DDN_October25 DDN October 2025 | Page 3

UPFRONT
Drink and Drugs News is published by CJ Wellings Ltd, Romney House, School Road, Ashford, Kent TN27 0LT
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IN THIS ISSUE

COVER STORY: FOOD FOR RECOVERY

6

INSIDE
4 NEWS Ketamine deaths increase; Scottish hospital alcohol care in crisis
8 NSP ALARM Risks to harm reduction 10 WELLBEING A look at social anxiety 12 EMPLOYMENT Gearing up for work 13 MENTAL HEALTH Accessing rehab 22 KETAMINE Getting a step ahead 23 FAMILIES CDARS reflects
24 CONNECTION Recovery in action

14 18 20

Women’ s homelessness Equine therapy
Online communities

STRONGER TOGETHER!

‘ Language is so important to make sure people feel empowered and not judged.’
Lucas, peer worker, launching Turning Point’ s stigma guide See partner updates at
www. drinkanddrugsnews. com
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Nutrition should be part of harm reduction

We have thought-provoking contributions on wellbeing in this issue – mental and physical – including our cover story( p6) in which the team demonstrate that addressing nutritional deficiency should be a regular part of harm reduction. It’ s also clear that there’ s much to learn in relating nutritional need to the body’ s responses to specific substances. We’ re likely to try to eat more healthily, take supplements, cut down on sugar,‘ bad’ fats and ultraprocessed food – so why shouldn’ t we do the same for clients? It’ s been a while since we published a regular nutrition column – can you help us carry on the conversation?
Meanwhile, the scale of women’ s homelessness is mindblowing and something we cannot ignore( page 14), especially as we strive to level up the treatment offering. A woman living rough might be expected to live half the life span of a woman with a roof over her head – and that’ s a million miles from OK. As we contemplate images of women in streets and in doorways we have to remember that this is the visible face of a largely hidden problem – on a scale we can’ t even be sure of. Yet there are many things we can start to do here, now, and in partnerships to change this. Claire Brown, editor www. drinkanddrugsnews. com and @ DDNmagazine
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