When will a Family Drug and Alcohol Court be set up in Wales?

Posted on March 30, 2012 by concateno

At a recent family law seminar hosted by Pendragon Chambers and sponsored by Concateno TrichoTech, District Judge Crichton renewed his calls for a Welsh Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC).

Four years ago the Welsh Paediatric Society published an audit of parental substance misuse in children referred for adoption in Wales, and found that 67% of children had a health problem that could potentially be attributed to parental substance misuse. This figure matches the current accepted data that parental substance misuse is a significant social problem and a factor in up to two-thirds of care cases. It is estimated that in Wales up to 64,000 children are adversely affected by parental alcohol problems and 17,500 children are living in families adversely affected by parental drug misuse.

Across the UK, it is estimated that more than 2.6 million children in the UK live with hazardous drinkers, 705,000 live with a dependent drinker and more than 8 million people are affected by a family member’s alcohol use.

The UK’s first FDAC was piloted in 2008 at the Inner London Family Proceedings Court at Wells Street, based on a US model which showed promising results. Four years later, FDAC is showing comparable signs of success.

An independent evaluation by Brunel University found in its interim report that:

  • Nearly half of FDAC mothers were no longer misusing drugs or alcohol by the time of the final court order (as against 39% in regular family courts)
  • 36% of FDAC fathers has stopped misusing drugs or alcohol compared with none in the comparison group
  • Nearly twice as many FDAC mothers were reunited with their children as compared with those in a family court

More children staying with their families should mean that local authorities save money, (estimated at about £40,000 per case). However, funding for the London FDAC is secured only for one more year. Despite this, Judge Crichton continues to tour the UK and further afield to inspire others into trialling their very own Family Drug and Alcohol Court. With levels of parental substance misuse showing no signs of decreasing there is clearly a need for this proven approach. The recent response by the Government to the Family Justice Review places children at the heart of its thinking for the future of child protection and care – FDAC ticks most if not all of the boxes in meeting this vision: it’s a question now of whether enough fund-holders can see the value and join forces to support the creation of a Welsh FDAC.

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Posted in Child Protection, Drug News, Drug Treatment, substance misuse | Leave a comment

UK investment in drug treatment?

Posted on March 23, 2012 by concateno

With the current economic downturn and corresponding cuts in budgets, many drug treatment services in the UK are under threat.  As a response, the National Treatment Agency (NTA) has released interesting figures  supporting the argument for continued investment in drug treatment.

The figures show that drug use is common across society. Around 1 in 3 (12.5 million adults) –  has taken drugs at some point. 1 in 10 had taken them recently and 1 in 20 use drugs frequently.

Considering the known harms related to smoking, alcohol and drug misuse, the annual numbers of corresponding fatalities are given thus:   

  • 115,000 deaths are caused by smoking
  • 35,000 deaths are caused by alcohol
  • 1,600 deaths are caused by drugs

Currently it is estimated that 1.2 million people are affected by drug addiction in their family. Related costs to society include:

  • £13,900,000,000 from crime each year
  • £480,000, representing the lifetime crime and health bill for each injecting drug user

The NTA argues that by using effective drug treatment and working towards eliminating the number of drug users in society, outcomes will include:

  • Safer communities
    • reduced crime
    • stabilised families
  • Protection of public health
    • fewer drug related deaths
    • fewer blood borne viruses (HIV, Hepatitis C)
    • a reduction on the burden to NHS
  • Help to overcome addiction for drug users
    • 255,000 people have been treated for drug addiction in England alone since 2006

In terms of public support, NTA figures show that:

  • 75% say treatment is a sensible use of money
  • 66% fear crime will increase without it
  • 80% believe treatment makes society safer and better

What do you think?

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Posted in Alcohol Testing, Drug Testing, Drug Treatment, alcohol on health, harm reduction, substance misuse | Leave a comment

Facts on cannabis

Posted on March 5, 2012 by concateno

Also know as:  bush, dope, draw, ganja, grass, hash, hemp, herb, marijuana, pot, puff, skunk, smoke, spliff, wacky backy, weed.

Properties: There are two well known types of cannabis; hash and herbal cannabis. Hash is made from the resin of the plant and is usually found in small black or brown blocks. Herbal cannabis, most commonly referred to as grass or weed, is a combination of the dried leaves and the flowering parts of the female plant and looks like dried herbs. Tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) is the main active ingredient of cannabis and is the chemical that causes its effects. One of the most common ways to consume cannabis in the UK is to mix it with tobacco and smoke it. It can also be smoked in a bong or pipe, used to make tea or as an ingredient in food such as cake.

Effects: Smoking cannabis can feel like the combination of a mild sedative and a mild hallucinogen. Known effects include: feeling relaxed and happy, sickness, becoming talkative and getting the ‘giggles’, hunger pangs commonly known as the ‘munchies’ or a feeling of time slowing down. Negative effects can include sever anxiety, panic, paranoia and psychosis. Potential dependence on cannabis can differ for each user and is affected by a number of factors including period of use, quantities of use and physical disposition towards dependence. People who use cannabis regularly may have difficulty quitting and may experience psychological and physical withdrawals. This can include cravings, irritability, mood changes, weight loss, problems with sleeping and shaking.

Usage: For 2010, as in previous years, cannabis was the most commonly used drug in England as noted in the Statistics for Drug Misuse, 2011. Globally there are estimated to be between 129-190 million cannabis users. Cannabis was reclassified from a Class C to Class B drug in January 2009 by the Home Office.

Availability: Cannabis is grown in most countries around the world, and can be named based on where it is from, for example, Afghan, Colombian, Lebanese, Moroccan, Pakistani and so forth. The World Drug Report also highlighted an increase in indoor cultivation, which is the main source of the production within the UK and has been reported in 29 countries overall.

Testing: Cannabis testing is available in urine and oral fluid via point of care and laboratory testing and in hair via  laboratory testing only.

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The changing use of drug and alcohol testing in the workplace

Posted on February 24, 2012 by concateno

 Drug and alcohol testing in the workplace was once limited to monitoring safety critical activities. These activities require a level of performance which, if compromised by impairment of any sort – including the debilitating effects of drugs and alcohol – can be physically dangerous to both the individuals affected and their colleagues. In some cases, they can have additional harmful consequences to the general public and the environment.  Oil rig workers, train drivers and pilots all work in safety critical environments which require high levels of performance and therefore high levels of risk if standards of work are not met.

 Workplace drug testing, including alcohol testing, is now also used for business critical as well as safety critical work. This still concerns risk reduction. Not physical risk so much as the possible economic and social risks from compromised productivity, corporate reputation and staff cohesion. This reflects the many consequences that drug and alcohol abuse can have over and above the immediate physical danger that impairment can bring. For example, a truck driver whose drug abuse contributes to a road accident will put lives at risk as well as risking the reputation of the company he or she works for. A financial trader employed by a bank who completes a series of misjudged transactions whist under the influence of alcohol or drugs could cause immediate financial losses for investors and shareholders and longer term losses to the bank’s reputation.

 For companies considering introducing employee testing in non safety critical environments there is still the concern that it could be perceived as invasive and a way for organisations to interfere with their staff’s private lives. But perceptions of testing have changed and it is no longer a simple case of whether staff should be allowed to ‘bring the weekend into the workplace.’ Corporate drug and alcohol testing is a mechanism for supporting a company’s ethos both in regulated and unregulated environments and one of a number of measures which encourage staff responsibility at all levels as well as a means to help drive up standards of behaviour.

 How workplace drug and alcohol testing is introduced in business critical environments is therefore crucial to how it is received by staff.  Testing can help reduce accidents, increase productivity and staff commitment, but it won’t happen by simply bolting a testing clause onto an existing drug and alcohol policy. It is only though negotiation and discussion that drug and alcohol testing can provide a means of monitoring drug use, which also helps staff feel better about the company they work for.

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Posted in Drug Testing, Employee Services, General News | Leave a comment

The drug situation in the United Kingdom (2011): Parental substance misuse focus

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Marc Pitman

The UK drug situation report is produced annually by the UK Focal Point on Drugs, which is a national partner of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

With a predetermined report structure to allow for comparison betweennations, a chapter was dedicated to drug users with children in the 2011 report. The estimates of parental drug misuse are based on the primary source of data on drug users with children, which is treatment data. Treatment data cannot capture the full extent of the problem as not all problem drug users are in treatment. Read on for a summary of their findings:

National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS)

Data for 2009/2010 showed that just over half (57%) of opiate and crack cocaine users were in treatment. Of those:

  • 71% or the majority of clients entering drug treatment had children
  • Women (73%) were slightly more likely than men (70%) to be a parent
  • Over half (53%) of clients had some or all (48%) of their children living with them
  • Women (68%) were more likely than men (45%) to have some or all of their children living with them

Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS)

Baseline data of a sample of individuals seeking drug treatment (n=1,792) showed that, in February 2006, nearly half of the respondents had children under 16 years of age (58% of females and 46% of males).

  • In three-quarters of cases all of their children did not live with them
  • Males (17%)  were less likely than females (44%) to have at least 1 of their children living with them
  • A further 20% of children lived with the family, 8% were in care and 5% lived ‘elsewhere’
  • Older respondents were more likely to have children who did not live with them
  • 92% of primary crack users did not have any of their children living with them, compared to 74% of primary heroin users
  • 5% of primary crack users had all their children living with them at baseline, increasing to 24% at second follow-up
  • The proportion of parents in the study who had all of their children living with them increased across all subgroups between baseline and the second follow-up interview

Household survey data

In 2009 a household survey was carried out in order to estimate levels of parental drug and alcohol misuse in the UK. Larger estimates of parental drug use were generated by this study compared to those produced for the Hidden Harm (ACMD 2003) report which used treatment data. It was estimated that:

  • 335,000 children lived with a dependent drug user
  • 72,000 children lived with an injecting drug user (IDU)
  • 72,000 lived with a drug user in treatment
  • 108,000 children lived with an adult who had overdosed

There is a large difference in the figures between the treatment monitoring system and the monitoring at the end of the process, the outcomes research study. Why do you think this is? Let us know or post your thoughts on this data.

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Posted in Child Protection, Drug News, Drug Testing | Leave a comment

Government must not take wrong turn in setting up drug driving expert panel

Posted on January 4, 2012 by concateno

With regards to the Expert Panel being set to examine a new offence for drug driving in the UK http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/stories/dft-news-20120104, Dene Baldwin, Technical Director, Concateno comments that:

“We welcome today’s announcement that the Government will establish a panel of experts to consider introducing a new offence of driving under the influence of drugs. However we are concerned that a primary focus of the panel will be to decide what levels of drugs in the body cause impairment.

“To address levels of drug use that cause impairment is the wrong focus as it could quite easily take another decade of deliberation.

“It is clear that this approach worked for alcohol but to gather the same information for commonly misused drugs is much more complex. For alcohol it was relatively straightforward: it is a single entity and legal to administer to volunteers which has allowed the generation of a large database on which conclusions regarding impairment can be based. The situation for illegal drugs is much more difficult, and everyday factors including poly-drug use (the mixing of “upper” and “downers”) will have an influence on impairment. UK roadside drug projects have been around since the 1990’s – we already know the answer. The UK needs a zero tolerance law for drugs already known to cause impairment.”

Current research indicates that driving under the influence of drugs is as serious a problem as drink-driving. Concateno also supports road safety charity Brake, and their message that the Government needs to implement a roadside drug testing programme now, using already-available mobile drug testing kits. Concateno recently launched the DDS2, a hand held mobile drug testing device which can test for the presence of six drugs in oral fluid samples in five minutes.

If you would like further comment, additional information on DDS2 or a chat with Concateno, then please do get in touch.

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Posted in DDS2, Drug Driving, Drug News, General News | Tagged , | Leave a comment

2011 joint meeting of Forensic Toxicologists

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Donna Cave

This year’s joint TIAFT-SOFT meeting certainly had a very impressive and diverse subject content.  Many biological matrices were included from hair, saliva, urine and blood to reviewing well-established, older techniques to the very modern, cutting edge new advances in forensic toxicology. The calibre of speakers was impressive and the variety of posters was superb.

With the very comprehensive and informative workshops combined with the number of seminars available there surely was something there for everyone. The vast knowledge and experience present was phenomenal with approximately 1500 delegates attending. The whole program from day through to night was very well orchestrated.

This conference was one that should definitely not have been missed, and I am sure we were not missed in the beautiful city of San Francisco walking around in our brightly, multicoloured, tie-dye conference tops. An unforgettable experience in more ways than one.

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DRUID Final Day: The short flight home

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Alistair Buchan

I’ve arrived back to the Concateno head office in Abingdon. Took off in the sunshine, and landed in the sunshine….how often does that happen in Europe?

 During the flight I took out my notebook to go through the plethora of notes I took over the course of the two day conference. Looking over everything again, I think these are the main things I took away:

  • Cost benefit analysis shows that countries with an existing low level of drug driving enforcement would benefit financially from introducing, or increasing their drug driving enforcement.
  • Big focus on THC (cannabis) over the conference. This was un-surprisingly the 2nd most detected drug (after alcohol) in drivers.
  • There was a feeling that solving THC issues associated with oral fluid testing would represent a significant step forward to support traffic police.
  • Apart from THC, all other drugs perhaps seemed less of a problem in Europe than anticipated by experts. That’s not to say that they aren’t a problem, but the results were lower than predicted.

 Now that the conference has been over for a day, it’s given me a chance to have a think about where things we can go from here:

  • An update on figures and statistics to the present day, as the majority of data was three to four years old.
  • There needs to be something like the DRUID project or maybe something a bit smaller for legal highs. Legal highs are surging through Europe, yet they were barely discussed at the conference.
  • Much of the data for DRUID was three to four years old. The size of the study made this inevitable but one wonders how it would conform with present day drug driving activity.

And finally, there is still a lot of dis-harmony amongst European nations about how to enforce drug use. This has to change if there is going to be positive outcomes from the DRUID project. This project was incredibly useful, and nothing had been done like it before. But there is still a long route to safer roads across the whole of Europe.

Thanks for reading,

Alistair

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Posted in Drink and Drug Driving, Drug News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Day 2: DRUID conference – more interesting Drug Driving facts

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Alistair Buchan

When I left you last night I said that I was on my way to the DRUID conference dinner. Upon my return to the Wolkenburg (the venue) I found that the room that we had been sitting in all day had been turned into a beautiful dining all with candles and chandeliers.

 Since I am the only delegate here from Concateno,  I just got my dinner and asked if I could join the nearest table. I couldn’t have picked a better table of friendly and knowledgeable people. I was sat with the Dutch road safety research team and the representative from the European Drugs Agency (who also turned out to be English). so the conversations were interesting to say the least. Topics ranged from what to do about legal highs and the resurgence to the imminent Man City v Bayern Munich match and the difference between Dutch and Flemish accents.

 This morning’s sessions focused on an in depth look at the results. For me these were the most interesting things from this morning’s session:

  •  The most common DUI/DUID offender is young and male
  •  86% of people in driver rehabilitation programmes are male, and 23% have been in driver rehabilitation classes before
  •  Despite these driver rehab (DR) statistics, DR is still considered a very good way to change driver behaviour
  • The best way to change driver behaviour, however, is license withdrawal. It shows a significant correlation to increased deterrence levels in comparison to fines or imprisonment
  • The recommended range of license withdrawal from DRUID (depending on offence) is 3-12 months
  • DRUID recommends that the best strategy would be to withdraw the offender’s license as well as admitting them to a driver rehabilitation programme. Retrieval of the license depends on the competition of the programme
  •  Even though DRUID is over, this isn’t my final post. Come back tomorrow for my summary and conclusion blog

Thanks for reading!

Alistair

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Posted in Cozart DDS, Drink and Drug Driving, Drug News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Day 1: DRUID conference brings me back to my roots

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Alistair Buchan

So naturally, after I had settled in last night I set off to relieve some childhood memories. I took a walk by the Rhein and had some delicious Kölche Kaviar (Cologne Caviar). Which consisted of blood sausage and bread. It was wonderful.

 The day started off with a 30min presentation by Horst Schulze, the DRUID project co-ordinator, who gave the 300 delegates in attendance a quick overview of the project and general findings. The figures came thick and fast with the most eye-popping one being that over the course of the 5 year study, 50,000 drivers had been tested for alcohol, illegal drugs or medicinal drugs. The other being that also over the 5 year period, 28 babies had been born to various members of the DRUID project team!

Anja Knoche, of the Federal Highway Research Institute, BASt, then presented her section of DRUID. She took us on a short ride through the methodology and experimental studies within the project. Quick hit facts to come out of her presentation include:

 •  A drunk driver is 7-10 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than an un-impaired driver. A driver who has cannabis in  their system is twice as likely.

•  A total of 3.5% of drivers in Europe have driven while under the influence of alcohol, whilst 1.90% have driven under the influence of illegal drugs, and 1.36% on medicinal drugs.

•  A THC 2ng/ml blood level is the equivalent of impairment of a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.5%, which is a common European legal limit.

Ms. Knoche also called for a harmonisation of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) and driving under the influence of drugs (DUID), by finding a level of impairment for drugs that is the equivalent to the often used o.5% BAC. 

Inger-Marie Bernhoft of the Technical University of Denmark was up next with her look into epidemiology. She presented her findings that Italy had the greatest prevalence of impaired drivers of the countries that conducted tests as part of the DRUID project. As a whole, countries in southern Europe performed worst with western Europe doing marginally better, followed by northern Europe, and eastern European countries seeing the least amount of prevalence of DUI/DUID’s.

They also tested blood samples from 2,600 injured, and 1,000 killed car and van driver’s. 5% of killed motorists had drugs/alcohol in their system at the time of death, with 5-8% of injured motorists also having drugs/alcohol in their system.

 The session closed with this disturbing fact… 25% of young people (15-24yrs) are susceptible to drug or drink driving.

 Visit the blog tomorrow to see my report from the press conference and delegate dinner, as well as the eagerly anticipated in depth findings of the 5 year DRUID project study.

 If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at alistair.buchan@concateno.com

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