p06-07 How I/wired.qxd
29/10/04
8:02 pm
Page 7
Up close | WIRED
World of
WIRED is becoming valued as a unique grassroots
initiative to tackle drug and alcohol misuse that merges
real world activities with a high profile web based
communication system. We asked its creator,
Professor David Clark, how WIRED developed.
The concept of WIRED was developed five
years ago as a way of empowering people to
tackle substance misuse. I felt that the
internet was not being used innovatively to
help the field. Its potential for supporting an
integrated resource of information, support,
education, training and research, as well as
bringing together expertise from both within
and outside the field, needed to be realised.
I also knew that WIRED has to be involved
in both virtual and real world activities,
fostering a strong grass roots initiative which
has long-term continuity and stability. My
vision was big – very naively so – but then
what we are tackling is enormous. As far as I
could see there are plenty of people who
want to become involved in tackling
substance misuse problems but don’t know
how to get involved. They need something to
which they can belong and contribute.
Our first challenge was learning about the
field and gaining an identity. We initially eval-
uated and supported all projects funded by the
Drug and Alcohol Treatment Fund, the largest
treatment fund in Wales. This two year project
allowed us to work with a large number of
high quality projects on the ground. It also
emphasised to us the divide that can exist
between community services and central
government, and the need for a strong
bottom-up approach which could be sustained.
Around this time, we also launched Daily
Dose. This website is now the world’s leading
news portal on substance misuse, with over
2,500 daily subscribers and many other site
visitors. Daily Dose is top of 2.7 million
listings on Google. We later launched
substancemisuse.net, the content of which
www.drinkanddrugs.net
included our personal stories, project profiles
and original articles, as well as the results of
our research. Our personal stories provide
important insights into the lives of people
who have experienced and recovered from
substance misuse problems.
The research we undertake is focused on
issues relevant to practice. I am excited that
we are able to recruit top students from our
university department who go on to love this
field and want to contribute more. Our
ongoing projects include work on recovery
from addiction and the role of treatment
processes; the impact of substance misuse
on the family; prejudice towards substance
misusers, and drug overdose.
One of the most exciting developments
has been our link with the Federation of Drug
and Alcohol Professionals (FDAP). We have
jointly launched Drink and Drugs News
magazine (with the publishers, CJ Wellings)
and are working to bring a new secure and
confidential communication tool (Virtual
Outreach) into the field which can be used
for assessment, counselling, aftercare and
various other forms of support. This unique
tool has been developed by Distance Therapy
and it will be looked at in more detail in the
next issue of Drink and Drugs News.
Ultimately, we want Virtual Outreach to link
into the web communities we are developing
– the first will be for parents and carers of
people with a substance misuse problem.
In the past week, Wired has launched a
consultancy service to help organisations
and communities tackle substance misuse,
and linked up with the Beckley Foundation
to provide them internet support and
‘WIRED has to
be involved in
both virtual and
real world
activities,
fostering a
strong grass
roots initiative
which has long-
term continuity
and stability...
There are plenty
of people who
want to become
involved in
tackling
substance
misuse
problems but
don’t know how
to get involved.
They need
something to
which they can
belong and
contribute.’
marketing for their international drug
policy programme.
Who are WIRED? Well, we’re a small
group of people from around the country
with different backgrounds, most of whom
are carrying out this work in their spare time.
To date, we have survived with very little
funding. It’s been tough at times combining
my normal day-time job (university
professor) with my role as director of Wired.
But it has been exciting and very rewarding
working in this field. We’ve had too many
‘balls in the air’, but sometimes you have to
over-commit in order to keep a unique
initiative going until it attracts funding. My
colleagues and I have loved working with
clients, families, practitioners and many
others. We thank them all.
An important aim of the past five years
has been to develop WIRED as a high quality,
innovative organisation that is dedicated to
best practice. In the coming years, we need a
significant financial investment to take the
initiative forward in the way that it deserves.
David Clark is a professor in psychology at
the University of Wales Swansea. He spent
25 years as a neuroscientist working with the
neurotransmitter dopamine, having trained
with the Nobel Laureate Professor Arvid
Carlsson, before changing career.
WIRED comprises a charitable company,
Wired International Ltd and Wired
Consultancy. If you would like further
information, you can contact
[email protected] or visit
www.wiredinitiative.com.
1 November 2004 | drinkanddrugsnews | 7