Scottish Drugs Forum
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26 August 2005
The deadline for the Scottish Executive's second round of consultations on the proposed Hepatitis C Action Plan for Scotland is 26 September 2005.
The draft Action Plan was launched for consultation on 26 June (opens in new browser window) and follows an initial consultation to interested parties thorughout Scotland.
SDF plans to re-submit its initial reponse on the issue on the grounds that the isuses remain pertinent.
The top three priorities in the SDF response were to:
1. Massively increase the availability of clean injecting equipment, linked to the development of effective outreach services.
2. Ensure methadone treatment programmes in Scotland work to a uniform quality standard and optimum effectiveness.
3. Implement a widescale programme of education and early intervention with vulnerable young people and problem drug users, particularly those considering or at the beginning of an injecting career.
See attached document - Membership Final Response to Executive Hep C Plan
Any members who have additional comments which they feel should be added to the response, please email them to lisa@sdf.org.uk by Thursday 22 September 2005.
20 June 2005
PROPOSALS for compulsory blood-testing of crime suspects who come into high risk contact with police, frontline workers and victims of crime is a disproportionate response to the true level of risk of contracting bloodborne viruses, according to Scottish Drugs Forum members.
For more details, go to Membership News 20 June 2005 or click here to see the SDF response in PDF format (21KB, you will need Acrobat Reader - opens in new window) or click here to see it in Word format.
17 May 2005
The Scottish Executive is seeking views on its proposals to permit mandatory testing for bloodborne viruses of crime suspects coming into at-risk contact with police, frontline workers and victims of crime.
Scottish Drugs Forum is seeking views from our membership on the issue. HIV Scotland (opens new browser window) has prepared a draft response opposing the proposals. Please click on here to view or download the HIV Scotland draft response. (Word version)
Please contact SDF with your comments regarding the HIV Scotland draft response or any other views you would wish SDF to take into account for our own submission to the Executive.
You can view the Executive's proposals under Consultations on the Scottish Executive website (opens new browser window).
Please submit your comments to Lyn@sdf.org.uk or fax 0141 248 6414 by Monday 23rd May 2005. Alteratively write to Scottish Drugs Forum, Shaftesbury House, 5 Waterloo Place, Glasgow G2 6AY.
4 May 2005
SCOTTISH Drugs Forum is to consult members over the Scottish Executive’s proposals to permit mandatory testing for bloodborne viruses of crime suspects coming into at-risk contact with police, frontline workers and victims of crime.
This consultation paper sets out proposals in response to a petition by the Scottish Police Federation in 2002 which called for mandatory blood testing of anyone who had caused a police officer to be exposed to risk of infection with a blood-borne virus such as HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said: “I consider that the threat of such infection could be of concern not only to police officers but also to other front-line workers and indeed to anyone who, as a victim of crime, finds himself or herself at risk of contracting a blood-borne viral infection.
“We are sympathetic to the Scottish Police Federation’s call for mandatory blood testing to be provided in certain circumstances — provided that this can be done in an appropriate way with appropriate safeguards. Our proposals for legislation would introduce mandatory blood testing in specific circumstances.”
Among the suggestions on the consultation are that people could apply to know the BBV status of another individual if they reasonably believe that they are at risk of infection:
• as a result of being a victim of an alleged crime (which would include police officers, health service workers and others who are assaulted in the course of their duty)
• while fulfilling duties as a police officer dealing with a crime allegedly committed by the individual;
• as a member of the public giving assistance to the police or a suspect, in connection with a crime incident.
The consultation ends on 20 May - see www.scotland.gov.uk.
James Egan, Head of Customer Services for SDF, said: "We are currently preparing a draft response which will be circulated shortly to members for their comments. In the meantime, members wishing to submit their views independently can do so by emailing Lyn@sdf.org.uk
4 May 2005
SCOTTISH Drugs Forum has voiced its opposition to proposals for mandatory drug testing of anyone aged 16 and over arrested for Class A drugs or drugs related “trigger” offences.
SDF says that testing arrestees will not deliver an effective return on investment and that crime could be cut by developing high quality treatment services instead.
In its consultation document, “Supporting police, protecting communities”,www.scotland.gov.uk, (opens new window) the Scottish Executive proposes a Police Bill which will:
• require those testing positive for a class A drug to attend an assessment of their drug problem. This power would be discretionary and could only be exercised by a senior police officer.
• allow senior police officers to authorise drug testing and referral in cases where a person has been arrested for a non-trigger offence, where they reasonably believe that misuse of a class A drug has caused or contributed to the offence.
In its submission – which follows consultation with SDF members, SDF states that the proposed measures will be costly and will not deliver value for money compared to investment in other areas of the response such as voluntary treatment.
Among the criticisms in the submission are that the procedure will:
• Divert significant additional police time away from other issues of community concern – including the impact of alcohol misuse
• Existing Arrest Referral schemes - in areas where they work well - already identify significant numbers of problem drug users and refer them on to treatment
• The effectiveness of many schemes is already hampered by waiting times for access to treatment in many parts of Scotland
• More non-dependent drug users are bound to be picked up in the process – leading to inappropriate referrals to already overloaded treatment agencies.
You can view or download the SDF response to the Police Bill here ( 111KB, Word version).
However, the Scottish proposals fall short of new legislation in the Drugs Act 2005 (opens new window) which came into force on 7 April and which gives police forces south of the border additional powers which are not being extended to Scotland – such as powers to order X-rays or ultrasound to test for drug “swallowers”.
Nevertheless, dealing near a school, or using children as couriers for drugs or drugs-related money, is to be an aggravating factor in sentencing under amendments in the Drugs Act 2005 to the UK-wide Misuse of Drugs Act. Those caught with more drugs than reasonable for personal use can be treated as intending to supply, which carries tougher penalties.
The new Drugs Act makes the sale of fresh “magic mushrooms” also now illegal throughout the UK and defines it as a Class A drug alongside heroin, with similar penalties for supplying.
21 April 2005
PROPOSALS for mandatory drug testing of anyone aged 16 and over arrested for Class A drugs or drugs related "trigger" offences have been unveiled by the Scottish Executive.
In its consultation document, "Supporting police, protecting communities", www.scotland.gov.uk
The Executive proposes to:
· enable the police to require those testing positive for a class A drug to attend an assessment of their drug misuse. This power would be discretionary and could only be exercised by a senior police officer.
· give powers to senior police officers to authorise drug testing and referral in cases where a person has been arrested for a non-trigger offence, where they reasonably believes that misuse of a class A drug has caused or contributed to the offence.
DRAFT SDF RESPONSE
Scottish Drugs Forum has drawn up a draft response to the Police Bill in which we state our opposition to the proposal for mandatory drug testing of arrestees on two grounds:
· there is no guarantee that treatment services will be able to offer immediate access to treatment. The current proposals only ensure that people testing positively will be referred for assessment of their problem.
· the most cost effective way forward is to invest in the development of high quality treatment services - providing immediate access to treatment effectively retains clients and thus reduces the likelihood of criminal activity.
You can view or download the proposed SDF response to the Police Bill (Word Version) here.
We hope you agree with this - please let us know your thoughts as soon as possible.
Please send your comments to Lyn Stirling at SDF, email lyn@sdf.org.uk or in writing to Lyn at Scottish Drugs Forum, Shaftesbury House, 5 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6AY, to arrive no later than the end of business on Thursday 28th April 2005.
12 April 2005
More than 40 people attended the one-day consultation event in Glasgow on 10 March 2005 to revise and update the existing national Scottish Needle Exchange Workers’ Forum (SNEWF) guidelines in light of recent policy changes affecting the services. The event was organised by Scottish Drugs Forum, in partnership with SNEWF.
Following discussion, draft guidelines are to be presented to a SNEWF sub-group at its next meeting on Friday 29 April and thereafter, at the full SNEWF meeting in Aberdeen on Tuesday 14 June.
The aim is to publish final revised guidelines late summer but this is contingent on two existing pieces of work – the forthcoming publication of the National Hepatitis Action Plan (Scotland) and the Effective Interventions Unit's mapping exercise of needle syringe services in Scotland, led by Dawn Griesbach.
The consultation looked at four key areas :
Training issues for those providing services i.e. NHS Harm Reduction Teams, Pharmacists and Voluntary Sector? Key topics included minimum training standards, monitoring and evaluation, resources for training, there is a need to look at staff attitudes and national provision of training in this area.
Dealing with special issues - topics covered here included working with under 16’s, pregnant drug users, providing paraphernalia, and return of injecting equipment.
Delivering services - looked at differing services available, explored what is provided, needing to be provided and baseline dat required.
Policy areas – Concern that joint futures/childcare agenda may prevent women injectors using services; inherent tensions of harm reduction services engaging with criminal justice services (including ASBO’s); not considered a priority by Drug Action Team. The Human Rights Act was also mentioned.
7 March 2005
Scottish Drugs Forum has submitted a formal reponse to the Scottish Executive's consultation on the Hepatitis C Action Plan for Scotland. This incorporates feedback from the recent membership consultation on the issue.
The SDF response (in Word format) can be viewed here.
Thanks to all who contributed their views on this important topic.
The Scottish Executive has asked for views on the three top priorities for action with the new Plan, to cover prevention and management of Hepatitis C. Click here to see the Executive’s letter asking for responses.
10 February 2005
Scottish Drugs Forum, in partnership with Scottish Needle Exchange Workers’ Forum (SNEWF), is hosting a one-day conusltation event in Glasgow on 10 March 2005 to revise and update the existing national SNEWF guidelines in light of recent policy changes affecting the services. These include recent amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) which now allow wider provision of paraphernalia, such as citric acid and water for injection.
This event is open to those working with injecting drug users in various settings – from pharmacy exchange, harm reduction teams, outreach and residential settings. The workshop format will seek views in areas such as how services are delivered, training, wider policy and special issues such as confidentiality.
You can download a flyer and booking form here.
31 January 2005
A member of the Scottish Executive Review team has met with SdF Director David Liddell to look specifically at the role of social work in relation to drug users. Submission of a formal response to the Review is under consideration. The consultation period ends 17 March 2005.
SdF response to Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) consultation to add Naloxone to the range of prescription only medicines - consultation ended 17 January 2005.
SdF response to Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) consultation on regulations on supply of sterile water by needle exchange and other non-clinical tretament workers - consultation period ended 11 January 2005.