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IN THIS ISSUE
ON THE COVER : Informed dialogues to beat stigma
18
A traumainformed approach
6
Hepatitis C : the future ’ s bright
INSIDE
4 NEWS Radical overhaul of alcohol duty ; perceptions of cannabis harm
12 GAMBLING AS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE GambleAware explain their approach
16 A TREATABLE MOMENT Collaborating to reach people with alcohol problems
19 NEEDLE AND SYRINGE PROVISION New standards for the sector
20 STAFF WELLBEING Revolutionising workforce benefits
21 LETTERS & COMMENT Questions on law and order ; stretched support in probation services ; I am an ... advocate
Roots to recovery
8 14
STAYING STRONG IN PARTNERSHIP
DDN is proud to be HRI ’ s media partner for Constellations , an online festival of harm reduction , on 16-24 November . Register for programme updates at www . hri . global / constellations
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 .
Stigma : let ’ s make the moment matter
Maybe the pandemic has taught us something about the loneliness and isolation that can go hand in hand with stigma – about reaching out , and about joining in when we ’ re not necessarily invited . The NHS APA was illuminating on many levels and felt like a representative forum informed by people with lived experience ( p6 ).
As part of the discussion Karen Biggs said we need to stop referring to stigma ( eg when talking to a journalist ) and talk instead about prejudice , discrimination and shame – things that we all understand are unacceptable . And this is so true – the otherness that makes stigma the preserve of other people becomes commonplace and relatable when you give it familiar terms . We ’ re hearing from different directions – including many people involved in and affected by the treatment experience – that there is a will to connect and form productive alliances to tackle stigma . And more than that , there is an urgency in the wake of the Dame Carol Black report to seize the moment , and to emphasise that the treatment policy framework desperately needs to encompass alcohol as much as drugs ( p16 ). We ’ ll be taking up these strong threads and continuing to weave them through forthcoming events and debate in DDN . Keep your views coming – let ’ s make the moment matter . Claire Brown , editor Keep in touch at www . drinkanddrugsnews . com and @ DDNmagazine
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