ON THE COVER
DDN is an independent publication, entirely funded by advertising.
Publishers:
Partners:
Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals
Supporting organisations:
4
NEWS
Scots record highest number of drug-related deaths ever.
DDN’s round-up of local and national news.
6
COVER STORY
‘While most patients are safer on methadone, the wider population
are at continued risk from diverted supplies of the drug.’
Dave Marteau examines our relationship with the life-saving drug.
8
NEWS FOCUS
DDN looks at what could be done to combat Scotland’s soaring
drug-related death statistics.
10
NALOXONE
PHE’s Steve Taylor on how local services and commissioners can
respond to upcoming changes in the law about distribution.
11
PRACTICE EXCHANGE
Recovering with sport and reducing super-strength alcohol consumption.
12
HARM REDUCTION
It’s an exciting time for activism and advocacy among people who use
drugs, says Mags Maher.
16
CQC INSPECTIONS
David Finney guides you through the changes at the CQC.
September 2015 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 3
editor’s letter
‘The debate about benefits
shows why disadvantage and
addiction go hand in hand’
Contents
O
nce again we are confronted with a set of unpalatable
statistics: Scottish drug-related deaths are higher than ever
(page 4), with the burden falling on ‘older’ users – older
meaning over 35. While this trend is incredibly depressing, the
reasons behind it do not point at failure in service quality, but at
the victims’ lack of engagement with services.
Is this down to funding cutbacks? Lack of proactive outreach?
(The first leading to the second?) And could, as David Liddell
suggests (page 8), the despair accompanying austerity be adding to
people’s feeling of ambivalence as to whether they live or die?
The statistics shock us, but the reasons behind them don’t
surprise us. The ongoing debate about linking benefit entitlements
to treatment throws up the full range of inequalities our society
has to offer and illustrates all too clearly why disadvantage and
addiction go hand in hand.
But consider for a minute Paula’s letter (page 16). There she was
with everything stacked against her and her addiction leading to
prison. What made the vital difference to her life? Those members
of staff – those fellow human beings – who believed in her and
helped her regain her confidence and her reason for living. ‘Is it
really so difficult to start some serious joint working’ to build
recovery communities, she asks.
A thought worth holding onto as we move from last month’s
‘overdose awareness day’ into September’s ‘recovery month’.
Claire Brown, editor
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Cover by FikMik/iStock
Kill or cure, p6
