The government is set to propose a new, "zero-tolerance" approach to drug drivers. The government has issued plans to make it easier to prosecute people who drive under the influence of illegal drugs in England and Wales. Ministers said the legislation would clarify drug limits, making it easier to prove whether a driver’s senses were [...]
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that the UK has the largest market for "legal highs" within the European Union. The 2013 World Drug Report found a total of 670,000 Britons aged 15 and 24 have experimented with new psychoactive substances (NPS) at least once. The results also suggest that UK [...]
Experts warn that confusing messages about drinking alcohol during pregnancy is making it difficult for the NHS to tackle substance misuse. Public Health Wales said drinking too much while expecting a baby can cause foetal alcohol syndrome, which can leave children with impaired IQ and low birth weight, leading to severe learning difficulties and addiction [...]
The government has announced a 12 month ban on two "legal high" chemical compounds marketed as NBOMe and Benzo Fury - while drugs experts assess their impact. NBOMe, described as a psychedelic “research chemical”, creates a high similar to that produced by LSD (acid). Benzo Fury mimics the effects of stimulant amphetamines such as speed, [...]
The Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) was set up in 2008 as a programme for parents with drug and alcohol problems. The aim of the FDAC is to improve family life for children, through finding ways in which they can remain in, or return to, their parents' care. However if parents are unable to control their [...]
The coroner of the inquest into the death of Surrey cricketer, Tom Maynard, has called for analysis of hair samples to be considered for future drug testing by all sports clubs. In June 2012, Tom Maynard, who was then 23, was electrocuted after stepping on a live track before being hit by a train, causing [...]
Ten years ago, Talk to Frank changed the world of anti-drugs campaigning from one that viewed drugs as the devil which we should all ‘Just Say No’ to, to one that encouraged drugs to be spoken about openly and light-heartedly. Talk to Frank is the longest running anti-drugs campaign the UK has ever had. It [...]
A new study has shown that women who smoke are far more likely to die from tobacco related diseases in this day and age, than they were in the 1960s. The new study, which has looked at data from over two million women in the US, has found that tobacco related death rates in females [...]
The Government has proposed major changes to the way Probation Services are run in England and Wales. Under the proposed changes, low to medium risk offenders will be left under the supervision of private companies and charitable organisations, who successfully bid for probation contracts. Currently, the majority of released prisoners and people serving community sentences [...]
An illegal website, ‘Silk Road’, is providing drug users with an alternative to the sordid, late night meetings on street corners that was traditionally the business of drug dealing. The website branded by The Daily Mail as ‘the eBay for drugs’ was set up in February of last year. It allows users to enjoy the [...]