DDN_July_August_2025 DDN July August 2025 | Page 3

UPFRONT
Drink and Drugs News is published by CJ Wellings Ltd, Romney House, School Road, Ashford, Kent TN27 0LT
Editor: Claire Brown e: claire @ cjwellings. com
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IN THIS ISSUE

COVER STORY: COUNTY LINES

6

INSIDE
4 NEWS Scotland’ s alcohol headache; global drug use at historic high
8 LIVING ASSETS A future after prison 12 INNOVATION AI harm reduction i-iv INTUITIVE RECOVERY Special pullout 18 TREATMENT CHOICE The HAT option 20 PODCAST Voices of recovery 22 FAMILY SUPPORT Innovative training
28 CAREERS I am a... DrinkCoach

10 14 26

Art attack – creative recovery Harm reduction first at the NNEF
40 years of specialist support

‘ STRONGER TOGETHER’

‘ Instead of walking past the everyday, I now stop and pause to take in the beauty around.’
Steve speaking at Via’ s Beauty in the Everyday project. See partner updates at
www. drinkanddrugsnews. com
DDN is a self-funded independent publication. Our bespoke partnership packages provide an opportunity to work closely with the magazine. Please get in touch to find out more.

With no time to lose, our sector has a vital role

Violence and exploitation have dominated the grim world of county lines, and authorities and children’ s charities are working out how to respond more effectively( cover story). What’ s clear is that the‘ red flags’ that could indicate a trail of abuse are highly likely to cross our paths so there’ s no time to lose in understanding the latest strategies. The future of thousands of vulnerable young people is at stake and our sector has a vital role to play.
Strategy for our services has a central thread of lived experience these days – and is all the richer for it. Innovation is king among the entrepreneurial communities that share their stories in this issue, and the work to transform life in the criminal justice system to a horizon of opportunity is particularly inspiring( page 8 and our centre-page pullout). They are running on the inside lane of campaigns to smash stigma and their results speak for themselves.
And while we look back on some crucial milestones – for the sector’ s history( p18) and for many individuals( p26) – we look forward to more of the creativity that brings joy to this month’ s pages( p10 and p20). Never be in doubt that‘ people in recovery have creative minds’! Claire Brown, editor www. drinkanddrugsnews. com and @ DDNmagazine
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