UPFRONT
IN THIS ISSUE
Drink and Drugs News is
published by CJ Wellings Ltd,
Romney House, School Road,
Ashford, Kent TN27 0LT
t: 0845 299 3429
Editor: Claire Brown
e: [email protected]
Advertising manager: Ian Ralph
e: [email protected]
Reporter: David Gilliver
e: [email protected]
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ON THE COVER: Vancouver’s opioid crisis
website:
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
Website support by
wiredupwales.com
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Printed on environmentally
friendly paper by the Manson
Group Ltd
Cover by Jussi Grut
Taking harm
reduction to
the next level
REGULARS
4
NEWS
Needless homeless
deaths; credit card
gambling banned
10 LETTERS & OPINION
Abandoning young
people to a bleak
future; a National
Health Service
worthy of the name?
16 REVIEWS
Time to get creative,
says Mark Reid
We need to
talk about
diamorphine
Radical action
needed in
Wales
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Their broad readership, but particularly
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Natalie Davies, co-editor of Drug and Alcohol Findings
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‘Why can’t we reverse this
shameful trend of DRDs?
EACH YEAR the cross-party parliamentary group meets to review
the ONS data on drug-related deaths, and each time frustrations
surface at the lack of progress (page 11). We have the evidence,
we know the contributing factors – why can’t we reverse this
shameful trend?
Looking at the drug-related death rate in Wales as a ‘national
state of emergency’ Martin Blakebrough says that nothing but a
‘radical approach’ will do (page 6). ‘It is unacceptable that the UK
continues to fail its most vulnerable people,’ he says. Meanwhile
our cover story (page 8) offers a perspective from Canada, where
activism provoked political pragmatism to tackle their public health
emergency. Jussi Grut draws a parallel with our situation in the UK.
The horrific rise in drug-related deaths has made access to
diamorphine a ‘sane, reasonable’ option, says Nick Goldstein (page
14). But, he cautions, we have to think very carefully about the way
we implement diamorphine programmes, so that they actually
reach those who aren’t currently in treatment and who make up a
vast proportion of the DRD statistics.
We’ve talked about this for long enough.
We have the knowledge and experience to
avoid knee-jerk reactions and get it right.
Claire Brown, editor
Keep in touch at
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
and @DDNmagazine
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FEBRUARY 2020 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • 3