Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Booklet that explains the effects of alcohol on health and on social, home and work life. It provides the number of units in popular alcoholic drinks so a tab can be kept on amounts taken.

The back pages give useful advice and contact details for cutting down and getting support.

A growing number of children are affected by parental substance misuse, and policy and practice increasingly recognise the need to tackle the problems that this causes. Currently, the needs of older children are less well known or addressed. This study explores the experiences of 38 young people, aged 15–27 years, who had at least one parent with a drug or alcohol problem.

Doctors are missing their cues when it comes to opportunities to empathise with the plight of their cancer patients, a new study suggests.

An examination of the domestic cultivation of cannabis in England and Wales. This report examines the domestic cultivation of cannabis in England and Wales. Traditionally cannabis has been imported into the country by drug traffickers, but the extent of home cultivation has grown rapidly over the past decade, and home growing now accounts for a significant amount of cannabis consumed in this country.

This article, pages 8 and 9, covers news and views from the second national service user involvement conference in Birmingham. Using results of a consultation at the event, DDN looks at whether service users had been offered choices about treatment - and whether those choices had worked well for them.

Harm reduction has become one of the most contentious issues in drug use policy. The initial clarity and simplicity of the phrase "harm reduction" has evolved into an emotion-laden designation that has polarized groups with a common goal and is interfering with opportunities to engage high-risk populations and the implementation of a range of substance abuse services and supports.

This discussion paper sets out the Scottish Government's strategic approach to tackling alcohol misuse. It illustrates the scale of alcohol-related harm in Scotland and how addressing this can help to deliver a Wealthier and Fairer, Safer and Stronger, Healthier and Smarter Scotland.

In 2006, Aberlour Child Care Trust and the Scottish Association of Drug and Alcohol Teams joined together to hold a second Think Tank to address the question 'Alcohol or Drugs' Does it make a difference for the Child?'. This report is entirely drawn from the Think Tank’s discussions and represents the knowledge and views of experienced managers, practitioners and researchers. It does not include evidence from research or the content of policy and guidance documents.

This report, drawing on recent high-quality surveys including reviews and meta-analyses of measures that have proved successful in preventing substance abuse, provides professionals with information on effective drug prevention strategies. This publication provides information about best practice in drug prevention for everyone, working in the field as well as those involved in planning and decision-making at European, national, regional and municipal level.

Drug treatment is provided by a network of services. In 2005, the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA), in partnership with the Healthcare Commission, embarked on a joint three-year programme of annual service reviews as part of an initiative to enhance the quality, consistency and effectiveness of drug treatment.