One of Ireland's Garda’s drug unit based in west Dublin, have made one of the biggest drug seizures of the year with the discovery of a consignment of heroin valued at an estimated €2.25 million.

Source article on Irish Times

Wolfgang Götz, Director of the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA), comments that 'Cooperation in the drugs field must cross borders if we are to build a more accurate picture of the drug situation and responses to it in the EU and its neighbouring countries'.

Source article on EMCDDA

A survey carried out by Dumfries and Galloway Police Constabularly has found little awareness about the dangers of taking so-called "legal highs".

Source article on BBC News

Article from the Independent.ie which discusses the recent increase in the use of heroin in Ireland and an upsurge in burglaries.

Source article on Independent.ie

Fife constabulary have seized drugs including cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis resin, with an estimated value of about £600,000 in the Dunfermline area.

Source article on BBC News

Dr. Neil McKeganey, the drugs expert responsible for setting up the Centre for Drug Misuse Research at the University of Glasgow in 1994, has been given the prestigious Nils Bejerot Award for his contribution to research and policy related to substance misuse.

Source article on HeraldScotland

Iain Duncan Smith, in an address to Alcohol Anonymous, has said that the state needs to go further to help those with alcohol and drug problems recover and make them employable in the future.

Source article on BBC news

Martin Baines, Chief Executive of Drugscope has responded to reports "that Ministers believe that stopping benefits is an appropriate or effective way of engaging people with drug or alcohol treatment and supporting their recovery".

Source articles on Drugscope

Proposals for a new drug-driving law for England, Scotland and Wales are being considered in the UK Parliament, which would see drug-driving become a specific offence with a jail term and fine.

Source articles on BBC News, ITV News

Crime profits from drug-dealing have been stripped from a former mortgage advisor caught trafficking in cannabis and cocaine worth around £1 million.

Source articles on BBC News

A ground-breaking "Peer mentoring" project is being extended to raise awareness of substance misuse issues in the workplace.

Source article on the Welsh Government

The Scottish Drugs Forum is advertising vacancies for those interested in developing a career working with people with addiction problems in social care. Interviews for the posts are being held at the end of May, 2012. For more information visit the link provided below.

Source article on Scottish Drugs Forum

Deaprtment of Health in England publishes details this week of a letter which sets out policy for provision of substance misuse services in England.

Source article on Department of Health (England)

A new report released last week by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse in England has estimated that every £100 invested in drug treatment services prevents a crime being committed, with a cumulative saving of £960 million a year.

Source article on NTA for Substance Misuse

Members of the public are being encouraged to act as watchdogs to prevent drugs being smuggled into Scotland's prisons, as part of a nationwide scheme currently being rolled out.

Source article on the Scotsman

Scottish Drugs Forum’s Addiction Worker Training Project (AWTP) is to be given almost £600,000 in Big Lottery Funding with the aim of expanding its award-winning work in training people with a history of substance use problems for a career in social care.

Source article on Scottish Drugs Forum

Article highlighting the recent expansion of cannabis farms with police forces reporting raids on 20 illegal farms a day in the UK.

Source article on The Independent

A review recently produced by EMCDDA-Europol has reported that new psychoactive substances are being detected in the EU at the rate of about one a week.

Source article on EMCDDA

The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse(NTA) in England is proposing to amend the NDTMS dataset it collects for young people receiving specialist treatment for problem drug misuse.

Source article on NTA