UPFRONT
Drink and Drugs News is published by CJ Wellings Ltd , Romney House , School Road , Ashford , Kent TN27 0LT t : 0845 299 3429
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IN THIS ISSUE
ON THE COVER – Women ’ s services
20
Hope
Springs community
6
Problem alcohol use and suicide
16
INSIDE
4 NEWS Alcohol deaths highest ever ; xylazine hits UK market
8 WOMEN ’ S HEALTH Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
12 RESIDENTIAL A female focus 14 ACT NOW Synthetic opioid crisis 18 HOUSING FIRST Vital intervention 22 HOMELESSNESS From prison to street 23 YOUR SHOUT Letters and comment
The Collective Voice Women ’ s Treatment Working Group
10
‘ STRONGER TOGETHER ’
The DDN National Conference Thursday 11 July , Birmingham We ’ ll be there ! Will you ?
Information , booking and 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 .
No time to be passive – let ’ s mobilise
This month we have strong and interesting articles on women ’ s services and housing / resettlement and it ’ s really heartening to hear of the great work going on across the country – with added inspiration from Australia on a thriving therapeutic community . Our contributions are evidence of a dynamic workforce making ‘ hard to reach ’ an irrelevant term .
We ’ re also grateful to be able to share valuable insight into suicide prevention from a partnership that ’ s been researching the complex link between alcohol and suicide ( p16 ). This piece of work , with participation by people with lived experience of suicidal thoughts , can help us repair and improve the support pathway significantly .
But there are two overriding themes to stop you in your tracks wherever you work and whatever your role : alcohol deaths are the highest on record at more than 10,000 a year in the UK ( p4 ); and the flood of synthetic drugs is fast turning into a public health emergency for which we are woefully illprepared ( p14 ). We need to do things differently so let ’ s not be passive about this . Please send your thoughts for publication – and come along to the DDN conference to work out how we can mobilise , effectively , together . Claire Brown , editor www . drinkanddrugsnews . com and @ DDNmagazine
WWW . DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS . COM MAY 2024 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • 3