16th annual Service of Commemoration and Hope
by Ena Lynn
On Sunday 1 February 2015 the National Family Support Network (NFSN) held its 16th annual Service of Commemoration and Hopein remembrance of loved ones lost to substance misuse and related causes. Its purpose is to publicly support and offer hope to families living with the devastation that substance misuse causes. Those in attendance included the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke;Commander Kieran Carey, aide-de-camp to the Taoiseach; Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan;Bishop Éamonn Walsh, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin,and other religious representatives; and family members, friends, and many people working in the drugs area. Music was provided by the soprano Linda Allen and the North Dublin Community Gospel Choir.
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Women and non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD)
by Brigid Pike
Understanding the gender dimension of drug use and drug use disorders is a critical requirement in developing effective policy and practice. A ground-breaking study by the Council of Europe’s Pompidou Group investigates women’s use of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons, i.e. women who have been prescribed a medication by a doctor but are continuing to use it without the doctor’s approval, OR they have obtained the medication from somebody else, not an authorised prescriber.1
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The challenge of controlling new psychoactive substances (NPS)
by Johnny Connolly
The number and diversity of new psychoactive substances (NPS) reported in Europe in recent years represent a major challenge for Europe’s policymakers. In 2013, 81 NPS were notified to the EU early-warning system (EU–EWS),1 bringing the number of substances monitored to more than 350. As part of its Perspectives on Drugs (POD) series (see separate report on POD elsewhere in this issue), the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has published an online and interactive analysis of the policy and legal challenges posed by NPS for European legal systems.2 This article summarises the key points arising out of this POD analysis.
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Financing drug policy during the recession
by Brigid Pike
A recent EMCDDA Paper explores how the economic recession that started in 2008 affected public spending on drug-related initiatives in EU member states, including Ireland.1 The authors used quantitative and qualitative data provided in the annual reports of the national focal points (NFPs), including the Irish NFP based in the Health Research Board. Using this data, they examined public expenditures on health, social protection and public order and safety, as these are the areas of government activity where most drug-related activities are provided.
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Towards UNGASS 2016
by Brigid Pike
Since Issue 48, Drugnet Ireland has carried ‘Towards UNGASS 2016’ as a regular column. It reports on policy initiatives, research and debates launched by UN member states and civil society organisations in the lead-up to the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem, due to be held in 2016 (A/RES/67/193).
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