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NTA
report on 'Young people's specialist substance misuse treatment' |
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In this definition of treatment, there is no
reference to recovery or to young people overcoming substance
use problems! … [I] searched for the term 'recovery' in
the whole document. This research revealed no instances of the
word being used [David Clark Blog, Wired In] |
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Rift
with EU as US sticks to Bush line on 'war on drugs' |
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A rift between the EU and US over how to deal
with global trafficking in illicit drugs is undermining international
efforts to agree a new UN strategy [Guardian, UK] |
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State
Department Ignores Obama: Head Still Stuck In Sand |
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State Department officials said that they were
resisting the harm-reduction language because it could also be
interpreted as endorsing legalized drugs or providing addicts
with a place to inject drugs [DPA, USA] |
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"Cocaine
changes: The experience of using and quitting", Part 2 |
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Whilst cocaine is often portrayed as a powerful
reinforcing psychoactive drug, we sadly do not often hear that
its powers are also mediated by users' norms, values, practices,
and circumstances [Article, Wired In Online Community] |
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Methadone
maintenance is low-cost lifesaver |
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Even when slow methadone detoxification is
bolstered by psychosocial therapy and aftercare, methadone maintenance
does better at prolonging lives. Print publication 2004 [Drug
and Alcohol Findings, UK] |
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Residential
Treatment: tokenism? |
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… we know that the majority of service
users set becoming drug free as a goal and that residential treatment
is associated with the highest success rates in helping clients
get there. Rehabs are closing as a result of lack of funding
and referrals. There seems to be a low priority for recovery-oriented
services [Peapod Blog, Wired In] |
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Workers
face smoking ban while in NHS uniform … even at home |
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Hospital staff are facing a blanket ban on
smoking at any time while they are in uniform – or even
wearing an NHS badge – under a crackdown proposed by officials
at one of Scotland's largest health boards [The Scotsman, UK] |
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Dutch
Remain Firm on Harm Reduction |
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We will be aiming for no less than securing
the inclusion of harm reduction in the political declaration
by which member states determine international drugs policy,” the
Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation Bert Koenders told
the Donor Conference on Harm Reduction [TNI, Netherlands] |
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Minister
Koenders’ speech to the Donor Conference on Harm Reduction |
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Harm reduction encompasses policy, strategies
and programmes designed to reduce the health risks posed by drug
use. After all a world entirely free of drugs is a utopia [Minbuza,
Netherlands] |
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Clean
needles still unavailable to addicts |
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A Government-appointed expert group said six
out of the 10 Regional Drug Task Forces (RDTFs) didn’t
provide a needle-exchange service, despite having injecting drug
users in their areas[Drugs.ie, Ireland] |
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Stimulant
drugs cause cocaine-like brain changes |
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A common stimulant drug used to treat attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder can cause brain changes in mice
similar to those seen in cocaine addiction, U.S. researchers
said on Monday [Reuters] |
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Addicts
'find less pleasure in life' |
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Drug addicts find it harder than non-addicts
to derive pleasure from everyday life, new Australian research
shows [The Age, Australia] |
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Golden
Triangle Opium Reduction Led by Thailand, Laos, UN Says |
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pium production fell in the Golden Triangle
last year as Thailand and Laos slashed the amount of land being
cultivated for the raw ingredient of heroin, the United Nations
said. Myanmar, also in the area, remains a ris [Bloomberg] |
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Afghanistan |
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Opium Winter Assessment. 48-page PDF [UNODC] |
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UN
drugs tsar warns of "Pyrrhic victory" against Afghan
opium |
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"Success cannot only be measured by reducing
opium hectarage: it depends on improving security, integrity,
economic growth, and governance. There is no point in winning
a Pyrrhic victory against opium if we lose Afghanistan in the
process", said Mr. Costa [UNODC] |
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Gains
in fight against illicit drug trade in South-East Asia fragile,
UN warns |
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As the United Nations anti-drug agency reports
that the South-East Asian region – once notorious as heroin’s
Golden Triangle – has dramatically slashed its opium production,
its top official warned today that without serious development
assistance the area’s economy could slide back into drug
dependency [United Nations] |
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