Education, addiction services and workforce development
by Brian Galvin
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| Ms Marion Rackard, chair of Health Service Executive National Addiction Training Programme, speaking at the NDC conference (photo by JJ Berkeley) |
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A recent National Documentation Centre conference1 heard researchers, educators and service managers speak on the role of education in the development of the addiction services workforce. Education and training are essential elements in the development of a skilled, competent and motivated workforce. Employing organisations must recognise the value of this learning and encourage their staff to use it in an innovative and progressive environment. The NDC conference speakers addressed these issues from different perspectives and a number of broad themes emerged during the course of the day. These themes are set out below.
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Alcohol Forum national conference
by Deirdre Mongan
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| Minister Alex White TD with Alcohol Forum chairman Pat Harvey at the opening of the converence (photo by Conor O'Mearain) |
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As part of National Alcohol Awareness Week, which took place from 18–22 March, the Alcohol Forum hosted a conference in the Convention Centre, Dublin, on 20 March entitled The Power of Local Community in Reducing Harmful Drinking. Pat Harvey, Chairman of the Alcohol Forum provided the opening address and outlined the costs associated with alcohol-related harm in Ireland. He spoke about the influence of the alcohol industry, describing it as ‘a “Goliath” in terms of muscle and funds nurturing a society that has alcohol consumption at dangerous and harmful levels’. He called on the government to implement the National Substance Misuse Strategy as a matter of urgency.1
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Legal proceedings for drug offences 2004–2011
by Johnny Connolly
This article looks at trends in legal proceedings for drug offences in the years 2004–2011. It should be noted that drug offence data are primarily a reflection of law enforcement activity. Consequently, they are affected in any given period by such factors as law enforcement resources, strategies and priorities, and by the vulnerability of drug users and drug traffickers to law enforcement activities. Having said that, when compared with other data sources such as drug treatment for example, they can provide a useful indicator of overall drug trends. Alternatively, where law enforcement trends differ from those of other data sources in a given period they may reveal something about specific law enforcement strategies or activities at that time, something that can be further investigated through research.
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Recent publications
by Joan Moore (compiler)
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Upcoming events
by Joan Moore (compiler)
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