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Drink and Drugs News June 2020 ISSN 1755-6236 STAYING ALERT What might the ‘new normal’ mean for services? ZOOM BOOM Making the most of enforced online working ESCAPING THE BENZO TRAP LET’S IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF BENZODIAZEPINES TO SAVE LIVES THE 2020 RECOVERY STREET FILM FESTIVAL HAS MOVED ONLINE This year we are inviting anyone who is directly or indirectly affected by addiction (individuals, family members, friends, professionals) to make a 60 second film on the theme of ‘Isolation’. For more information and details of how to enter: www.rsff.co.uk UPFRONT IN THIS ISSUE Drink and Drugs News is published by CJ Wellings Ltd, REGULARS Romney House, School Road, Ashford, Kent TN27 0LT 4 NEWS t: 0845 299 3429 Chance to end Editor: Claire Brown rough sleeping e: [email protected] 8 PARLIAMENT Advertising manager: Ian Ralph Cross-party group e: [email protected] takes to Zoom Reporter: David Gilliver 6 e: [email protected] 10 LETTERS Designer: Jez Tucker Thoughts on e: [email protected] solidarity and Subscriptions: dealing with stress e: [email protected] website: www.drinkanddrugsnews.com Bill Nelles on how ON THE COVER: The benzo trap doctors shaped Website support by 16 wiredupwales.com drug treatment Printed on environmentally Gender friendly paper by the Manson inequality in All in it together Group Ltd lockdown – the power of Cover by: Suretha Rous / Alamy 9 partnership COVID-19, what CJ Wellings Ltd does not accept happens next? responsibility for the accuracy of statements made by contributors or advertisers. The contents of this magazine 17 are the copyright of CJ Wellings Ltd, but do not necessarily 14 represent its views, or those of its partner organisations. STAYING STRONG IN PARTNERSHIP ‘We need to be proactive Find the resources to stay ahead of and responsive’ coronavirus from the DDN partners INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENTS and impressive collaboration and community at have characterised our sector’s response to the crisis (page 8). But what we also need to keep up with are the changes in the www.drinkanddrugsnews.com drugs market and regional trends that could tip the drug-related We are especially grateful to our network of deaths crisis into further catastrophe. One of the trends identified partners at this difficult time and thank each by Release’s new drug monitoring network is increased use of and every one of them for their loyal support. benzodiazepines, so our cover story looks at how we can respond to this by developing urgent new pathways and treatment protocols. It’s essential that we remain proactive and responsive at the same DDN is a self-funded independent publication. Our bespoke partnership packages provide time as making so many other adjustments to routine. an opportunity to work closely with the magazine. Please get in touch to find out more. Commissioners have been thinking along the same lines and there’s an invitation to join a new national forum on page 11. As we’re all particularly concerned about diminishing resources and the threat of services being decommissioned, it’s the right time to create a space for clear strategy and a representative commissioner voice. Collective Voice are working hard for the treatment sector and invite your involvement in rising to important challenges (p14). When we emerge from this crisis let’s not forget the many gains we’ve discovered from working more closely together. Claire Brown, editor Keep in touch at www.drinkanddrugsnews.com and @DDNmagazine WWW.DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS.COM JUNE 2020 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • 3 NEWS ROUND-UP Don’t squander chance to end rough sleeping, urge parliamentarians The government needs to work for anyone to leave temporary quickly to put in place a housing- accommodation and end up back based exit strategy and a dedicated on the streets. This isn't just about funding stream to support it, the protecting vulnerable people from committee urges. The government COVID-19. It is not safe to live on the recently denied press reports that streets in any circumstances, and it it was about to stop funding the is not acceptable to allow it to return scheme to provide emergency once the health crisis abates. For accommodation for rough sleepers the first time in over a decade rough in hotels, with the Ministry of sleepers have been comprehensively Housing, Communities and Local taken off the streets and given Government (MHCLG) stating that it accommodation. This must become would ‘work with partners to ensure the new norm.’ rough sleepers can move into long- Meanwhile, St Mungo’s has term, safe accommodation once the launched a campaign, No going immediate crisis is over’. However back, which is calling for funding to London mayor Sadiq Khan has be put in place for local authorities warned that funding to house rough to ensure that no one is made to he government needs London, May 2020: Homeless people sleepers in hotels in the capital leave emergency accommodation to establish a £100m erect tents on Tottenham Court will run out in mid June, telling without being offered suitable housing support fund Road. Credit: Monica Wells/Alamy the Guardian that without new alternative housing, as well as to avoid losing a ‘golden government money there would for more housing and support for opportunity’ to put an be a ‘surge’ in homeless people people with complex needs. ‘If Tend to rough sleeping, says a report sleeping in England for once and for returning to the streets. the government takes action now from the Housing, Communities and all’, says the committee. It wants to ‘We must praise the efforts of thousands of people can be helped Local Government Committee. see at least £100m a year dedicated all those who have done so much to off the streets permanently,’ it says. Around 90 per cent of rough to long-term housing support to avoid help take people of the streets during Protecting rough sleepers and sleepers – approximately 5,400 people the thousands of people in temporary the current health emergency, but renters at https://publications. – have been housed in temporary accommodation ending up back on what happens next is crucial,’ said parliament.uk/pa/cm5801/cmselect/ accommodation in response to the streets, and warns of a ‘looming Housing, Communities and Local cmcomloc/309/30902.htm COVID-19, providing a ‘unique homelessness crisis’ as the three- Government Committee chair Clive No going back campaign at www. opportunity to eradicate rough month ban on evictions expires. Betts. ‘It is simply not good enough mungos.org Scottish Government widens COVID-19 reducing availability of naloxone drug supplies THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT has widened the availability HEROIN SHORTAGES have been reported in Europe, of naloxone as part of a package of support for people North America and South West Asia, according to affected by drug use during the COVID-19 pandemic. It would ‘not a UNODC report on COVID-19 and drug supply, Other measures include £1.9m to support people on increasing the risk that people may switch to fentanyl OST while in prison to switch to prolonged-release be in the public or its derivatives. Afghanistan’s poppy harvest is being buprenorphine injections, and an ‘enhanced offer of affected by the pandemic, as is cocaine production in residential rehab’ for people leaving prison during the interest’ to Colombia, which has been hit by gasoline shortages. outbreak in order to reduce pressure on local services. prosecute anyone Disruption of air and land routes because of COVID-19 Under current UK regulations, only drug treatment has also had a major impact on drug supply. ‘In the services are allowed to supply take-home naloxone working for a long run, the economic downturn caused by the kits. However, Scotland’s lord advocate has confirmed COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to lead to a that it would ‘not be in the public interest’ to prosecute service registered lasting and profound transformation of the drug anyone working for a service registered with the markets,’ says the agency. ‘The economic difficulties Scottish Government – for example, a homelessness with the Scottish caused by COVID-19 may affect people who are organisation – who supplies naloxone for use in an Government. already in position of socioeconomic disadvantage emergency during the crisis. Non-drug treatment harder than others.’ services will need to register with the Scottish COVID-19 and the drug supply chain: from production Government to become a naloxone provider. and trafficking to use available at www.unodc.org 4 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • JUNE 2020 WWW.DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS.COM News DDN EVERY DAY All the news, updated daily www.drinkanddrugsnews.com Local News Women were three times more likely than men to cite practical barriers like time, cost or location as reasons for not Sergey Nazarov/iStock Sergey accessing treatment NEW HORIZONS per cent of respondents said other Alcohol Change UK is Half of people with people had also been affected by their inviting applications for gambling. GambleAware is calling for its New Horizons grants services tailored to the needs of groups programme, which will fund gambling disorder have less likely to access services, as well as ‘fresh, innovative’ research campaigns to increase awareness and projects on the theme of not accessed support reduce stigma. ‘groups, communities ‘This research has shown that there and alcohol harm’ with ust under half of people admit having a problem and lack is a clear need to further strengthen awards up to £65,000. with a gambling disorder of awareness of available services. and improve the existing treatment Contact NewHorizons@ have not accessed Perceived stigma or shame was cited and support on offer, to develop routes alcoholchange.org.uk for treatment or support, as a reason for not accessing support into treatment and to reduce barriers more information.