list of adverse consequences of our drinking culture that I have no idea why on earth the government has liberalised our licensing laws. Most doctors and scientific experts, and many police officers, warned against any extension of opening hours [Observer, UK]

The impact of problem drug use on the family members and carers of drug users is profound and can take many forms: Report by Prof Alex Copello, Lorna Templeton & Dr Jane Powell [UK Drug Policy Commission]

This briefing highlights the key findings and implications of the study Family members and carers of dependent drug users: prevalence, social cost, resource savings and treatment responses [UKDPC]

Are alcohol and drug dependence best treated as chronic conditions needing extended care, or should we expect patients to recover and leave treatment? Whatever the answer, this review finds that generally the offer of long-term continuing care leads to better outcomes [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

Binge drinking is a matter of current social, political and media concern. It has a longterm, but also a recent, history. This paper discusses the contemporary history of the concept of binge drinking [Social History of Medicine, UK]

Three survivors of appalling childhood abuse were last night honoured with the Speaking Out award at the Mental Health Media Awards ceremony {2’43”} [Guardian, UK]

Yes, big day today! Hard to believe that it is one year since we first launched the community. We now have 1070 members, many of whom have contributed content to the community website. In fact, we now have over 1400 blogs on site, along with a variety of stories, articles, multimedia content and links to resources [David Clark, Wired In]

I have been touched and inspired by the people I met and the projects I visited whilst there.I talked to many people over the past 10 days and, with my topic being recovery/treatment, I got many different words but all the same answers [Oliver, WIred In]

A health visitor is describing the dreadfully distressing experience of having to deal with a family where the children were being taken into care because parental substance misuse had made their home unsafe. “It was awful” said the health visitor, “I was so upset, I had to go home and drink a whole bottle of wine” [Sophia, Wired In]

And so it came to pass that somebody or other came down the mountain with a rule inscribed in stone. And that rule saideth, “Thou shalt not be permitted to volunteer for a period of one or two years (delete, or chisel out, as appropriate) from the point at which you last used or drank/left services/had a slip” [Michaela, Wired In]

“There are few substances which are surrounded by more controversy, and which have at the same time such important and potentially far-reaching public health implications”, the late Professor Henry wrote [Kathy Gyngell, Centre for Policy Studies, UK]

As “recovery” gains traction in the ideas marketplace of drug policy and treatment provision those in the mental health field may look on with a little bemusement: recovery has been a key (but not uncontested) driver in mental health service development for the past 15-20 years, and has roots that lie deep in the reform movements of the 19th century [theartoflifeitself, UK]

Julian says we have a ‘self interested approach to difficulties’ together with insecurities, and that this affects people’s capacity to ‘speak out’ {4’51”} [Film Exchange on Alcohol & Drugs, UK]

In part three of Recovery Through Film David McCollom is working with the group from Hollylodge, Pierpoint to complete the editing and design the sleeve of the DVD {5’04”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

On 11th November CCJS held an audience with Professor David Nutt chaired by our director, Richard Garside {91’57”} [Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, UK]

Letters from Professors Nutt, Beddington and Wiles, and Alan Johnson MP [Parliament, UK]

Presentations from our annual conference – Drug Treatment at the Crossroads: where next for the recovery agenda? October 2009 [Drugscope, UK]

Author dissects the changes that have been made in a range of services, including housing benefits, social care and policing. His descriptions beggar belief, though they would be funnier if it wasn’t our money that was being wasted [Amazon, UK]

A government admission that the new licensing laws may lead to an increase in alcohol related offences plunged the measure into fresh controversy yesterday, just 24 hours before they come into effect [Guardian, UK]

The drug law reform project, in which a number of Latin American judicial experts and legislators participate, aims to promote more humane, balanced, and effective drug laws [Transnational Institute, Netherlands]

It is important as we attempt to transform our mental health system to a recovery based system that we actually transform our culture instead of just changing the sign on the door while doing the same old things inside [The Village, USA]

by Bill White: In 1997, Dr Alan Leshner, then Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) published a seminal article, “Addiction is a Brain Disease, and It Matters,” in one of the world’s leading scientific journals [Faces and Voices of Recovery, USA]

A new study from Perth’s Telethon Institute for Child Health Research has found evidence that the amount and timing of alcohol consumption in pregnancy affects child behaviour in different ways [Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Australia]

This study aims to review the economic impact of alcohol worldwide, summarizing the state of knowledge with regard to two elements: (1) cost components included in the estimation; (2) the methodologies employed in works conducted to date [Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy]

This report presents the findings of three groundbreaking studies conducted in Russia, Georgia, and Ukraine that investigate the impact that drug user registration laws have on the lives of drug users and the quality of public health policy [Open Society Institute]

Ed Mitchell was invited to the Royal College of Medicine in Wimpole Street to listen to two of the leaders from the world of medicine and addiction {7’25”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

The findings from the pilot indicate that the roll-out of peer support working across mental health services in Scotland, and beyond, would have a positive impact for service users and mental health teams [Scottish Government, UK]

The National Delivery Plan of the Health and Criminal Justice Programme Board {Department of Health, UK]

For the study, researchers from University College London followed 150 people over a year to see if changes in their ketamine use could predict changes in their psychological well-being, memory and concentration [Addiction, UK]

This report presents interim findings from the evaluation of the first pilot Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) in Britain. FDAC is a new approach to care proceedings, in cases where parental substance misuse is a key element in the local authority decision to bring proceedings [Brunel University, UK]

This is not a good time of the year for me – approaching the anniversary of our son, Robin’s death from a heroin overdose in November 1997. I don’t want him just to be remembered for the circumstances of his death but rather for what he was and what he achieved in his all too short life [Irene MacDonald, Wired In]

Continuing the theme of coping with intense feelings during some of the difficult times in the process of recovery, I find that sometimes the following metaphor is useful to help people deal with overwhelming emotion and troublesome memories [Masha Bennett, Wired In]

Brought up on Booze on BBC One last night (11/11/09) was a moving insight into the damage that an alcoholic can cause to those around him or her – particularly to children. Made with Children in Need, George Best’s son, Calum, struggled to come to terms with the loss of his father four years ago… [Ed Mitchell, Inexcess TV, UK]

Julian describes his view that the war on drugs is not rational {1’18”} [Film Exchange on Alcohol & Drugs, UK]

Release’s intensive lobbying against government plans to introduce mandatory drug treatment into the welfare benefit system has resulted in success [Release, UK]

Detox is just as much about the psychological as the physical and services ignore this at their peril, argue Nick Barton and Tina Mobsby [Drink and Drugs News, UK]

Recovery can mean many things to many people. DDN reports from a DrugScope conference that aimed to put it all in context {Drink and Drugs News, UK]

The sensational sacking of Professor David Nutt seems to have come out of nowhere. But the science of drugs and politics have been heading for a showdown since 2001 [Drugscope, UK]

The conference “Recovery Communities and the Drug Treatment System” was held in Birmingham on 27th October and attracted a large number of delegates to hear presentations from a range of speakers [NTA, UK]

A partnership between university researchers and police in Cardiff to reduce alcohol-related violence has been given an award… Cardiff University was honoured with a Queen’s Anniversary Award in London [BBC, UK]

by Insoo Kim Berg and Scott D. Miller: ‘A cogent and wise handbook for applying solution-oriented brief treatment techniques for working with substance abuse’ [Amazon, UK]

This briefing summarizes good practices in legislative reforms around the world, representing steps away from a repressive zero-tolerance model towards a more evidence-based and humane drug policy [Transnational Institute, Netherlands]

The authors examined the effect of a large reduction in the price of alcohol in Finland in 2004 on alcohol-related mortality by age and socioeconomic group… Alcohol-related mortality increased by 16% among men and by 31% among women; 82% of the increase was due to chronic causes, particularly liver diseases [American Journal of Epidemiology, USA]

You can now learn about anti-discrimination laws that protect people in recovery and those with criminal records by taking one of the Legal Action Center’s free webinars at any time or consulting any of the written m materials from the Center’s “Know Your Rights” training project [Legal Action Center, USA]

THis white paper has been developed as a resource for States, organizations, and communities embarking on or strengthening systems change efforts to develop recovery-oriented systems of care [SAMHSA, USA]

Today, both Phillip Valentine and CCAR are on a clear path of sustaining a volunteer network – many of them people in recovery – that has emerged as an international model for recovery advocacy [Hartford Business, USA]

On October 30 2008, the NSW Premier announced the imposition of licence restrictions on 48 of the licensed premises previously identified as sites where violence frequently occurred [New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Australia]

The aim of the current study was to estimate how methamphetamine users would respond to changes in the prices of methamphetamine and heroin, using hypothetical drug purchasing scenarios [NSW Bureau of Crime
Statistics and Research, Australia]

Or does methadone stop addicts from tackling the causes of dependency. Experts and users are divided about the merits of this ‘maintenance’ approach compared to the more robust alternative of rehab. Elizabeth Day listens to arguments from both sides [Observer, UK]

There is a growing recognition around the world that the prohibition of drugs is a counterproductive failure. However, a major barrier to drug law reform has been a widespread fear of the unknown—just what could a post-prohibition regime look like [Transform, UK]

Findings of a recent study suggest that receiving alcohol industry sponsorship may increase sports participants’ drinking. The study involved a cross-sectional survey of 1279 participants from 14 team and individual sports in three large provinces of New Zealand [Addiction Editorial, UK]

Controls on price and availability have been identified as one of the most effective measures that governments can implement to reduce harm caused by alcohol. Minimum pricing is not a panacea and needs to be part of a broader strategy but without effective controls on price and availability, any other policy measures will have limited effect [Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK]

A surprisingly small basket of randomised controlled trials supports the superiority of methadone maintenance treatment for opiate dependence over treatments which do not involve long-term substitute prescribing [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

Is maintenance good at helping people achieve not just the absence of pathology, but the addition of positive qualities to life? For instance, happiness, enthusiasm, integration, good parenting, hope, growth, jobs, education, volunteering etc. The trials didn’t look at these [Peapod, Wired In]

We kept the two minutes’ silence and thought about those who died in old wars. But what about the other war? Those of us who have been all too close to the front line, have been wounded and damaged and seen our friends, patients and family members die, wonder how many have died, directly or indirectly, in the “war on drugs” [Sophia, WIred In]

Stigma is an enduring problem for addicts, not only in active addiction, but even into recovery… If you got this far, I thought I would ask for personal examples of stigma and how it felt as well as any ideas on how stigma is best tackled. We need to face up to this [David McCartney, Wired In]

It is here that you enter the strange half-life of the volunteer (v word – geddit – well it amused me anyway). Of the world, but often unable to participate fully in it. A vital part of the recovery movement, yet not able to get involved in big parts of it due to lack of access – to technology, to transport, to conference fees, to smart clothes – and on, and on [Michaela, WIred In]

The practitioner needs to ask: “Does this person gain power, purpose, competence, or connections to people as a result of this interaction?” and “Does this interaction interfere with this person’s acquisition of power, purpose, skills, or connections to others?” [David Clark, WIred In]

The rest of part one is devoted to a one to one interview with Nick Mercer who is both entertaining and passionate and talks to George Williams about his own journey and his contribution to treatment and recovery developments in the recent past {21’10”} [Inexcess TV, UK]

The sacking of a government adviser on drugs shows Britain’s politicians can’t cope with intelligent debate [Nature Editorial, UK]

Whether the in-prison treatment was a drug-free therapeutic community or methadone maintenance, two long-term follow-up studies have confirmed that post-release continuity is vital to sustain the benefits. Print publication 2005 [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

A third chemical – cocaethylene – builds up in the liver over a number of years among those who mix the two drugs. And this is now having major health consequences [Observer, UK]

Calum Best meets some of the 1.3 million children who have a parent who abuses alcohol [Guardian, UK]

Nearly 2,000 elderly patients are killed each year by unnecessary anti-psychotic medication, report finds {Guardian, UK]

This independent study by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, King’s College London, sought to describe and critically appraise the procedures adopted by the National Probation Service (NPS) for identifying and intervening with offenders who have alcohol problems [Ministry of Justice, UK]

by Dennis C. Daley and G. Alan Marlatt: Filled with comprehensive information about substance use problems, the recovery process, the relapse process, types of professional treatment available, and self-help groups, this book will help you conquer your problems with substance use [Amazon, UK]

Recovery does not mean “cure”. It does not mean stabilization or maintenance. Rather recovery is an attitude, a stance, and a way of approaching the day’s challenges. It is a self-directed process of reclaiming meaning and purpose in life [Patricia E Deegan, USA]

A recovery community organization (RCO) is an independent, non-profit organization led and governed by representatives of local communities of recovery [Faces and Voices of Recovery, USA]

Bill White article: Systems transformation efforts to shift addiction treatment from a model of acute stabilization to a model of sustained recovery management and to nest addiction treatment within a larger recovery-oriented system of care are underway at federal, state, and local levels, but these innovations to date have focused on the redesign of adult services [Faces and Voices of Recovery, USA]

They have achieved their revolutions without the aid of any dramatic technical or clinical breakthroughs. They have instead transformed their priorities, their roles and their relationships [The Village, USA]

This TIP provides clinical guidelines for the proper use of medications in the treatment of alcohol use disorders [SAMHSA, USA}

The WHO Secretariat held a web-based public hearing to provide an opportunity to everyone to give their views on the best ways to reduce harmful use of alcohol [World Health Organisation]

The purpose of the National Hepatitis C Needs Assessment (2008) was to identify the education, information and support needs of Australians living with hepatitis C; to inform the development of improved information, education and support services for people with hepatitis C in Australia [Hepatitis Australia]

On Findings’ tenth anniversary, editor Mike Ashton recalls how the largest working drug and alcohol library in Britain first started [Drink and Drugs News, Uk]

Targeting enforcement to reduce individual and community harm is the premise of this report from a UK drug policy think tank, one which seems widely understood, though in some quarters, deeply contested [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK]

By Bill White: The purpose of this document is twofold. First, it provides an overview of key findings drawn from historical and scientific research on social/professional stigma related to addiction to illicit drugs, with a particular focus on the stigma experienced by people in medication-assisted treatment and long-term medication-assisted recovery [Faces and Voices of Recovery, USA]

The Department of Health has launched a review of the million-plus patients addicted to prescribed drugs in the UK in a tacit admission that attempts to control the problem over the last two decades have failed [Independent, UK]

Remember George W Bush? For him it was simple. If a scientist told him an inconvenient truth, the messenger was fired, and someone more compliant got the job [British Medical Journal, UK]

Addiction services are sometimes as sick as our clients. When you think about the stigma, unhealthy behaviours and complex course and chronicity associated with addiction, it’s no surprise that wounds can develop at multiple levels in services [Peapod, WIred In]

Since when did admitting to a drug and alcohol problem – and taking steps to do something about it – equate to individuals belonging to a service? At what point did we become infantilised, unable to make our own decisions without the say-so of someone we may see for half an hour every two weeks if we are lucky? [Michaela, Wired In]

The authors describe the work as ‘focusing on the factors which make for health in individuals and families, going beyond clinical observation to include the recent and little-known research now available about exceptionally healthy families and then extend and develop the ideas outside the family context’ [Sarah Davies, Wired In]

Bill White, the US recovery historian, researcher and advocate has written of recovery as a heroic journey… The adventure of the hero is filled with danger and risk (addiction), but ultimately he returns home (back into the community, reintegrated). It rings true for me and others I know in recovery [Androcles, Wired In]

Ed Mitchell has been up to Scotland to appear on STV. He tells us about his trip and some disturbing facts about alcohol consumption north of the border [Inexcess TV, UK]

What happens when someone’s problems don’t conveniently fit the categories of a rigid, unyielding system? Sue Foreman tells the harrowing story of her attempts to get help for her son [Drinks and Drugs News, UK]

That is also why it is such a disgrace that Alan Johnson, the home secretary, sacked him late yesterday afternoon for having the temerity to point out some obvious truths about the government’s populist and unthinking handling of the issue [Guardian Editorial, UK]

It is hard not to suspect that Professor Nutt’s real crime in the eyes of the Government was not his interference in politics but the fact that his words embarrassed ministers [Independent, UK]

In dismissing David Nutt, its chief drugs adviser, the government has bowed to public mood [Observer Editorial, UK]

He was asked to go because he cannot be both a government adviser and a campaigner against government policy. This principle is well understood and long established [Alan Johnson MP, Guardian, UK]

We examined prescriptions for oral naltrexone in a large, nationally distributed treatment population to identify characteristics and healthcare utilization patterns associated with persistence [Addiction, UK]

The proportion of alcohol consumption that is above government guidelines (‘risky drinking’) has been estimated in several countries, suggesting that reductions in risky drinking would lead to significant declines in total alcohol consumption. However, this has not previously been conducted transparently in the UK [Alcohol & Alcoholism, USA]

The aim of this joint guidance is to support professionals working in adult drug and alcohol treatment services and children, parenting and family services such as Family Intervention Projects [Department for Children, Schools and Families, Department of Health, and National Treatment Agency, UK]

The report on the state of the drugs problem in Europe presents the EMCDDA’s yearly overview of the drug phenomenon [European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction]

The adaptability of peer recovery support services to many stages and modalities of recovery, service settings, and organizational contexts is explained, highlighting core principles that cut across all peer-helping-peer service alliances [SAMHSA, USA]

The evaluation report that follows provides additional insights into how communities, by working together, have begun to make a difference by embracing recommended strategies to help prevent and reduce underage alcohol use [SAMHSA, USA]

After 4 deaths, 16 convictions, Centreville still stunned by grasp of drugs on its young [Washington Post, USA]

Another finds salvation as Centreville heroin ring is broken up [Washington Post, USA]

The use of online services within the family relationship sector is considered. While there is a limited amount of literature that focuses on families as a target group for online therapy, the principles outlined in this paper are relevant, and where available, specific applications to family counselling, therapy and dispute resolution have been highlighted [Australian Institute of Family Studies]