ON THE COVER
DDN is an independent publication, entirely funded by advertising.
Publishers:
Partners:
Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals
Supporting organisations:
4
NEWS
Landmark NPS bill to ‘fundamentally change the way we tackle new
psychoactive substances.’
DDN’s round-up of local and national news.
6
COVER STORY
‘It is worth spelling out that harm reduction reduces harm.’
Addressing drug-related damage at music festivals.
11
PRACTICE EXCHANGE
Supporting women online and making use of personal skills to
bolster recovery.
12
NALOXONE
‘Our top priority is to save lives, in any way we can.’ Philippe Bonnet
on moving forward with naloxone.
14
PROFILE
‘It was only really when I was working in the needle and syringe
programmes in the early ’90s that we saw that explosion of use.’
Jim McVeigh on meeting the needs of anabolic steroid users.
18
ENDNOTE
‘Bert’s continuing professional development was born out of the perfect
life experience.’The story of Chandos House’s unofficial head of treatment.
June 2015 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 3
editor’s letter
‘Engaging young people in
drugs education has
always been a challenge...’
Contents
A
mnesty boxes are likely to have little impact on the revellers
at BoomTown Fair – or many of the other festivals that are
springing to life across the country (page 6). But instead of
worrying about this, Bristol Drugs Project have chosen to engage
with participants – not just to offer harm reduction advice, but
also to find out more about their range and pattern of drug-taking.
They report 93 named substances being taken during the past 12
months by the young adults they talked to, with a high level of risk-
taking involved.
Engaging young people in drugs education has always been a
challenge, with many willing to risk experimenting in the
uncharted territory of legal highs. Nitrous oxide, now more popular
among young adults than ecstasy and cocaine, is easily available to
buy in balloon form – it’s pointless to pretend it’s not readily
available. So seizing the chance to answer questions and offer
directly relevant advice and information has to be a good idea.
There will be those who say that the initiative condones drug-
taking, but many more who understand that communicating harm
reduction means having a two-way conversation, without being
judgemental or patronising, and offering a safe space to ask
questions. If only drug policy was underpinned by the same values.
Claire Brown, editor
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Cover montage by JellyPics
Field support, p6
