drugs and drug treatment an introduction. harry shapiro director of communications and information...

Drugs and drug treatment

An introduction

Harry Shapiro

Director of Communications and Information

DrugScope

What is DrugScope?

• UK’s main drug information charity since 1968

• UK’s largest drug sector membership organisation

• Main point of call for media comment and background on drugs issues

• The DMZ

The 1980s

• Recession

• Iranian revolution

• Smokeable heroin (UK)

• Smokeable cocaine (US)

Drug headlines

• Overall illegal drug in the UK has been relatively stable for the past ten years

• Cocaine powder is the exception

• Price and purity levels of most drugs coming down

• But new market in ‘home-grown’ cannabis producing a stronger product

• Heroin and crack present the most problems for society as a whole

• Heroin population growing older

• Drug problems of younger people – cannabis, alcohol, cocaine

• New drugs – ketamine, GBL, legal highs

The next level?

• Ecstasy

• Cannabis

• Amphetamine

• Heroin

• Methadone

• Cocaine and crack

• LSD

• Mushrooms

• Solvents

• GHB

• Ketamine

• Methamphetamine

• Tranquillisers

• GBL

• Spice

• Methadrone

• Salvia

• BZP

• INTERNET

Heroin

Methadone

Crack

Cocaine

Amphetamine

Prescription drugs 1Subutex [Buprenorphine]

Morphgesic[Morphine]

DF118 [Dihydrocodeine]

Temgesic [Buprenorphine]

Physeptone [Methadone]

Ritalin

Prescription drugs II

Diazepam

Temazepam Prozac

Codeine

Viagra illicit

Valoid [Cyclizine]

Viagra pharmacuetical

Drug treatment – the headlines

• 200,000 in treatment out of estimated problem drug using population of 320,000 (heroin/crack) in England

• Typical profile – white, male heroin user in early thirties• Three times more men in treatment than women• Most common referral routes – self 40%; criminal justice 27%• Waiting times down to less than than three weeks for most

modalities• More than three-quarters of clients stayed in treatment for

twelve weeks or more

Types of drug services

• Advice and information• Harm reduction• Community prescribing• Counselling and psycho-social support• Structured day programmes• Detox• Rehab• Self-help

Some current issues

• Abstinence v Harm Reduction

• Recovery

• Welfare Reform

• Independent Safeguarding Authority

The Scapegoat

Further information

• www.drugscope.org.uk

• Info@drugscope.org.uk