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Contents
editor’s letter
ON THE COVER
‘Most drug-related deaths are
of people not in treatment’
B
Street sleeper outreach, p6
4
NEWS
Lifeline closes after almost 50 years; Lib Dems promise legal cannabis market.
6
VITAL CONNECTIONS
DDN visits Equinox outreach team in Brighton to hear how they engage with
a growing population of rough sleepers.
8
MEET THE FENTANYLS
With a vast range of forms and potencies, the fentanyl family brings too
many unknowns. Kevin Flemen gives an essential guide.
10 LETTERS AND COMMENT
E-cigarettes ‘are a game changer’; complex behaviours.
10 RESOURCES CORNER
George Allan finds Griffith Edwards’ text, Matters of Substance, lives long
in the memory.
11 POST-ITS FROM PRACTICE
A responsive approach is as important as the right medicine, says
Dr Steve Brinksman.
12 FINDING THE RIGHT VOICE
CGL have been consulting with young people on the best way for its youth
services to get their message across. DDN reports on lessons for other providers.
14 MARKET FORCES
At Addaction’s Mortality Matters conference, treatment services were urged
to put competition aside to address drug-related deaths. DDN reports.
16 KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
NHS trusts from across England came together to mark a vital new initiative
in tackling drug-related deaths, as Danny Hames reports.
17 WHO CARES?
Darren’s death was preventable, like so many others. Dr Chris Ford looks at
the personal story behind a young man who was failed by treatment.
Reporter: David Gilliver
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y the time many of you are reading this, the next
government will have been chosen – and who knows, the
wheels may have started turning again after a static couple
of months for policy. As I write though, the debates are still in full
swing and the leaflets are still dropping through the door.
So much noise, and so many promises by the politicians to
listen. So here are some suggestions served up by this month’s
issue. Turn to page 4 to learn that the sector is vulnerable and
volatile, and that services closing could lead to thousands of people
dropping further down the waiting lists.
Go to page 6 to be reminded that most drug-related deaths are
of people not in treatment – and that the first place to look for
these people is on the streets, where outreach workers do their best
to engage with and protect a growing population of rough sleepers
despite diminishing resources.
Turn to page 8 for a comprehensive briefing on fentanyl – a drug
with many highly dangerous forms that requires a robust and
proactive harm reduction and education strategy, rather than a
knee-jerk ‘ban everything’ reaction.
Then carry on to page 12 to hear feedback from young people
on how to engage around substance misuse in a way that is
meaningful to them – and finally, read some difficult pages (14-17)
about drug-related deaths, the topic you don’t really want to
acknowledge. If major treatment agencies are willing to put
competition to one side to look for joint action to halt the climb in
mortality figures, shouldn’t politicians join in?
Claire Brown, editor
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June 2017 | drinkanddrugsnews | 3