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The
astonishing power of example |
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And they were getting well. They were talking
and thinking in ways that were alien to me, but that I found
attractive. I couldn’t put a name to what I felt in those
rooms those first few meetings, but I can today. It was hope.
And hope was something that I thought had packed its bags, shoved
its napsack on its back and left home years before [Peapod Blog,
Wired In] |
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The
positives of being part of a community |
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I was going to leave it altogether, thanks
but no thanks… But then I see time and time again the positive
impact that everybody who joins in on this community (not including
the “voyeurs”) has on people like me and especially
the support to the newer members [ChrisG Blog, WIred In] |
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A
Comparison of the Cost-effectiveness of the Prohibition and
Regulation of Drugs |
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This initial analysis demonstrates that a move
to legally regulated drug supply would deliver substantial benefits
to the Treasury and wider community, even in the highly unlikely
event of a substantial increase in use. 53-page PDF [TDPF, UK] |
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Could
we save billions by legalising drugs? |
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The bottom line, though, is that we don't know.
We don't know because government has never done a cost-benefit
analysis of its drugs strategy, or conducted an "impact
assessment" to ensure that policies are cost-effective [Mark
Easton's blog, BBC, UK] |
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A
cost benefit analysis for the war on drugs? The government
just says “no”! |
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Drugs policy is perhaps one of their major
policies and one which they’ve invested a lot of our money
in for close of 40 years, so they’ve had plenty of time
to amass the evidence. Strangely it seems they don’t have
the evidence to support the policy though and worse are very
reluctant to allow an investigation in order to find the truth
[UKCIA] |
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Abstinence
is dangerous - isn’t it? |
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One of the reasons that is often cited for
the lack of referrals from the Tier 3 NHS services to abstinence
oriented recovery is that this is very dangerous as there is
a real risk that people who enter abstinence oriented recovery
relapse and die. One of the counter arguments is that people
who drink alcoholically on top of their methadone die from liver
disease etc [Mark Gilman Blog, WIred In] |
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Drug
court to offer addicts help |
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The first court in Wales dedicated to dealing
with drug offenders will be opened later in Cardiff by Justice
Secretary Jack Straw [BBC, UK] |
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A
profile of alcohol and health in Wales |
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The latest method used in England to estimate
alcoholattributable harm has not previously been applied to data
for Wales. This joint health intelligence report by the Wales
Centre for Health (WCfH) and the National Public Health Service
for Wales (NPHS) addresses this gap for Wales and presents comprehensive
information based on a number of available data sources on the
subject. 58-page PDF [Wales Centre for Health] |
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Profile
of alcohol and health in Wales published |
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Further information [Alcohol Policy UK] |
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Doctors
urge rise in alcohol prices |
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Doctors and nurses who deal with the consequences
of Britain's drinking say the government's public health campaigns
are not working and want price rises instead [Guardian, UK] |
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Marin
Institute Publishes New Guide For Regulating Alcohol Advertising |
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The country’s first guide to
restricting out-of-home (OOH) alcohol advertising [Marin Institute,
UK] |
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Letter
from Jim Dobbin MP to The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP, Home Secretary
and her reply |
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I am writing to you as the Chair of the All
Party Parliamentary Group on Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction
on the subjects of Professor David Nutt and the classification
and scheduling of the Benzodiazepine group of drugs [Benzo, UK] |
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Drug
testing school pupils is ineffective and risky |
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Australian review supports UK guidance indicating
that testing school pupils for illegal drugs is a risky procedure
of unproven effectiveness and questionable ethics which may backfire
by alienating pupils [Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK] |
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Are
drug traffickers getting nervous? |
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Is the increasing talk about drug policy reform
making traffickers and dealers feel threatened? One appears to
have started blogging about this [Talking Drugs] |
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House
Tobacco Bill Moves to Senate |
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The house bill is similar to one passed last
session, which died in the Senate after it was opposed by the
Bush administration [Addiction Inbox, USA] |
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Vienna
Consensus on Drug Policy Cracks |
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A clear divide in drug control approaches became
apparent at the end of the High Level Segment of the Commission
on Narcotic Drugs (CND) on March 11-12 in Vienna [TNI, UNGASS] |
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UNODC
launches "pro-health" drug campaign on World Health
Day |
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"Drug control is not just about security, it's about health.
Drug dependence is an illness, and should be prevented and treated
as such", said the Executive Director of the UNODC, Antonio
Maria Costa [UNODC] |
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