Effectiveness Bank Bulletins

Archive of bulletins sent to mailing list (the list is now closed) subscribers alerting them to the evaluation studies, reviews and other documents relevant to improving outcomes from drug or alcohol interventions in the United Kingdom. Latest bulletin listed first. Move mouse over date to see contents list. Click on date for full bulletin or in contents list for selected items.

2021

• 28 January
  Changing the market; reducing the harm Preventing further alcohol-related offences by preventing drinking? Is hygienic injecting something everyone is able to practise? A ‘wound aware’ drug service does X, Y and Z UPDATED Opioid-substitute options for pregnant women

2020

• 30 October
  Reconsidering where hepatitis clinics should be sited Can a licensed pharmacological treatment for alcohol dependence improve drinking and HIV outcomes? Countering the environmental effects of public injecting Results of Australian ‘pill testing’ trial
• 12 October
  Which opiate-type medication performs better: methadone or buprenorphine? Concurrently addressing two risk factors for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy Effective ‘age-gating’: preventing underage people buying alcohol online Prescribing take-home naloxone to people who recently had an overdose
• 31 July
  What are the benefits of case management? Take-up of ‘low dead space’ syringes Can schools deliver effective brief alcohol interventions? Compelling argument for spending more on preventing foetal alcohol spectrum disorders
• 16 June
  Undoing the ‘double bind’ of homelessness and substance use problems Lifesaving potential of mounting a large-scale harm reduction programme US study finds protective effect of opioid substitution therapies not being fully realised Time really does make a difference to primary care brief intervention delivery UPDATED Paying services for success leads to fewer successful treatments
• 30 April
  Older people and alcohol Older people and benzodiazepines Older people and cannabis Older people and opioids
• 27 March
  The ‘abstinent alcoholic’ Extending the delivery of screening and brief interventions From potential bystanders of overdoses to ‘public health collaborators’ ‘Service as usual’ during the COVID-19 outbreak?
• 20 January
  ‘Heroin on trial’ What is the best protection against blood-borne viruses? Therapeutic potential of brain stimulation techniques Spiritual and religious routes to recovery

2019

• 22 November
  National payment scheme not enough to promote alcohol screening by English GPs ‘Going off script’: screening and brief advice in Scottish antenatal care Eradicating hepatitis C in prisons Are other prisoners key to improving the uptake of hepatitis C testing and treatment?
• 25 October
  What would better mental health and substance use care look like? A ‘smart’ solution to problem cannabis use? Early days of minimum unit pricing in Scotland The politician, the planner, and the pioneer: contrasting views on drug consumption rooms
• 10 September
  ‘We have to put out the fire before we rebuild the house’ ‘Fundamental mismatch’ between problems prisoners face and level of support they receive Is the evidence for residential treatment getting better? Major trial of ways to extend brief alcohol interventions UPDATED Can the disappointing roll-out of brief alcohol interventions be cost-effectively turned around?
• 30 July
  ‘How have infertility treatments affected your drinking?’ Dispensing alcohol in hospitals and the wider community Are diversionary schemes a justified policy focus? Can new digital technologies facilitate contingency management?
• 27 June
  Low-barrier intervention for homeless people with (mostly severe) drinking problems Improving recovery prospects for women in prison Challenges of adjusting to life on ‘civvy street’ New substances, new challenges
• 31 May
  ‘No effect’ from targeting child drinking via the parents REVISED Therapy ‘toolbox’ helps rescue poorly recovering patients at London maintenance clinic New strategy for tackling drugs and drug use problems in prisons in England and Wales UK’s first pilot of onsite ‘drug checking’ service REVISED “Game-changer” opiate addiction medication proves effective in US trial
• 26 April
  “Game-changer” opiate addiction medication proves effective in US trial Stabilising opioid-dependent pregnant women with substitute drugs Periods of high risk in and out of opioid substitution treatment ‘Doing time’ in a therapeutic community
• 23 April

  Therapy relationships that work 4: Managing perceptions of the treatment

  Overview Patients who expect the best are more likely to get it Outcomes best from therapies which ‘make sense’ to clients Feedback on client progress among most effective ways to improve outcomes
• 15 April

  Therapy relationships that work 3: Managing the relationship

  Overview ‘Therapist, know thyself’ Guidance on some of the trickiest decisions therapists have to make Emotional reactions ‘drive effective therapy’ Therapist–client tension productive if resolved
• 8 April

  Therapy relationships that work 2: Elements of the alliance

  Overview Therapist empathy more closely related to outcomes than therapy type Make patients partners in therapy Affirming the client promotes recovery Fundamental rule for therapists: know and be who you are
• 1 April

  Therapy relationships that work 1: The alliance

  Overview Liking each other is a good foundation for therapy Strong working relationships help clients get where they want to be Managing multiple relationships in couple and family therapies Working relationships matter for young clients too Cohesive groups make greater progress
• 11 March
  Impact on hepatitis C means needle exchanges save lives and can reduce costs Can the UK achieve the WHO hepatitis C eradication target? Abandon treatment referral as a crime-prevention tactic? Can the disappointing roll-out of brief alcohol interventions be cost-effectively turned around?
• 29 January
  Alcohol harm reduction education gains credibility in UK Glass half full for residential/inpatient treatment of drinking problems in England Long-acting buprenorphine an advance on daily doses ‘Time to develop interventions that meet the needs of the transgender community’

2018

• 17 December
  A new strategy for Scotland: ‘rights, respect and recovery’ ‘Use every contact to identify those at risk’, says UK drug prevention guidance Can a harm reduction ethos restore drug education’s effectiveness credentials? Can we really say naloxone reduces the overall rate of overdose deaths?
• 29 November
  Naloxone rescue kits empowering peers of drug users to ‘save lives’ in Scotland EU and UK at odds over drug consumption rooms Think more than twice before detoxifying from methadone Treating stimulants with stimulants: the case of amphetamine UPDATED Mindfulness meditation promising but unproven addiction therapy
• 19 October
  From England, signs that tighter licensing policies have reduced serious alcohol-related harm Could low income areas experience the greatest health benefits of a minimum pricing policy? Review finds that brief alcohol advice in relatively normal primary care practice reduces drinking Unique trial tested what emergency doctors should do when screening identifies opioid dependence What do we know about reducing alcohol-related harm among gay and bisexual men? Substance use a major factor in women’s (re)offending REVISED Making drug courts more effective and more cost-effective
• 31 August
  Can we say with confidence that minimum unit pricing works? Ways to curb concentrated harm among older drinkers UK study finds buprenorphine’s lifesaving lead over methadone has been undermined by poorer retention Baclofen for alcohol dependence: too useful to ignore, or too dangerous to prescribe? Medication is key to tackling US ‘opioid epidemic’, says government agency
• 19 July
  Use medication-assisted withdrawal sparingly for prescription opioid dependence Delivered in under 10 minutes, are ultra-brief interventions effective? 2-in-1 school-based prevention programme for ecstasy and emerging drugs Preventing alcohol- and tobacco-exposed pregnancies
• 22 May
  EU report on whether rewards for abstinence aid medication-based treatment The counsellor is an ‘active ingredient’ in recovery, says classic study The relapse prevention effects of extended-release naltrexone US trial supports methadone equivalent for cocaine dependence UPDATED French committee says risks of baclofen outweigh benefits
• 24 April
  Interventions at the intersection of heavy drinking and domestic abuse Alcohol control policies from an English perspective Starting methadone in primary care no less effective than at specialist clinics Follow guidelines to get the most from methadone
• 15 March
  Funding cuts threaten “dismantling” of English drug treatment system Head to head: two “radically different” treatments for heroin dependence Keep maintaining opiate-dependent prisoners Involve the right people to spot barriers to delivering brief interventions
• 26 February
  Drug and alcohol treatment in England 2016/17 Sharp drop-off in support on leaving prison undermines ‘recovery wing’ model Review finds no evidence for blanket supervised consumption of methadone or buprenorphine Challenge to recommended UK practice on supervised consumption
• 18 January
  Groundbreaking prevention trial; ‘robust’ findings? In primary care, it pays to incentivise screening Can drinking be reduced in a single session? No clear role for medications in less dependent drinkers

2017

• 27 October
  Acceptability of introducing lower-risk injecting equipment Has the risk of sharing ‘spoons’ and filters been overstated? GP-delivered brief interventions an ‘important piece of the alcohol policy jigsaw’ A case for incentivising brief interventions in Scotland?
• 8 September
  Realising the potential of the 2003 UK licensing act Medication-assisted withdrawal led by patients’ symptoms UK health advisers’ recommendations on psychosocial therapies for drug users Paying services for recovery may have backfired in England
• 24 August
  British prisons struggle to keep up with changes in drug use New strategy sets out ‘ambitions for full recovery’ Evidence, experience, and orthodoxy – pillars of UK drug treatment guidance Did the UK Government’s 2010 drug strategy tick all the boxes? REVISED Preserving the benefits of residential care
• 8 August
  Achieve reductions in drink/drug-driving while conserving treatment resources How can relapse to crime and drugs be prevented inside prisons? Can a GP-led brief intervention reduce young patients’ substance use? Psychosocial interventions for stimulant use disorders: what works?
• 21 July
  UK trial tests personality-based approach to preventing drinking Parent-child intervention reduces teenage drinking in poor US families Intervene beyond the family to help young problem substance users Prison therapeutic community no better than counselling
• 8 June
  Drug and alcohol treatment in England: numbers and trends Cannabis dominates under-18s treatment in England Responding to cannabis use in primary care In 2015/16 Wales trained 2,171 to administer naloxone ’Skid-row drunks’ take anti-drinking drug to avoid spell in jail
• 5 May
  Intervention targets personality traits of high-risk London pupils Responsible drinking ‘social norms’ messages not credible, say students Family therapies best for substance using teenagers
• 28 March
  Keep prescribing to hold down UK drug-related deaths 880 lives a year saved by addiction treatment in England Mandatory assessment for arrestees does not cut crime Does AA really help drinkers stop?
• 27 February
  Public Health England marks scorecard for drug treatment system Collaborative care proceedings help keep London families together Early US study vindicated client-centred therapy for alcohol-dependent patients Real-world nurse-led alcohol brief intervention no better than standard advice

2016

• 21 December
  Pioneering trial of brief interventions in primary care The 2014/15 treatment caseload in England NICE advises against specialist ‘dual diagnosis’ services Naloxone cost-effective lifesaver
• 13 December
  Do we inadvertently make it hard to start and stay with alcohol treatment? Naltrexone and acamprosate best suited to different alcohol treatment goals Worth supplementing buprenorphine with therapy? REVISED Clients of Danish drug consumption room reduce public injecting Aspirational, but achievable, standards of care for adults with drug-use problems REVISED Evidence from the European Union’s drug misuse monitoring centre about the benefits of drug consumption rooms
• 8 November
  Emergency department brief interventions for harmful drug use Brief emergency unit alcohol advice nearly halves readmissions From the start treatment should target social reintegration Maintenance prescribing saves lives of English heroin addicts REVISED Impact of interventions with ‘challenging’ families uncertain
• 17 October
  No antipsychotic antidote to cocaine dependence Primary care counselling of risky drinkers reduces drinking Treatment system redesigns yet to improve recovery indicator Enforced sobriety scheme for offenders piloted in London
• 27 September
  Tackling drugs and alcohol a priority in new crime strategy REVISED Scottish national naloxone programme saved lives after release from prison Life-saving potential of overdose education and nasal naloxone Shared decision-making in substance use treatment UK students resistant to promising drink-reduction tactic
• 29 August
  Intense licensing policies help to curb alcohol-related harm Nalmefene: marketing ploy or alcohol treatment breakthrough? Recognising mental health needs in a substance use treatment setting Persuasion and Healing: “A classic then, and remains one now”
• 22 July
  Pharmacy brief intervention has no effect on problem drinking Alcohol treatment medications work as well in Europe as elsewhere EU guidance on widening access to anti-overdose drug Motivation versus education for reducing risky behaviours among people who inject drugs
• 8 June
  Minimum pricing for alcohol targets harm better than tax rises Detecting alcohol use disorders with a single question “Inconclusive” verdict on brief alcohol advice for young emergency patients Housing first helps reduce drinking but not drug use Intensive motivational interviewing for treating methamphetamine dependence
• 16 May
  Scottish national naloxone drive saved lives after release from prison The impact of Scotland’s ambitious alcohol strategy Alcohol-related injuries up by a third when Amsterdam bars open later Prizes for abstinence work ... at first
• 11 April
  Are three questions enough to detect unhealthy drinking? Risky-drinking inpatients respond best to multi-session brief interventions Long-acting opiate-blocker helps released prisoners avoid re-addiction Clonidine trialled in new anti-relapse role for heroin dependence
• 22 March
  Who should come first in the queue for hepatitis C treatment? Reducing HIV risk among offenders Little impact from brief alcohol advice in London sexual health clinics Workplace education improved knowledge without affecting drinking Mobile clinic cost-effectively improved treatment of injection-related wounds To curb student drinking, focus on social losses but health gains Paying treatment services to meet standards improves performance
• 19 February
  Which UK nation wins on evidence-based alcohol policy? Problem drinking hospital patients reject treatment Did prison methadone save lives in Scotland? Staying on methadone saves lives British public think TV alcohol ads breach advertising code Psychotherapy betters usual treatment for personality disordered problem drinkers

2015

• 23 December
  Does testing positive for hepatitis C prompt risk reduction? Study exposes influence of counsellor in brief interventions Large reduction in drinking after Dutch web-based treatment Authoritative review queries need for extended therapy for cannabis use Reviewers assess ‘what works’ for cannabis users with mental health problems Do risky student drinkers respond better to longer brief interventions? Heroin prescribing reduces crime more than methadone
• 29 October
  Prevention overview from EU’s drug misuse centre Positive organisational climate promotes screening and brief intervention Brief alcohol interventions not effective in real-world conditions Aftercare check-ups help sustain treatment gains Rare study trialling a brief intervention for ecstasy users Guide for nurses on buprenorphine-based treatment for opiate dependence Review of buprenorphine treatment for opiate-dependent women What does ‘success’ mean in harm reduction counselling services?
• 13 October
  Boosters needed for brief advice to cut drinking of young emergency patients Follow-up call needed for trauma unit alcohol advice to cut drinking Small change to preventive messages could prompt heavy drinkers to seek help Re-offending not reduced by court-ordered alcohol treatment in England European GPs identify less than a third of the problem drinkers among their patients Just two questions identified 9 in 10 US primary care patients with drug use problems US citizenship programme reduced substance use and enhanced quality of life Expert US guidance on treating opioid addiction
• 14 September
  Computerised drinking interventions lack power Brief advice prompts reduced drinking in GP and emergency patients ‘No need for enforcement’ to control sports-club drinking Parental limit-setting was key to alcohol use prevention Computerised brief intervention improved alcohol abstinence and pregnancy outcomes No significant effects of brief interventions to curb 21st birthday drinking Increased alcohol taxes significantly reduced alcohol-related driving deaths Bleach best way to clean hepatitis C contaminated syringes
• 18 August
  Official UK aid to decisions on alcohol prevention and treatment Drug triples post-detox alcohol abstinence rate Alcohol brief interventions seem bargain for England High abstinence rate among offenders injected with long-acting opiate-blocker Intensive coaching in parenting works for mums in residential treatment Chronic disease model promotes feelings of being helpless to recover US college students drank less after online risk-reduction programme Playing sports linked with more drinking but less illicit drug use
• 31 July
  Should we teach young teens to drink more safely? Learning by example transforms doctors’ recognition of problem drinking Alcohol treatment could save 12,000 lives a year in EU Alcohol taxes fall, deaths rise in Finland Does physical exercise help prevent or overcome drug use problems? On average opioid maintenance in Taiwan prolongs life by eight years Effectiveness and safety of long-acting naltrexone for heroin dependence
• 20 July
  Few new initiatives prompted by alcohol industry ‘pledges’ Alcohol industry ‘pledges’ ineffective ... and perhaps worse In A&E minimal ‘Drinking too much’ warning is enough EU centre supports drug consumption rooms
• 25 June
  Paying services for success leads to fewer successful treatments Combine medications for depressed dependent drinkers Improved engagement programme for family drug court Injecting centre reduced overdose ambulance call-outs
• 18 June
  Web-based drinking feedback barely dents student ‘binges’ Web-based brief alcohol intervention lacks impact in Swedish universities Identifying risky drinking in pregnancy Poor heavy drinkers most affected by minimum price
• 21 May
  Should we teach teens safer substance use? US family therapy also helps Europe’s young cannabis users Advantage gained by family therapy depends on context Methadone maintenance prevents HIV infections
• 23 April
  Services protect Scottish injectors from hepatitis C Proactive monitoring promotes post-prison treatment re-entry What’s the best treatment for pregnant opioid-dependent women? Psychosocial therapies do not augment naltrexone for alcohol dependence
• 10 April
  Support for brief intervention for heavy-drinking students UK study measures key ‘recovery capital’ concept Prison methadone reduces HIV risk behaviours Extended heroin prescribing can rescue methadone failures
• 11 March
  Control buprenorphine diversion but not at the cost of treatment access US study validates ‘Make recovery visible’ strategy Residential rehabilitation not best cost-saver for England Winners and losers from alcohol minimum unit pricing in England
• 4 February
  Opiate substitute prescribing saved lives in Sweden WHO backs naloxone to prevent opiate overdose deaths Ending cheap drink would save lives in Wales Official US review assesses evidence for ‘recovery coaches’
• 21 January
  Record alcohol treatment numbers in England still not enough 2013 could have been a turning point for drug treatment in England Youth treatment in England improving but contracting Scotland’s alcohol strategy judged partly successful

2014

• 19 December
  Multi-pronged strategies can beat hepatitis C Scottish alcohol treatment system has three times the capacity of the English Home Office finds ‘tough’ policies unrelated to drug use or harm Prison-based treatment: problems and promising solutions
• 24 November
  ‘Parking’ not the issue with methadone in the UK Strive to retain ‘difficult’ methadone patients How restricted syringe/needle supply let HIV spread in Vancouver New therapy implementation will fail unless tailored to the organisation
• 20 October
  WHO anti-HIV guidance advocates maintenance prescribing and needle exchange Health benefits lost by reversal in English alcohol price policy Post-workshop follow-up helps retain therapy training gains Learning motivational interviewing: coach, don’t just train
• 26 September
  New evidence on protecting vulnerable youngsters Combined, high coverage harm reduction services curb hepatitis C Do brief interventions work in real-world trials? Is mindfulness therapy an effective supplement to usual treatment? Seminal study of what makes for an effective methadone service
• 28 August
  Service safeguards welfare yet avoids children being taken in to care Incentivising therapists improves performance but not outcomes Scotland tests whether licensing can serve public health objectives Does screening for risky drinking improve on clinical judgement?
• 24 July
  Increase alcohol prices or taxes, decrease alcohol-related harm UK practice standards on treating under-18s Authoritative review reveals limitations of medicating dependence Is buprenorphine more recovery-friendly than methadone?
• 26 June
  Analysts test fundamental principles of effective treatment Brief intervention promotes mutual aid ‘aftercare’ in the UK Group treatments for alcohol problems – effectiveness still unproven GHB yet to prove preferable to main anti-alcohol medications
• 30 May
  Vulnerable children benefit from promising prevention programme Treat the family, not just the child WHO guidelines on identifying and treating problem drinkers in prison Aim is more than enough fresh equipment for every injection
• 15 April
  Methadone not an obstruction on road to recovery, agree Scottish experts Unique study unpicks motivational interviewing’s change drivers Needle exchanges mean fewer discarded needles and syringes on the streets What makes a school excel at substance use prevention?
• 20 March
  UK alcohol prevention guidance updated Does raising alcohol tax rates save lives? Little evidence for widespread staff testing for cannabis Methadone’s ‘stickiness’; strength or liability?
• 13 February
  Worth supplementing lessons with other alcohol prevention strands? Why Wales mounted a national naloxone programme to curb overdose deaths Opiate-blocking implant curbs stimulant as well as heroin use Drink-driving course unable to cut reoffending
• 21 January
  More naloxone needed to cut opiate overdose deaths Brief alcohol advice might help with emergency department overload ‘Empathy gap’ in private alcohol treatment, poor NHS systems? Should parents introduce their underage children to drink? Crucial UK report aims to rehabilitate methadone as a recovery tool Fewer patients but improving treatment outcomes in England

2013

• 18  December
  Is curbing cocaine use worth risking visual defects? Switching antipsychotic curbs cannabis use in schizophrenia Extensive training little better than a leaflet for reducing HIV risk Counselling not enough to contain hepatitis C virus
• 22 November
  How big is the alcohol treatment need/access gap in England? Fewer patients but improving drug treatment outcomes in England Induction on to buprenorphine can safely be streamlined Flawed evidence for drug education's preventive impacts
• 30 October
  Dependence looks chronic only if vision narrowed to treatment populations US surveys show addiction is not a progressive chronic disease Recovery is the norm
• 27 September
  Positive but puzzling results from brief intervention trial for drug problems Can heroin remedy the problems it helped to create? UK guidance on services for psychotic substance misusers Guilt- or shame-inducing responsible drinking ads backfire
• 11 September
  Feasible intervention for short-sentence heavy drinkers Is counselling dispensable in methadone programmes? Brain exercises help clients engage with and benefit from therapy Challenges faced by groundbreaking recovery projects
• 24 August
  Time to stop smoking-related as well as drug deaths among methadone patients? Pros and cons of Scotland's offender treatment initiatives 'Proven' drug education programmes falter in real-world trials Brief counselling helps school pupils caught with drugs
• 15 August
  LSD 'as effective' as approved alcoholism medications Therapeutic community for paroled dual diagnosis prisoners halves reimprisonment Can the internet rival teachers for substance use prevention? Australia tries bar lockouts to curb alcohol-related disorder
• 25 July
  Largest US study yet favours naltrexone as alcoholism medication Acamprosate as effective for alcohol-dependent women as for men Integrating parenting support with treatment helps mums help the children The same prevention programme can affect both sexual and substance use risks
• 15 July
  Driving to avoid minimum drinking age costs lives Winners and losers from street drinking bans More support for harm reduction education on drinking Higher buprenorphine doses work better but individualisation is key
• 3 July
  Clinical guidance on identifying and managing cannabis use problems US authorities offer guidance on controversial long-acting opiate blocker More integrated alcohol treatment system in Sweden fails to better US outcomes Brief intervention works with alcohol-dependent hospital patients
• 25 June
  Clinicians can learn how to help alcohol patients stay in treatment and take medication Add brief advice to discipline for heavy drinking college students Problem solving and social skills training maximise drug education impact Should we teach teenagers to drink more safely?
• 11 June
  UK prison programme associated with positive psychological change In prison too, buprenorphine on average equivalent to methadone for withdrawal Community loses from failure to offer maintenance prescribing in prisons College health clinics can do mass alcohol screening and brief advice
• 22 May
  Leaders and service ethos set context for training to affect treatment practice Can therapists be too good? Benefits of post-treatment check-ups extend to four years Anticonvulsants yet to better benzodiazepines for alcohol withdrawal
• 8 May
  What is 'recovery'? Ways to extend cocaine treatment gains Starting methadone in prison promotes treatment on release Teenage peer influence on drinking is no illusion
• 11 April
  'Treatment-resistant' skid-row alcoholics react to organised empathy Clinician training little use if it falls on stony organisational ground Socially skilled alcohol counsellors reduce relapse rate Motivate rather than confront problem drinkers
• 26 March
  New public health objectives for England including drugs and alcohol Engaging partners in treatment aids patient and family Gains fade from specialist youth therapeutic community Nurse-led hepatitis education cost-effective way to curb drinking in methadone patients
• 18 March
  Therapeutic relationships and meeting needs at heart of treatment process Prescribing injectable heroin benefits women as well as men Slow-release morphine offers alternative for methadone-intolerant heroin addicts Post-emergency visit text message advice moderates drinking
• 25 February
  Getting the right people from the start is key to effective training and therapy The client is walking towards a hole; do you shout 'Stop' or suggest they consider the pros and cons? Methadone doctors have to learn to be patient-centred and relinquish control Overcoming staff bias against maintenance and harm reduction
• 20 February
  Electronic prompts mean more primary care patients get advised about drinking Leadership commitment needed to implement electronic alcohol advice prompts Most risky drinkers missed in primary care because patients underreport drinking How to assess progress in implementing screening and brief alcohol interventions What it takes to implement alcohol screening and brief intervention
• 15 February
  Addiction treatment numbers fall in Scotland but hepatitis C is on the rise Unmet need undermines contribution of alcohol treatment in England UK clinical guidance on treating dependent drinkers Young treatment refusers can be engaged in treatment Top-level evidence-based advice on national illegal drug policy
• 28 January
  First major report from crucial English alcohol screening and brief intervention trials Rapid withdrawal and opiate-blockers work for Iranian addicts Give injectors foil to promote smoking instead say UK advisers No youth health benefits after alcopops tax hike in Australia Switching erodes impact of doubling alcopops price in Germany
• 17 January
  Single question identifies most problem drinkers Half-hour of advice may cut drinking in repeat drink-driving offenders Scottish randomised trial tests need to supervise methadone Troubled families improve after family intervention
• 8 January
  Enforcing youth smoking ban also reduced drinking and drug use Tough love for Baltimore's non-compliant methadone patients Bronx heroin addicts manage their own buprenorphine induction Rare randomised trial finds female prisoners benefit from gender-specific treatment

2012

• 20 December
  Real-world Canadian evidence supports minimum alcohol pricing Minimum price for alcohol has reduced consumption Scotland exceeds national brief alcohol interventions target Transformative potential of first EU prevention standards
• 28 November
  PROMETA drug protocol does not help treat methamphetamine dependence Retention universal marker of successful opiate addiction treatment No quick way out of treatment for prescription opioid addicts Motivational interviewing works but no better than other therapies
• 6 November
  Fewer under-18s need specialist treatment in England Road-tested good ideas to prevent underage alcohol sales Too little evidence to recommend drug/alcohol testing lorry drivers Lock them up and throw away the key laws costly and unnecessary
• 30 October
  Extend methadone and needle exchange but more needed to fight hepatitis C Hepatitis C can be prevented by methadone plus needle exchange Hepatitis C curbed by needle exchange but still rampant Needle exchange closure demonstrates its worth
• 22 October
  Social cost of drinking totals little better than nonsense Mailed alcohol screening feedback more realistic for emergency departments Evidence for positive psychology and overlaps with recovery movement First trial finds positive psychology aids troubled young drinkers
• 8 October
  Expert advice on how to get the treatment system working better Global performance feedback no use to counsellors Feedback on individuals helps counsellors reverse poor progress Common treatment quality yardstick poor reflection of patient progress US payment-by-results scheme did not improve engagement with treatment Acid test for implementing evidence-based treatment
• 19 September
  Cochrane review confirms methadone maintenance prevents spread of HIV Canadian guidelines on prescribing buprenorphine/naloxone for opioid dependence Brief intervention makes no difference to heart disease risk Arranging an abstinence-promoting social life aids Spanish cocaine users
• 10 September
  Extra therapy does not improve on methadone plus counselling Therapy means more complete opiate detoxification Substance using pupils cut back after health promotion session Few sustained gains from health promotion session with college students
• 30 August
  School-based alcohol prevention best when it does not target alcohol Working with families helps prevent adolescent drinking More does not always mean better in preventing youth drinking
• 11 August
  Early drop-out typical at residential therapeutic communities Residential rehabilitation in England weakened by early drop-out Scottish drug strategy needs to show concrete evidence of recovery Lessons of test bed for alcohol harm reduction innovations
• 9 August
  Overdose death risk low with opiate-blocking implants Take-home methadone common in British addiction treatment Whole team training may counter detox ward staff burn-out How to achieve positive change in Welsh drinking culture
• 24 July
  Single question enough to identify most heavy drinking offenders Despite senior support most detainees not screened for risky drinking Screening offenders for risky drinking not a priority in Scotland EU calls for widespread methadone and syringes to prevent disease
• 18 July
  Crucial report aims to rehabilitate methadone as a recovery tool No need for heart tests on all methadone patients Heart tests reveal no heightened risk at London methadone clinic Cocaine aggravates any methadone-related heart risk
• 5 July
  Successful completion really does indicate successful treatment More drug addicts overcoming dependence and leaving treatment Crime cut among offenders entering addiction treatment Crime dividend makes cutting addiction treatment a false economy More under-18s successfully complete alcohol/drug treatment...
• 21 June
  Simple feedback intervention dramatically improves treatment retention Half century of evidence on which drugs aid alcohol treatment Community involvement and law enforcement safeguard pub/clubgoers Scottish health service cautious about computer-based alcohol advice and therapy
• 15 June
  Heroin prescribing rescues methadone failures No community detriment from London heroin prescribing clinic Heroin trial patients disappear from street drinking register Why prescribe heroin? (PDF download) Not treatment, but humane and medically advisable (PDF download)
• 10 June
  Threat of aversive disulfiram reaction does deter drinking Disulfiram as post-detoxification norm rather than niche option Danish patients just stop taking the tablets Major UK trial finds supervised disulfiram cuts drinking Landmark US study suggests compliance is key to disulfiram treatment (PDF download)
• 23 May
  More QALYs to the pound from brief warning in primary care Emergency departments need specialist support From offenders on probation, hints of the value of extended advice US guide to emergency unit alcohol screening and brief advice
• 8 May
  10-minute web alcohol check-up and advice leads 1000s to cut back CBT programme for harmful drinkers passes lab and real-world tests Too soon to get rid of the therapists Internet self-help low-cost way to extend public health impact of alcohol interventions On-line alcohol interventions would improve health care value for money
• 21 April
  New UK alcohol strategy opts for unit pricing How well does Britain support the families of problem drug users? No crime reduction dividend from counselling drunk arrestees Dependent crack smokers respond well to drug counselling
• 10 April
  Crime lower among clients of probation officers trained to tailor supervision Adjusting sentencing to offender need and risk reduces crime Extensive review bemoans evidence quality but supports drug courts US Congress expenditure watchdog endorses drug courts Ways to make drug courts more effective and more cost-effective
• 28 March
  Motivational interviewing helps heavy drinking US students cut down Inform and exhort not enough to improve hospital screening rate How therapists can engage parents in family therapy Month-long opiate-blocking injections help Russian addicts stay off heroin
• 15 March
  Below-cost ban would stop fewer than 1 in 50 alcohol discount offers Remarkable preventive impacts from grade 1 good behaviour programme Advocacy for problem drug users; optional extra rather than an essential Aftercare phone calls need to do more than check progress to make a difference
• 5 March
  UK clinical guidance on treating dependent drinkers UK clinical guidance on treating acute alcohol withdrawal UK guidance on commissioning services for problem drinkers UK health quality standards on identifying and caring for problem drinkers UK public health guidance on preventing problem drinking
• 29 February
  Inpatients often gain little more from alcohol advice than from screening Alcohol screening/brief advice: it can work, but how do you get it to happen? How many hazardous drinkers are identified and advised in London hospitals? Group CBT fails to reduce reconviction rate among UK offenders
• 27 February
  Implants help sustain heroin abstinence after detoxification Implants equal methadone as a prison-community bridging treatment False confidence leads formerly addicted prisoners to reject in-prison treatment Despite implants a quarter of patients repeatedly used opiates Half implanted patients opt for a second implant
• 16 February
  Late opening for pubs and bars aggravates alcohol-related harm Weekend alcohol sales equals more weekend alcohol-related harm Naloxone empowers carers to save lives of overdosing heroin users Naloxone-based overdose prevention training spread slowly in England
• 9 February
  Scottish drug education fell short of evidence-based practice When schools prevent bullying, do they also prevent problem drinking? Motivational interviewing works for teenagers as well as adults Pros and cons of supervised methadone consumption in Scotland
• 25 January
  Home visits cost-effectively aid alcohol treatment Group therapy wins on cost-effectiveness grounds Dual diagnosis patients benefit from heroin prescribing Brief motivational interviewing works best for thinkers
• 19 January
  Group motivational interviewing works for college drinkers Drink moderation strategies ineffective unless students want to cut down The vital task of promoting post-detox treatment Should legal heroin be reserved for methadone failures?
• 10 January
  US emergency department alcohol intervention disappoints in first European trial Anti-overdose media campaign targets injectors in Australia Long-term benefits of legal heroin for heroin addicts in Spain Do men and women need different sorts of employment help?

2011

• 20 December
  Patients want to be drug free – but from what and when? CBT pulls some of the right levers but few methadone patients participate Style not content seems key to matching therapy to the patient Large preventive impacts from primary school character development programme
• 5 December
  Even dependent drinkers respond well to alcohol brief interventions Alcohol brief interventions: doing without the doctor Lasting relief for partners and parents coping with addiction in the family Anti-drug ads do not work and can be counterproductive
• 18 November
  What it takes to implement alcohol screening and brief intervention Most comprehensive and systematic attempt yet to map treatment processes Upgrading to evidence-based therapies How to make aftercare the rule rather than the exception
• 3 November
  Methadone improves as well as saves lives Methadone both a platform for and limit on a good quality of life Methadone plus syringes strong harm reduction combination Commissioning guidance from English treatment improvement authority No long-term substance use prevention impacts from early years support
• 24 October
  1 in 6 therapists make substance use problems worse Counselling not essential to initial impact of methadone maintenance Hepatitis C can be prevented by methadone plus needle exchange Promising results from pilot UK family drug and alcohol court
• 6 October
  Treatment staff in job centres modestly increase treatment access Go-for-it approach helps US dual diagnosis patients find jobs School-based alcohol prevention best when it does not target alcohol Legal curbs did restrict cannabis availability and use in Switzerland
• 16 September
  Public health least successful licensing aim in Scotland London makes progress in reducing alcohol-related harm but GPs under-used Limited take up for online GP alcohol intervention support in Germany Longer therapies no better than five-session option for young cannabis users
• 12 September
  Young Hertfordshire alcohol offenders pay for their own alcohol education Drinking and problems fall after educating young alcohol offenders in Derbyshire Blockages to adequate alcohol-related services for offenders No prison-community care pathway in north east England
• 5 September
  Probation resources too stretched to adequately tackle huge drink problem Probation and NHS alcohol team working well in West Yorkshire Better lives for problem-drinking offenders in Lancashire Crime cut and drinking less but still too much in the Midlands
• 2 September
  Review of ways to identify risky drinkers More clues to how best to do motivational interviewing UN says heroin addiction treatment should be based on substitute prescribing Safer injecting facility in Vancouver saved lives
• 24 August
  Over half Scottish alcohol treatment exits were drop-outs Use quality of life yardstick to assess alcohol treatment Blood chemicals reveal who is dependent and who has managed to stop drinking UK trial of web-based alcohol prevention program for college students
• 19 August
  Benefits of fine-tuning prevention to high risk personality traits Benefits fade after fine-tuning prevention to high risk personality traits Motivational interviewing leaves college students unmoved Aftercare associated with better treatment outcomes in Scotland
• 16 August
  Parenting intervention has remarkable impact on teen drunkenness New Swedish trial fails to replicate initial findings Supplementing parent intervention with alcohol lessons works for Dutch teens
• 27 July
  Injectors respond as well to sex risk counselling as non-injectors Moderate drinking over the web: therapy programme bolsters mutual aid Review confirms that computer-based alcohol interventions do cut drinking Spanish GPs target binge-drinking patients
• 22 July
  Opioid antagonists useful supplement in alcohol treatment New Zealand commission calls for alcohol price rises and licensing reform US system offers model for assessing service quality Intensive 12-step rehabilitation promoted by substitute prescribing
• 15 July
  Opiate blocker does not help most heroin addicts stay abstinent Improving alcohol treatment saved lives in Sweden Review of studies on what works best with young drinkers Emergency department nurses can screen for risky drinking
• 30 June
  UK youth substance misuse treatment saves society money First-month attendance better outcome predictor than retention Putting patients in the co-pilot seat boosts confidence Family therapies effective but not always most cost-effective
• 22 June
  SMART Recovery groups offer AA alternative to UK problem drinkers Controversial amphetamine prescribing treatment trialled in Australia Is a specific therapy needed to tackle dependence plus PTSD?
• 10 June
  Leading US school-based prevention programme fails independent test No success for school counselling/education for troubled US teens US college uses internet to start new students drinking more safely Prison alternative turns round lives of child substance users with multiple problems Productivity savings for US firms which counsel risky drinking staff
• 27 May
  Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Psychotherapy relationships that work II Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Alliance in individual psychotherapy Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: The alliance in child and adolescent psychotherapy Findings abstract: Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Alliance in couple and family therapy Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Cohesion in group therapy Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Empathy Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Goal consensus and collaboration Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Positive regard Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Congruence/genuineness Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Collecting client feedback Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Repairing alliance ruptures Evidence-based psychotherapy relationships: Managing countertransference Evidence-based therapy relationships: Research conclusions and clinical practices
• 13 May
  UK evidence-based guidance on alcohol problem prevention UK evidence-based guidance on alcohol dependence treatment Re-analysis questions benefits of interactive drug education
• 26 April
  Guidance for British GPs on prescribing for heroin addicted patients Local alcohol-related public health measures in England lack commitment and coherence Why some drinkers prefer global on-line AA groups to face-to-face meetings Fragmented attempt to help US parents with substance use problems Electrically stimulating brain reduced cravings for alcohol
• 5 April
  Unmet need for alcohol services in English prisons Scottish Prisons leave many problem drinkers without help Not enough money for problem drinking offenders in the community Review of what works best in treating adolescent cannabis use How to prevent violence marring a night at the pub
• 31 March
  More harm reduction needed to curb hepatitis C in England Male and female depressed drinkers react best to different therapies Enforcement crackdowns make drug markets more violent
• 21 March
  Inside story of UK national youth substance use prevention guidance Routine school meetings for parents used to help prevent adolescent drinking Implications of the polarisation of UK drinking patterns Drug misuse and associated statistics for Scotland How English drug/alcohol services can help clients gain employment What is the baseline rate of recovery from drug dependence? Reducing risky sex among substance use patients
• 15 March
  Intensive monitoring offers new paradigm for long-term recovery Remarkable success rates of physician health programmes Drug using offenders tested intensively do well without treatment US drink-drivers respond to threat of imprisonment for substance use 99% tests alcohol-free among monitored drink-drive defendants Intensive testing and sanctions cut drink-drive re-offending Originator explains drink-drive testing and sanctions programme
• 11 March
  What works for whom: tailoring psychotherapy to the person Adapting psychotherapy to the individual patient: Stages of change Adapting psychotherapy to the individual patient: Preferences Adapting psychotherapy to the individual patient: Culture Adapting psychotherapy to the individual patient: Coping style Adapting psychotherapy to the individual patient: Expectations Adapting psychotherapy to the individual patient: Attachment style Adapting psychotherapy to the individual patient: Resistance/reactance level Adapting psychotherapy to the individual patient: Religion and spirituality
• 25 February
  Problem drinking curbed by EU-funded drug education curriculum Young Swiss binge drinkers cut back after just 16 minutes advice Real-world study of emergency department alcohol advice
• 11 February
  UK policy recommendations for pre-school prevention Whether after inpatient or outpatient detox, opiate abstinence rarely lasts 4 in 10 who die from drugs in Scotland were recently in treatment How the pilot English and Welsh drug courts are working Swiss dissect brief intervention to find out what makes it tick (or not) Providing injecting paraphernalia may reduce sharing of this equipment
• 10 February
  UK government assesses the likely impacts of alcohol price rises How alcohol pricing might affect the health of the British population Higher prices and taxes on alcohol help prevent crime Economic impacts of alcohol pricing policy options in the UK Will the poor be most affected by an end to cheap alcohol?
• 26 January
  Price rises will cut alcohol-related death, illness and injury Buprenorphine suits minority aiming for make-or-break cure to opiate addiction One-off buprenorphine implants curb heroin use for six months
• 20 January
  Visible minority drug users in the European criminal justice system Review of medications to reduce craving for heroin The relationships between drinking and disease across a population Short and long-term impacts of alcohol taxes on mortality rates Enforcement crackdowns fail to reduce drink-driving in France Ethnicity affects who cuts back after emergency department brief alcohol intervention Matching ethnicity of patients and counsellors maximises impact of brief alcohol intervention Emergency department brief alcohol intervention works only for dependent patients
• 12 January
  Whole person recovery: a user-centred systems approach Is the therapeutic community an evidence-based treatment? The Patel report: Reducing drug-related crime and rehabilitating offenders A meta-analytic review of school-based prevention for cannabis use How classic Vietnam veterans addiction study changed our view of heroin Community reinforcement and family training engage treatment-resistant individuals Review of user perceptions of treatment staff training requirements

2010

• 31 December
  Supervising consumption cut UK methadone death rate Extended methadone prescribing needed to save lives Clues to what to say and not to say in motivational interviewing sessions
• 21 December
  Drug strategy 2010. Reducing demand, restricting supply, building recovery Drugs, crime and public health: the political economy of drug policy Problem drug users: experiences of employment and the benefit system Alcohol misusers: experiences of employment and the benefit system Population estimates of alcohol misusers who access DWP benefits Incentives raise participation in a family drug-use prevention programme Screening and assessment in adolescent substance abuse treatment programmes Community prevention intervention to reduce adolescent use of harmful legal products Cognitive enhancement as a pharmacotherapy target for stimulant addiction Heroin-assisted treatment in Switzerland: a case study in policy change
• 30 September
  Acamprosate helps prevent lapse to drinking Listen well, reflect back - key ingredients in changing drinking Evidence on the best way to run needle exchanges Review confirms a role for heroin prescribing when methadone fails
• 27 August
  Internet-based alcohol advice helps risky drinkers cut back Comprehensive analysis of drug-based treatments for heroin addiction CBT plus drugs most effective cocaine addiction treatment Mindfulness meditation promising but unproven addiction therapy
• 29 July
  Heroin prescribing rescues previously treatment-resistant heroin addicts Probation resources too stretched to adequately tackle huge drink problem Brief alcohol advice works with psychiatric patients Mass needle exchange helped reverse HIV epidemic in New York
• 28 June
  Reserve heroin prescribing for methadone failures Can opiate substitute prescribing also curb cocaine use? British drug courts yet to prove their worth Enforcement crackdowns make drug markets more violent
• 28 May
  Why anti-drug campaigns can have the reverse impact Limited impacts in seven-nation European drug education trial Ask heavy drinkers to make plans to drink less ... and they do! Best evidence yet for web-based alcohol self-help
• 31 March
  Should addiction services treat co-morbid depression and anxiety? Little long-term disadvantage from choosing non-abstinence drinking goals Largest analysis to date offers practice insights in to motivational interviewing Buprenorphine is most effective detoxification medication
• 26 February
  Broaden access to 12-step groups by de-emphasising philosophy Couples therapy helps alcohol-dependent women sustain their recovery Can traditional herbal remedies or acupuncture help treat addiction? UN guidance on how to mount family-based prevention programmes
• 5 February
  Crucial study delivers mixed scorecard for drug treatment in England Youth anti-drug campaign boomeranged say official evaluators US experts recommend alcohol tax rises as an important public health measure US task force says cutting alcohol outlets improves public health

2009

• 23 December
  English national evaluation fails to support drug education programme Primary school behaviour and parenting programme curbs teenage substance use Holistic family therapy helps younger teens and their families get back on track Long-acting naltrexone holds heroin at bay more effectively than pills
• 26 November
  Long-term continuing care improves treatment outcomes Modest support for drug-based treatments for alcohol dependence Methadone maintenance outperforms alternatives in randomised trials Target enforcement to reduce harm
• 21 October
  £0.40 per unit of alcohol plus discount ban would save a life a day in Scotland Intensive family support reduces need for children to be taken in to care Popular community prevention process cuts adolescent smoking and drinking Starting methadone in prison improves post-release treatment uptake
• 28 September
  Remarkable impact from alcohol parenting advice at parent-school meetings Counsellor skill influences outcomes of brief motivational interventions The power of walking in the client's shoes UK study supports naloxone-based opiate overdose reversal training
• 21 August
  Acupuncture does not aid treatment of alcohol dependence Unproven verdict on hospital-based brief alcohol interventions Guidance on managing pregnant opiate-dependent women Effective strategies for extending evidence-based practice
• 5 August
  Confirmation that tax rises are key alcohol harm reduction measure Practical research-based handbook for peer-based recovery in the UK Counterproductive to expect too much from homeless addicts Surprisingly small advantage for cognitive-behavioural therapies
• 20 July
  Opiate-blocking implants reduce post-detoxification relapse Unique head-to-head trial of opiate blocker versus substitute drug Foil packs extend harm reduction reach of needle exchanges School and family prevention programmes benefit high risk youngsters most
• 2 July
  NICE-recommended couples therapy endorsed by synthesis of findings Brief alcohol advice in relatively normal primary care reduces drinking Cochrane review confirms methadone maintenance prevents spread of HIV Still no silver-bullet drug to treat stimulant dependence
• 18 June
  Intercept and treat relapse by checking how former patients are doing Mentally ill patients particularly benefit from aftercare enhancements Harm reduction case for crack kits from needle exchanges Health service saves by vaccinating needle exchange users for hepatitis B
• 3 June
  Brief alcohol advice in A&E can reduce drinking and injuries No reason to deny hepatitis C treatment to methadone patients Is public health best served by targeted or universal prevention? Respected review process finds no case for special dual diagnosis care
• 26 May
  Compulsory testing and assessment nets few treatment entrants at high cost Computerised cognitive-behavioural therapy cuts substance use by a third Limits on methadone treatment in Norway reveal its lifesaving potential Intensive support helps drug problem welfare applicants quit using
• 27 April
  Scotland's auditors spotlight lack of system and clarity in drug policy Delaware commissioners engineer innovative and engaging services Persistent and practical efforts promote engagement in self-help groups Remarkable prevention outcomes from primary school good behaviour strategy
• 15 April
  Call to extend recovery vision beyond time-limited treatment UK government advisers call for major expansion of needle exchange Methamphetamine dependence reacts well to psychosocial therapies Drug testing school pupils is ineffective and risky
• 6 April
  Pupils use substances less in attachment-generating schools English drug treatment patients engage best with open, innovative services Acupuncture fails to ease opiate detoxification British drug courts yet to demonstrate crime or cost-benefit gains
• 18 March
  Most reliable estimate yet that raising the price of drink cuts consumption UK commission calls for less prison, more treatment Brief advice in emergency departments cuts alcohol-related injuries Not just high methadone dose or individualising dose – both help
• 14 March
  Human beings don't just react to rewards for abstinence – they interpret them Responsiveness and unfailing optimism aid primary care alcohol treatment Do hedonistic non-conformists really make the best British drug workers? Feedback really does aid motivational brief interventions
• 1 March
  English health advisory body recommends high coverage needle exchange Needle exchange works in prison; bleach second best Methadone maintenance works for prisoners too Heroin maintenance review portrays the practice reality as well as the outcomes
• 26 February
  Accreditation drives up treatment outcomes, cost-containment drives them down Intensive, continuing, holistic, practical support helps welfare mothers escape dependency Housing and work help homeless and workless; benefits of yoking to abstinence less clear GPs save time by 'as needed' consultations after brief alcohol interventions
• 23 February
  Rare review of the evidence on whether drug law enforcement works Britain's doctors tell government what they should do about problem drinking Is all it takes to tell people how their drinking compares to the norm? Leading UK clinicians offer evidence-based guidance on managing drinking problems
• 19 January
  UK project enables at-risk children of (former) drug using parents to safely live at home Choice of alcohol therapy matters little Needy clients do as well in day hospital as in residential care First randomised trial finds little benefit and some risks in testing pupils for drugs
• 8 January
  Minimum alcohol pricing and promotion controls will bring major benefits for UK Methadone-maintained do just as well as opioid-free therapeutic community residents Universal provision versus targeting prevention at high risk youth Too few syringe disposal sites? Cafes, churches and shop toilets can plug the gap

2008

• 17 December
  ‘Real world’ trial finds emergency patients drink less after brief intervention Multi-national WHO study trials primary care brief intervention for illegal drug use Should methadone maintenance be started before prisoners are released? Does residential rehabilitation deliver more heroin abstinence per £ than methadone?
• 8 December
  Reducing alcohol harm: health services in England Measuring performance of brief alcohol counselling in medical settings Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment for drug and alcohol use Network support for drinking and client-treatment matching Primary care alcohol intervention: ranking health impact and cost effectiveness
• 7 November
  Benefits of residential care preserved by systematic, persistent and welcoming aftercare prompts Internationally proven community alcohol crime and harm reduction programmes feasible in Britain Brief contact and written advice as effective as a longer talk for heavy drinking hospital patients International review and UK guidance on merits of buprenorphine versus methadone maintenance
• 7 August
  Universal screening for alcohol problems in primary care fails in Denmark School-based smoking prevention: popular peers can help Needle exchange helps prevent bacterial as well as viral infections Home visits reduce risk to children of drug treatment patients
• 9 April
  Style not content key to matching patients to therapeutic approaches Still hard to find reasons for matching patients to therapies Helping drug treatment patients find work pays (some) dividends in Scotland Substance-focused initiatives not only way schools help prevent risky substance use
• 14 February
  High risk of death for opiate detoxification completers Female drinkers also benefit from couples therapy Harnessing peer interaction in school-based drug prevention can backfire Needle exchange coverage key to reducing infection risk
• 7 January
  Patchy performance of UK offender treatment initiatives Botched response to crack using offenders Treatment on bail makes little discernable difference Testing on arrest scatter gun nets some extra treatment entrants Testing children pointless but arrest referral offers early intervention opportunities ‘Most promising' alcohol prevention programme tried with poor black US families Self-financing resident-run houses maintain recovery after treatment Concern over abstinence outcomes in Scotland's treatment services