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
ON THE COVER : SMOKEFREE BRITAIN
INSIDE
4 NEWS Drug-related deaths increase ; Colombian cocaine production up
8 RELEASE Need to listen on nitazenes 12 YOUNG PEOPLE Age of overwhelm 16 EMPLOYMENT Talking boundaries 20 TURNING 20 Happy birthday DDN ! 24 COMIC BOOK HERO Bobby ’ s story 25 YOUR SHOUT Letters & comment
10 14 22
6
Community champions Family rehab threat
Stigma-free services
‘ STRONGER TOGETHER ’
DDN is 20 this month !
Thank you for all your support and for cheering us along – we couldn ’ t do it without you !
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How much has changed over two decades ?
Twenty years ago I was sitting in our little office in London , typing my first editorial ( p20 ). ‘ This issue we catch up with Caroline Flint at the Home Office , who shares some interesting thoughts on drugs and crime …’ Remarkable that back then you could speak with the drugs minister directly ! We were the new kids on the block . Now we ’ ve been round the block a few times … but some things have changed very little . We still need a robust ( and honest ) alcohol strategy . We still talk about harm reduction as if it ’ s optional . We still rediscover a link between substance use and mental health . We ’ re still finding that releasing people from prison without all-round life support is leaving them to sink . And did we actually leave the old harm reduction v abstinence debate behind – or just go via recovery to change the language ?
Other things changed a lot . Vaping was emerging as a novelty but the idea that it could overtake smoking ( p6 ) was outlandish . Feedback often came by letter and we eagerly anticipated the mail every day ( I still miss that !). The frequent inperson events were regular opportunities to connect . Technology made it easier to do our jobs – and harder to disappear . It would be nice to think we could take the best of both worlds .
Claire Brown , editor www . drinkanddrugsnews . com and @ DDNmagazine
WWW . DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS . COM NOVEMBER 2024 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • 3