WELCOME

Welcome to the charity's 'online newspaper', created to promote, support and enhance long-term sustainable recovery from addictions/dependencies of all kinds. We are delighted to receive and disseminate constructive comments, blogs, articles and research. Keep them rolling in!  Deirdre Boyd, editor.

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  PROGRAMME NOW AVAILABLE FOR UKESAD 2009

Enjoy the 8-page guide to the UK and Europe's most popular conference on treating addiction. 
Download UKESAD programme-Jan 2009

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Last updated 13 January 2009

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QUESTIONS THE NTA DECLINED TO ANSWER IN 2008

As 15 rehabs closed in as many months, drug deaths rise and drug offences rise, the public has a right to accurate answers from the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. Read today/Comment.

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  STAFF CHANGES AT THE NTA - click here for details.

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OTHER RECRUITMENT

Alcohol Concern is seeking a business development manager. Click here for details.

RAPt is seeking a senior counsellor. Click here for details.

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RESEARCH ON REHAB SUCCESS

Click here for large-scale empirical research.

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REHABS CLOSING - LATEST COUNT

The following rehabs have closed in the past year or more, no longer offering healthy futures for people desperate to recover from dependency/addiction to drugs including alcohol:

• Ayurva (Selhurst Clinic), Farnborough
• Thurston House, London 
• Pierpoint Women's Unit, Lancashire
• Two Saints, Hampshire
• Phoenix Futures London Residential Service
• Priory Farm Place, Surrey
• Priory Coach House (extended care)
• Barleywood, Somerset
• Murray Lodge, Coventry
• Bethany Lodge Women & Baby Unit (Hebron House women's unit still here)
• Phoenix Bexhill
• Henderson Therapeutic Community, Sutton
• Isham House has stopped treating addictions patients
• Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Norfolk, is in administration
• One centre put one of its companies into liquidation and is selling premises but does not wish to be named
• The Manse closed as Adapt's second-stage unit but has been re-established by Johnny Mack.

The NTA confirmed that only 2% of patients are referred to rehab. Read today/Comment.

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BROADCASTING TO BUILD RECOVERY

 Two new recovery resources - the Afflicted and Affected online shows for addiction experts, and Soberfulldog blogs for people in recovery - have arrived to help professionals, people in recovery and members of the general public who want to know more. Watchtoday|Comment.

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SURVEY: DOCTORS SPEAK OUT

A survey commissioned by Addiction Today of all doctors in private practice across the UK makes heartbreaking reading when it comes to treating people with alcohol and drug problems. Of the first 114 doctors who responded:

• 96.5% are currently treating patients with alcohol problems
• 90.4% have seen patients die from alcohol problems
• 88.6% see these patients presenting with co-occurring mental issues
• 72.8% treat heavy-drinking patients who also present with tobacco-related problems
• 83.3% see patients with illicit-drug problems.

The full results were in the September 2008 issue of Addiction Today journal.

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OVER 160 CHILDREN EACH WEEK ENTER HOSPITAL DUE TO ALCOHOL

The NHS Information Centre revealed that 8,494 children younger than 18 years ended up in hospital for alcohol-related problems in 2007. Read today/Comment.

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CATCH UP ON THE 10-YEAR DRUG STRATEGY TO 2018

Drugs: Protecting families and communities underscores that: "The goal of all treatment is for drug users to achieve abstinence from their drug – or drugs – of dependency." Read today/Comment.

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ADDICTED CELEBRITIES NEED HELP NOT MOCKERY

Click on the screen below to watch the excellent CBS show featuring Craig Ferguson on recovery – almost 1 million people have.

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TREATMENT-CENTRE LEAGUE TABLES

“They are not league tables,” insists Peter Burkinshaw of the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, when discussing joint reviews by the Healthcare Commission and the NTA of alcohol- and drug-treatment providers, to identify and promote improvements where needed. The results were due this autumn – but have been delayed until January 2009. Read today/Comment.

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THE GUIDE TO REHAB - WHAT REALLY WORKS

20 research facts everyone should know about rehab treatment for alcohol and drugs dependency

In late 1999, Dr David Best (who was working with the National Addiction Centre), Addiction Today editor Deirdre Boyd and the then-CEO of EATA met to initiate an easy-to-use reference document about addiction treatment which could be used by professionals and general public, and which not only covered the key issues but were based on incontrovertible research addressing those issues. EATA requested Addiction Today to publish in full the key research findings - seven years later, we republish the facts.  They have not dated. Read today/Comment.