Drug Education News

DrugScope (a Forum member) are holding a series of consultation events and are advertising their annual conference:
The road ahead: 2007 and beyond
As the UK government’s 10-year drugs strategy comes to an end, 2007 will be an important year for everyone involved in the drugs field. Significant changes are already happening in the allocation of the [...]

A couple of stories from the Life Education Centres (a Forum member) news section of their website:
Tax and Save:
Life Education Centres urges the Chancellor to set aside additional revenue from alcohol and tobacco to help curb binge drinking and smoking in young people.
Evidence from Ofsted* indicates clearly that where schools have brought in specialists such [...]

The BMJ has what looks like it might be an interesting paper:
Substance misuse and teenage pregnancy are major public health challenges. Existing responses generally focus on individual characteristics, such as knowledge and attitudes about substances and sexual risk, rather than wider social and institutional influences, and seem to have brought about only limited benefits. We [...]

The BBC is amongst a number of media outlets that are reporting on the index of harm suggested by scientists in the Lancet (registration required). The BBC say:
The drug classification system in the UK is not ‘fit for purpose’ and should be scrapped, scientists have said.
They have drawn up an alternative system which they [...]

Young People Now have an opinion piece, from Howard Williamson is professor of European youth policy at the University of Glamorgan, and a member of the Youth Justice Board, on cannabis. He explores whether the cannabis available today is different from a decade ago. He concludes:
This should not necessarily be a debate about [...]

The East Anglian Daily Times reports on the number of young people needing emergency services as a result of alcohol:
THE shocking extent of Suffolk’s teenage alcohol problem can be revealed for the first time today.
Since April last year, paramedics have responded to 160 emergency calls to children in Suffolk who have drunk so much alcohol [...]

The Sun has a story about young people and alcohol:
A survey has revealed that young Brits in the 18-24 category are putting themselves at serious risk by drinking too much on a night out on the lash.
As part of the Government’s Know Your Limits campaign, the research reveals that young people are ignoring serious consequences [...]

There’s a Parliamentary Question from the Tooting MP, Sadiq Khan:
Mr. Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that teenagers are aware of the possible dangers associated with drug use.
Mr. Coaker: Since 2003 FRANK, the Government funded drug awareness campaign, has reached out to young [...]

The Evening Standard has an article, which is largely critical, about Positive Futures, the government’s scheme to create diversionary activities for young people.

Activities, such as fishing throughout the night, are offered at times when they are most at risk of breaking the law.
But critics have questioned whether the project was providing the taxpayer with [...]

The BBC carries a story saying that:
Alcohol awareness campaigns focus too much on young binge-drinkers rather than older people drinking at home, senior doctors have said.
The Royal College of Physicians believes adult alcohol intake is a much bigger health hazard - fuelled by an abundance of cheap alcohol.
The college wants alcohol prices raised and its [...]