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| Photograph by grant_loy |
Social work degrees should include compulsory training on substance misuse, drug charities have warned.
You can read the full article in Community Care here and also vote in their poll.
Showing posts with label drugs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drugs. Show all posts
Monday, 4 March 2013
Social Workers Need Compulsory Substance Misuse Training Say Experts
Social work degrees should include compulsory training on substance misuse, drug charities have warned.
You can read the full article in Community Care here and also vote in their poll.
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Mexxy, Black Mamba & Other 'Legal Highs' To Be Banned
The Home Office has announced that a number of so-called ‘legal highs’ will become illegal Class B drugs.
Following advice from the government's independent drug experts, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), new synthetic cannabinoids (such as those sold under the name 'Black Mamba') and methoxetamine (sold as Mexxy) and its related compounds will be classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
The decision comes days after the ACMD recommended banning the substances because of their health and social harms. Minister for Crime Prevention Jeremy Browne said: 'High quality scientific advice is vital to the government's ongoing work to tackle harmful drug use. The independent advice we receive from the ACMD is critical to our evidence-based drugs policy.
'People who take 'legal highs' are taking serious risks with their lives because often they do not know what they are taking and the drugs may contain harmful substances.'
Since March this year, methoxetamine has been subject of the UK's first temporary class drug order (TCDO) following advice from the ACMD. It will remain a temporary class drug until parliament approves its classification. In its advice on methoxetamine the ACMD has indicated that the temporary ban may have had 'real and immediate impact on tackling internet sales of methoxetamine with a significant proportion of UK websites ceasing to advertise its sale.'
The government has also agreed to implement the ACMD's other recommendations on these substances including updating public health information on the drugs awareness website Frank.
Following advice from the government's independent drug experts, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), new synthetic cannabinoids (such as those sold under the name 'Black Mamba') and methoxetamine (sold as Mexxy) and its related compounds will be classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
The decision comes days after the ACMD recommended banning the substances because of their health and social harms. Minister for Crime Prevention Jeremy Browne said: 'High quality scientific advice is vital to the government's ongoing work to tackle harmful drug use. The independent advice we receive from the ACMD is critical to our evidence-based drugs policy.
'People who take 'legal highs' are taking serious risks with their lives because often they do not know what they are taking and the drugs may contain harmful substances.'
Since March this year, methoxetamine has been subject of the UK's first temporary class drug order (TCDO) following advice from the ACMD. It will remain a temporary class drug until parliament approves its classification. In its advice on methoxetamine the ACMD has indicated that the temporary ban may have had 'real and immediate impact on tackling internet sales of methoxetamine with a significant proportion of UK websites ceasing to advertise its sale.'
The government has also agreed to implement the ACMD's other recommendations on these substances including updating public health information on the drugs awareness website Frank.
Monday, 15 October 2012
New Report Says That Possessing Small Amounts Of Drugs Shouldn't Be A Crime
A new report from the UK Drug Policy Commission urges that the penalties for drug misuse be relaxed so that possession of small amounts of drugs would no longer be a crime.
The Commission undertook six years of research and concludes the UK is wasting much of the £3bn it spends each year on tackling illicit drugs.
Its report, called A Fresh Approach to Drugs, says the annual estimated cost to England and Wales of class A drug use is £15bn.It says that while drug use and drug problems have declined in the UK in recent years, there are still about 2,000 drug-related deaths each year and 380,000 problem drug users.
The Home Office says drug use is falling and it does not plan to alter its approach.
You can read the full story on the BBC News website here.
The Commission undertook six years of research and concludes the UK is wasting much of the £3bn it spends each year on tackling illicit drugs.
Its report, called A Fresh Approach to Drugs, says the annual estimated cost to England and Wales of class A drug use is £15bn.It says that while drug use and drug problems have declined in the UK in recent years, there are still about 2,000 drug-related deaths each year and 380,000 problem drug users.
The Home Office says drug use is falling and it does not plan to alter its approach.
You can read the full story on the BBC News website here.
Monday, 30 July 2012
UK Teenagers Shun Drugs For A Healthier Lifestyle
Teenagers in England are shunning drink and drugs for a cleaner lifestyle, say health officials. A survey of 6,500 children aged between 11 and 15 showed the numbers taking drugs, smoking and drinking alcohol had all fallen over the past decade.
A Report by the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre found 17% had tried drugs at least once in 2011, compared with 29% in 2001. The team said youngsters appeared to be living increasingly healthy lifestyles.
The survey, which questions a selection of children at English secondary schools, is carried out every year to monitor reported use of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. The latest poll, carried out between September and December last year, found the number of children at each age who said they had taken drugs in the preceding 12 months was down.
Among 15-year-olds, the number fell from 39% in 2001 to 23% in 2011. Only 3% of 11-year-olds had taken drugs.
Cannabis was the most commonly used drug, although its was also down. The survey also found the proportion of 11-to-15-year-olds smoking was the lowest since the polling began in 1982, and the number of "regular" smokers had halved in the past decade. Five per cent said they smoked at least one cigarette a week compared with 10% in 2001. Just 25% said they had tried cigarettes at least once.
The proportion drinking alcohol at least once has dropped to under half - 45%, compared with 61% per cent in 2001. Only 7% reported drinking regularly, down from 20% 10 years ago.
Tim Straughan, chief executive of the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre, said: "The report shows that pupils appear to be leading an increasingly clean-living lifestyle and are less likely to take drugs as well as cigarettes and alcohol.
"All this material will be of immense interest to those who work with young people and aim to steer them towards a healthier way of life."
Siobhan McCann, of the charity Drinkaware, said: "While the decline in the number of children trying alcohol is good news, the report still shows there are 360,000 young people who reported drinking alcohol in the last week alone."
You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.
A Report by the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre found 17% had tried drugs at least once in 2011, compared with 29% in 2001. The team said youngsters appeared to be living increasingly healthy lifestyles.
The survey, which questions a selection of children at English secondary schools, is carried out every year to monitor reported use of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. The latest poll, carried out between September and December last year, found the number of children at each age who said they had taken drugs in the preceding 12 months was down.
Among 15-year-olds, the number fell from 39% in 2001 to 23% in 2011. Only 3% of 11-year-olds had taken drugs.
Cannabis was the most commonly used drug, although its was also down. The survey also found the proportion of 11-to-15-year-olds smoking was the lowest since the polling began in 1982, and the number of "regular" smokers had halved in the past decade. Five per cent said they smoked at least one cigarette a week compared with 10% in 2001. Just 25% said they had tried cigarettes at least once.
The proportion drinking alcohol at least once has dropped to under half - 45%, compared with 61% per cent in 2001. Only 7% reported drinking regularly, down from 20% 10 years ago.
Tim Straughan, chief executive of the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre, said: "The report shows that pupils appear to be leading an increasingly clean-living lifestyle and are less likely to take drugs as well as cigarettes and alcohol.
"All this material will be of immense interest to those who work with young people and aim to steer them towards a healthier way of life."
Siobhan McCann, of the charity Drinkaware, said: "While the decline in the number of children trying alcohol is good news, the report still shows there are 360,000 young people who reported drinking alcohol in the last week alone."
You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Experts Warn Health Risks of Cannabis 'Underestimated'
Experts are warning that the public dangerously underestimates the health risks linked to smoking cannabis.
The British Lung Foundation carried out a survey of 1,000 adults and found a third wrongly believed cannabis did not harm health. And 88% incorrectly thought tobacco cigarettes were more harmful than cannabis ones - when the risk of lung cancer is actually 20 times higher.
Latest figures show that 30% of 16-59 year-olds in England and Wales have used cannabis in their lifetimes.
A new report from the BLF says there are established scientific links between smoking cannabis and tuberculosis, acute bronchitis and lung cancer. Part of the reason for this, say the experts, is that people smoking cannabis take deeper puffs and hold them for longer than when smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the BLF said: "It is alarming that, while new research continues to reveal the multiple health consequences of smoking cannabis, there is still a dangerous lack of public awareness of quite how harmful this drug can be.
"This is not a niche problem - cannabis is one of the most widely-used recreational drugs in the UK, with almost a third of the population having tried it.
"We therefore need a serious public health campaign - of the kind that has helped raise awareness of the dangers of eating fatty foods or smoking tobacco - to finally dispel the myth that smoking cannabis is somehow a safe pastime."
The BLF's report says there should be a public education programme to raise awareness of the impact of smoking cannabis and increased investment in research into the health consequences of its use.
The full report: The Impact of Cannabis on Your Lungs, which covers both the health risks and includes statistics on its use in the UK is freely available to download here.
The British Lung Foundation carried out a survey of 1,000 adults and found a third wrongly believed cannabis did not harm health. And 88% incorrectly thought tobacco cigarettes were more harmful than cannabis ones - when the risk of lung cancer is actually 20 times higher.
Latest figures show that 30% of 16-59 year-olds in England and Wales have used cannabis in their lifetimes.
A new report from the BLF says there are established scientific links between smoking cannabis and tuberculosis, acute bronchitis and lung cancer. Part of the reason for this, say the experts, is that people smoking cannabis take deeper puffs and hold them for longer than when smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the BLF said: "It is alarming that, while new research continues to reveal the multiple health consequences of smoking cannabis, there is still a dangerous lack of public awareness of quite how harmful this drug can be.
"This is not a niche problem - cannabis is one of the most widely-used recreational drugs in the UK, with almost a third of the population having tried it.
"We therefore need a serious public health campaign - of the kind that has helped raise awareness of the dangers of eating fatty foods or smoking tobacco - to finally dispel the myth that smoking cannabis is somehow a safe pastime."
The BLF's report says there should be a public education programme to raise awareness of the impact of smoking cannabis and increased investment in research into the health consequences of its use.
The full report: The Impact of Cannabis on Your Lungs, which covers both the health risks and includes statistics on its use in the UK is freely available to download here.
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
First Reading Of The Crime & Courts Bill
The Crime & Courts Bill has received its first Reading in the Lords. The Bill contains the following key elements relating to children:
- A National Crime Agency will be established to tackle serious organised and complex crime including sexual abuse and exploitation of children and cyber crime;
- A Single County Court system and a Family Court will be established to allow greater flexibility and increase the efficiency of the civil and family court systems in England and Wales; Enabling the introduction, in limited circumstances, of court broadcasting;
- A new offence of driving or being in charge of a vehicle with concentrations of specified controlled substances in excess of specified levels will be introduced.
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Next Week On Radio 4: Children, Drugs & Alternatives To Custody
Next week on BBC Radio 4:
Monday 14th May, 8.00 pm The Trouble With Kane (1/2). Documentary about a 12 year old cannabis user, one of the first youngsters in Britain to be given intensive family therapy, coupled with intensive home drug-testing, as an alternative to custody.
You can listen to the programme on BBC Radio 4 online (once its been broadcast) at this address: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01hq80p or by any other radio of course!
Monday 14th May, 8.00 pm The Trouble With Kane (1/2). Documentary about a 12 year old cannabis user, one of the first youngsters in Britain to be given intensive family therapy, coupled with intensive home drug-testing, as an alternative to custody.
You can listen to the programme on BBC Radio 4 online (once its been broadcast) at this address: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01hq80p or by any other radio of course!
Social Determinants Of Health & Well-being Among Young People
The World Health Organisation has published a new report which looks at how health and well-being inschool-aged children in determined by their social circumstances.
The report gives the results of the 2009/2010 HBSC survey, covering 39 countries and regions across the European Region and North America. It collected data from 11, 13 and 15-year-olds on 60 topics related to their health and well-being, social environments and behaviour. Responding to the survey, the young people described their social context (relations with family, peers and school), physical health and satisfaction with life, health behaviours (patterns of eating, tooth brushing and physical activity) and risk behaviours (use of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis, sexual behaviour, fighting and bullying). Statistical analyses were carried out to identify meaningful differences in the prevalence of health and social indicators by gender, age group and levels of family affluence.
The report is available to view here: http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/Life-stages/child-and-adolescent-health/publications/2012/social-determinants-of-health-and-well-being-among-young-people.-health-behaviour-in-school-aged-children-hbsc-study
The report gives the results of the 2009/2010 HBSC survey, covering 39 countries and regions across the European Region and North America. It collected data from 11, 13 and 15-year-olds on 60 topics related to their health and well-being, social environments and behaviour. Responding to the survey, the young people described their social context (relations with family, peers and school), physical health and satisfaction with life, health behaviours (patterns of eating, tooth brushing and physical activity) and risk behaviours (use of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis, sexual behaviour, fighting and bullying). Statistical analyses were carried out to identify meaningful differences in the prevalence of health and social indicators by gender, age group and levels of family affluence.
The report is available to view here: http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/Life-stages/child-and-adolescent-health/publications/2012/social-determinants-of-health-and-well-being-among-young-people.-health-behaviour-in-school-aged-children-hbsc-study
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Outcomes for Looked After Children as at 31st March 2011
Outcomes for children looked after as at 31 March 2011. Department for Education.
Outcomes reported include education, health, offending and substance misuse. For the first time this year, it also includes information to show performance against the new Impact Indicator for attainment gaps for looked after children. This indicator includes a change to the definition previously used to monitor the attainment of looked after children and covers children who have been continuously looked after for at least 6 months - those who would be eligible for the pupil premium payment.
Published 14 December 2011
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001046/index.shtml
Outcomes reported include education, health, offending and substance misuse. For the first time this year, it also includes information to show performance against the new Impact Indicator for attainment gaps for looked after children. This indicator includes a change to the definition previously used to monitor the attainment of looked after children and covers children who have been continuously looked after for at least 6 months - those who would be eligible for the pupil premium payment.
Published 14 December 2011
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001046/index.shtml
Monday, 11 October 2010
Drug Misuse
Research by the National Drug Treatment Agency into the long-term success of drug treatment programmes has found that nearly half of the people who participated in them in 2005 have been found to be free of their addiction and no longer committing crime four years after leaving treatment. The study (along with other online publications from the Agency) may be viewed here: http://www.nta.nhs.uk/publications.aspx?category=Treatment+outcomes+and+effectiveness
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Guidance for Social Workers on Alcohol & Drugs
The Tilda Goldberg Centre for Research in Social Work & Social Care (based at the University of Bedfordshire) has produced a pocket guide for social workers entitled "Alcohol and Other Drugs". The guide aims to support social workers in taking professional responsiblity for ensuring that their knowledge and skills meet the needs of service users in relation to alcohol and drugs.
You can access the guide (and other publications produced by the Centre) here: http://www.beds.ac.uk/goldbergcentre/resources
You can access the guide (and other publications produced by the Centre) here: http://www.beds.ac.uk/goldbergcentre/resources
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