Transcript DrugsandalcoholUpdate_Nov 2010_ru-ok - School

Substance Misuse Update
ru-ok? / Healthy Schools Team
2010
The national picture
National Treatment Agency (NTA) (2009) Substance misuse among young people: The data for 2008-09
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Evidence continues to suggest that overall drug and
alcohol use among young people is declining
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But - more young people are accessing treatment
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Almost nine out of ten are receiving help for problems
associated with cannabis and/or alcohol
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Steady decline in reported problems with hard drugs –
no. of under-18s treated for problems with heroin /
crack has fallen more than a third since 2005-06
The local picture
‘Tellus 3’ survey (2008)
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Illegal drug use has fallen locally but there still appears
to be higher levels of drug use amongst young people in
the city than those nationally: 15% had ever taken drugs
compared with 11% in England
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13.7% had either been drunk or taken drugs or solvents
at least twice in the past four weeks, or had been drunk
and experimented with drugs at least once in their lives
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^^ These findings place Brighton and Hove in top
quartile of local authorities, 26th highest out of 150
Problematic use?
Strong evidence* suggests that some groups are more at
risk of becoming problematic users than others:
Young people who have ever been
• Excluded from school • Homeless
• Frequent truants
• Looked after / in care
• Arrested
In Brighton and Hove it is estimated that 16% of the population
aged 10-16 years, and 30% of the population aged 17 – 19 years
are vulnerable because of these reasons.
* Offending and Criminal Justice Survey (OCJS), S. Roe & J. Ashe (2008).
Interventions to reduce substance misuse among vulnerable young people: guidance, NICE (2007).
Ru-ok?
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Specialist drug and alcohol treatment service for young
people; running since 2004
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Funded by Children and Young People’s Trust and staffed
by a team of health, youth and social care professionals
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Remit to support young people, and their families, with
complex substance concerns - where substance use is
seriously impacting upon a young person’s day-to-day life
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Works with any young person under 18 who is resident
(or at school) in the Brighton & Hove area, who is
experiencing problems with drugs or alcohol and has a
desire to reduce or stop their use
Ru-ok? statistics
Ru-ok? statistics
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204 young people in treatment 2008-2009
Ru-ok? statistics
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204 young people in treatment 2008-2009
Main problem
substances
Alcohol
Alcohol
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Legal drug; often accessed via proxy purchase
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Statistics show a continued decline in the
number of young people drinking alcohol, BUT
those who do drink are drinking more
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Each week, at least 5 young people from
Brighton & Hove attend A&E with alcohol
related problems
Alcohol - risks
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NO safe drinking limits for U18s – alcohol can
damage development of brain and body
Govt. recommend that U15s shouldn’t drink
any alcohol
Young people more likely to get into a fight,
have an accident or have unprotected sex if
they’ve been drinking
Alcohol poisoning can cause severe injury or
even death
Cannabis
Cannabis
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Most widely used illegal drug in UK
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Comes in 3 forms – herbal (‘weed’ / ‘grass’,
‘skunk’), resin (‘hash’, ‘solid’), oil (uncommon)
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Re-classified as Class B drug in Jan 2009. Maximum
penalties = 5 years (possession) 14 years (supply)
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But – agreed police response for 10-17 year olds:
reprimand (1st time), final warning + YOT (2nd
time), arrest (3rd time)
Cannabis - risks
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Regular smokers can become anxious, panicky,
suspicious or paranoid
Danger or lung / throat / mouth disease or cancer,
especially if smoked with tobacco
No firm evidence it directly causes psychotic illness, (e.g.
schizophrenia) BUT evidence that it can hasten preexisting mental illness or cause relapse, esp. for those
with a family history
Regular, heavy use makes it difficult to learn and
concentrate and greatly affects motivation
Heavy users can become psychologically dependent
‘Meow’ / Mephedrone
(4-methylmethcathinone)
aka MCAT / Meph / Drone / Bubble
‘Meow’ / Mephedrone
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Synthetic stimulant which is now illegal to possess in UK
Comes in powder (or occasionally capsule) form, which is
swallowed or snorted
Users report similar effects to Ecstasy / MDMA, and/or
amphetamines/cocaine - i.e. feeling of euphoria,
decreased social inhibitions, increased energy and
talkativeness
‘Meow’ - risks
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Side effects include aggression, anxiety, fits,
blackouts, heart and lung problems, paranoia,
nosebleeds, burnt/sore nose/mouth
Many report bingeing as drug is very addictive
Linked to deaths in Sweden and England (death
in Brighton not attributed directly to drug but
still felt a contributing factor)
The biggest danger is the drug’s unknown
qualities – it has never been medically tested on
humans so no-one knows its toxicity or what the
long-term physical or mental effects could be
Legal Highs
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Untested, unregulated, synthetic ‘copies’ of other
substances
Easily available, ivory wave is available on line as
‘bath salts’
‘Entrepreneurial’ young people are involved in
buying in bulk and selling on
Police have said they will always seize any powder
/ capsule as a suspected controlled drug and send
for testing – if it has been mixed with an illegal
drug they may prosecute
Schools urged to ban drug from premises and
contact police if pupils found with it on site
Ketamine
Ketamine
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Short-acting
but
powerful
dissociative
anaesthetic; used medically during surgery on
animals and humans. Currently Class C.
Comes as liquid or as powder (more common)
High doses can cause powerful hallucinations
and feeling of detachment from self (‘K-hole’)
Users can also experience severely reduced
bodily sensation, numbness of limbs and loss of
co-ordination
Ketamine - risks
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Higher doses can cause unconsciousness, potential
respiratory collapse or heart failure
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Side effects include vomiting, convulsions, damage to
the urinary tract, bladder and kidneys
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The main physical dangers are from context of use:
anaesthetic qualities leave the taker far more helpless
than most ‘recreational’ drugs, therefore highly
vulnerable to accident, injury, or assault
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Regular users can become psychologically dependent
Class A
Ecstasy / MDMA
 LSD / Acid
 Heroin
 Cocaine & Crack
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Magic mushrooms
 Methylamphetamine
(‘crystal meth’)
 Amphetamines if
prepared for injection
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Penalties =
Possession: Up to 7 years / unlimited fine
Supply: Up to life / unlimited fine
Class B
Cannabis
 Synthetic cannabinoids (e.g. ‘Spice’)
 Amphetamines (Speed)
 Methylphenidate (Ritalin)
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Penalties =
Possession: Up to 5 years / unlimited fine
Supply: Up to 14 years / unlimited fine
Class C
Tranquilisers
 Some prescription painkillers
 Ketamine
 GHB (Gamma hydroxybutyrate) / ‘GBL’
 BZP (Benzylpiperazine) and related
piperazine compounds
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Penalties =
Possession: Up to 2 years / unlimited fine
Supply: Up to 14 years / unlimited fine
2nd Floor, Ovest House, 58 West Street, Brighton
BN1 2RA
01273 293966
[email protected]