Drug Education News

In looking at something else - Addaction calls for supermarkets to curb their promotions on alcohol - I found their response to Breakthrough Britain, the Conservative’s Social Justice Group report of a few weeks ago.  
Addaction point out:
Simply sending out the message through drugs education that ‘all drugs are wrong and harmful’ has not worked in the [...]

Young People Now covers the issue of VSA Deaths: 
A report by the Division of Community Health Services at St George’s, University of London, shows that half of the under-18s who died from VSA in 2005 were female. This is an increase in the proportion of deaths of young women - in 2003, only 31 per [...]

Young People Now in their look at the drug strategy has a quote from Turning Point:
Lord Adebowale, chief executive of Turning Point, said: “There should be a strong focus on evidence-based education so current drug users and those who may consider taking drugs are fully aware of the risks.”

Last week saw the publication of the government’s youth strategy, Aiming high for young people. I’ve now had a chance to have a quick look through to see what it has to say about drugs and drug education.
It looks to me from my skim of the 89 page document that it says much more about the role [...]

I’ve been asked to bring to your attention some training being put on by Forum members; the NYA, DrugScope and Alcohol Concern.  I’ve been told:
‘Drugs: Guidance for young people’s services’ is a series of information, training and dissemination sessions provided by the National Youth Agency in a partnership with DrugScope and Alcohol Concern based on [...]

Cancer Research UK has a press release on the latest study about the health risks associated with alcohol:
The report, published online in the International Journal of Cancer, found that people who drink 15 grams of alcohol a day - equivalent to about two units - have about a 10 per cent increased risk of bowel [...]

DDN cover the launch of the drug strategy consultation and early views from the field, including our own.
They also have a piece from Vernon Coaker MP, the Minister in the Home Office with responsibility for drug issues, who says:

Drug education has developed a great deal in recent years. Our approach has been to empower young [...]

Prospect have the full list of advisors at 10 Downing Street policy unit.  These are the ones I think may have an interest in young people and drug issues:

Nick Pearce (education, youth and strategy)
Katharine Raymond (drugs and equalities)

Nick Pearce comes from the IPPR and had previously been a special advisor to David Blunket, as was Katherine [...]

The Sunday Telegraph suggests that the Pooled Treatment Budget will be cut over coming years:

The flagship government scheme for treating drug addicts faces swingeing budget cuts of £50 million, it can be revealed today.
Plans to slash total funding by more than 12 per cent, outlined in an email leaked to The Sunday Telegraph, come less [...]

A summary of the evaluation of the Brain Warehouse campaign says:

Young People’s understanding of the risks of drugs continues to grow. The harder messages are getting through, particularly the physical effects of cannabis (‘damage your mind’ 57% very likely score at wave 6 vs. 45% at wave 5 and ‘damage to your body’ 48% very [...]