The ACMD had advised the government that the harms associated with the drug were ‘ not commensurate with control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 ’, and also warned that a ban would place ‘ disproportionate burdens ’ on its legitimate use in medical , industrial and commercial fields ( www . drinkanddrugsnews . com / acmd-advises-government-not-toban-nitrous-oxide ).

The action plan also expands powers for drug testing on arrest , allowing more people to be tested and more substances to

be tested for – including MDMA and methamphetamine . At the moment only people suspected of committing certain offences can be tested in police detention without additional requirements , but the government says it will expand the range of ‘ trigger offences ’ to include crimes linked to violence against women and anti-social behaviour . It also states that it intends to tackle the practice of ‘ cuckooing ’ – where vulnerable people have their homes taken over for use by drug dealers – by looking into creating a new criminal offence .

The decision to ban nitrous oxide has been condemned by Release , which points out that ‘ no expert nor clinician appears to support the criminalisation of possession ’. The move will ‘ inevitably ’ target young people , it adds , and deter them from seeking help if they need it . ‘ The

government is ignoring its own experts , in an attempt to out manoeuvre Labour as both of the main parties try to appear tough on drugs ,’ said executive director Niamh Eastwood . ‘ Nitrous oxide is a relatively safe substance , and possible health harms could be mitigated through a largescale harm reduction campaign , educating people on how to stay safe .’ Criminalising possession of the substance will increase both the health and social harms associated with it , added Transform ’ s senior policy analyst Steve Rolles , creating ‘ new costs across the criminal justice system ’.

‘ The government is ignoring its own experts , in an attempt ... to appear tough on drugs .’

NIAMH EASTWOOD

GDPO Global Drug Policy Observatory

A COMPENDIUM of specialist alcohol and other substance services for people in minority ethnic groups or migrant communities has been launched by Manchester Metropolitan University in partnership with OHID .

The document was compiled via extensive online searches and through social media , with the team keen to ensure that peer-led services were included . Followup calls were then made to government bodies and other services . The compendium covers the entire UK and includes the specific cultural focus of each service and details of the support provided , along with referral pathways , contact details and costs , if applicable .

‘ To my knowledge the compendium is the first of its kind ,’ said professor of social research and substance use at Manchester Metropolitan University , Sarah Galvani . ‘ The uncomfortable reality is that there is very little out there . We are happy to share it we would also be delighted to hear from anyone we have missed out or whose details are wrong .’ Contact S . Galvani @ mmu . ac . uk

THREE GAMBLING BUSINESSES owned by the William Hill Group have been fined a total of £ 19.2m for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures , the Gambling Commission has announced .

The fines are £ 12.5m for WHG ( International ) Limited , which runs williamhill . com , £ 3.7m for Mr Green Limited , and £ 3m for the William Hill Organization , which operates more than 1,300 gambling premises across the UK . The failures listed by the Gambling Commission include having insufficient controls to protect new customers and to ‘ effectively consider high velocity spend and duration of play ’, with one customer spending £ 23,000 within 20 minutes after opening a new account and another spending £ 18,000 within 24 hours – both without any checks . Others include failing to identify customers at risk of gambling-related harm , failing to intervene early enough , and failure to apply a 24-hour delay before granting a credit limit increase . One customer

lost almost £ 15,000 in just over an hour , and another was allowed to immediately place a £ 100,000 bet when his credit limit had been set at £ 70,000 . ‘ When we launched this investigation the failings we uncovered were so widespread and alarming that serious consideration was given to licence suspension ,’ said Gambling Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes . The government ’ s much delayed gambling white paper ( DDN , March , page 12 ) is now expected to be published before Easter .

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