www.alcohol-drugs.co.uk - the blog

Impact of welfare cheque issue days on a service for those intoxicated in public

Impact of welfare cheque issue days on a service for those intoxicated in public

In British Columbia (BC), the Ministry of Human Resources issues welfare cheques to eligible recipients monthly on the last Wednesday of each month. Previous studies have indicated that there are significant increases in hospital admission, ED admission, 911 calls and deaths shortly after the distribution of the monthly welfare cheques. The objective of this analysis was to rigorously examine the impact of welfare cheque issue dates on admission to the Sobering Unit (SU), a service for the publicly intoxicated, in Vancouver, Canada. Data on 1234 consecutive admissions to the SU over a 7-month period were assessed, and the average number of daily admissions on each of the 7 days of the welfare cheque issue week and similar weekdays in other weeks were compared. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was performed for the comparisons. Our results showed that there were significant increases in the number of admissions on the 3 days starting with Welfare Wednesday compared to the similar weekdays in other weeks (Welfare Wednesday vs. other Wednesdays: 8.7 vs. 5.1, p =0.02; Welfare Thursdays vs. other Thursdays: 9.6 vs. 5.3, p =0.02; Welfare Fridays vs. other Fridays: 8.6 vs. 5.7, p =0.04). The demonstrated impact of welfare cheque issue dates is an important consideration for the re-design, staffing and resource allocation of services for withdrawal management and potentially for other services offered to this population.

[via Harm Reduction Journal - Latest articles ]

The relationship between alcohol misuse and the drinks industry sponsorship of sporting activities

The relationship between alcohol misuse and the drinks industry sponsorship of sporting activities

Irish Gov't report on alcohol and sports sponsorship. Keywords: Ireland, Eire, alcohol, sport.

[via Scottish Addiction Studies Library Feed]

Achieving a high coverage – the challenge of controlling HIV spread in heroin users

Achieving a high coverage – the challenge of controlling HIV spread in heroin users

In China, the national plan to open 1000 methadone clinics over a five-year period provides a unique opportunity to assess the impacts of harm reduction in a country with concentrated HIV epidemic amongst heroin users. To track the progress of this public health response, data were collected from the first methadone clinic in Liuzhou, Guangxi, a province with a high HIV prevalence. In the first 15 months of its operation, a cumulative total of 488 heroin users, 86% of which male, had joined the programme. The first dose of methadone was given efficiently at a median of 2 days after registration. Of the 240 heroin users attending the clinic in August 2006, 61% took methadone for four days or more each week. The number of active methadone users, however, leveled off at around 170 after the first two months, despite the availability of capacity to deliver more services. The reasons for this observation are: firstly, the provision of one single service that may not be convenient to all heroin users; and secondly, concerns of heroin users who may feel insecure to come forward. As broad coverage is essential in ultimately reducing HIV risk, a low threshold approach is crucial, which should be supported by the removal of social obstacles and a refinement of the administrative procedures.

[via Harm Reduction Journal - Latest articles ]

Binge Britain: Alcohol and the National Response. By Martin Plant and Moira Plant. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. 2006, 204pp., {pound}19.95. ISBN: 0-19-9299412

Binge Britain: Alcohol and the National Response. By Martin Plant and Moira Plant. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. 2006, 204pp., {pound}19.95. ISBN: 0-19-9299412

[via Alcohol and Alcoholism - current issue]

Naltrexone versus acamprosate in the treatment of alcohol dependence: a multi-crentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial

Naltrexone versus acamprosate in the treatment of alcohol dependence: a multi-crentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial

The results of this study support the efficacy of naltrexone in the relapse prevention of alcoholism amongst those with low levels of clinical depression and alcohol dependence severity. No effect of acamprosate was found.

[via Drug and Alcohol Misuse - Knowledge Update]

Drug user involvement in treatment decisions

Drug user involvement in treatment decisions

Joseph Rowntree Foundation report offering guidance on implementing inclusion initiatives in drug treatment. Keywords: inclusion, client involvement, service users.

[via Scottish Addiction Studies Library Feed]