'Drug Treatment: the Great Debate' 3rd April: Edinburgh
10th April - Manchester - 13:30 to 16:30
16th April - London - 14:00 to 17:00
DrugScope and the Conference Consortium would like to draw your attention to a series of seminars entitled 'Drug Treatment: the Great Debate' being held in different parts of the UK. The idea for the seminars came from the publication in the January 2008 edition of Druglink of a paper entitled 'The New Abstentionists'. It identified a trend in the UK to promote abstinence as the gold standard treatment goal and outcome, a trend which the paper argues brings with it some useful insights but which might also threaten Britain's harm reduction achievements - above all, maintenance prescribing for opiate dependence. The paper is a personal analysis of the evidence from Mike Ashton based on over a decade collecting and analysing 'what works' research for the Drug and Alcohol Findings project. In the seminars the issues it raises will be scrutinised and debated. Each event will be opened by an introduction from the paper's author followed by contributions from panellists. Then the event will opened up to the delegates for discussion. The organisers particularly want to attract managers of drug treatment services and their staff and clients who can make a contribution to this debate based on their experience and understanding. A pdf of the published 'The New Abstentionists' paper is at: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/resources/goodpractice/treatment/studies.htm Look for the heading 'Burning Questions about Drug Treatment'. A regularly updated draft is at: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/Documents/PDF/Good%20Practice/Ashton_M_30.pdf For more information and to register visit: http://www.conferenceconsortium.org
The Scottish event is sponsored by the parliament's Futures Forum and is free of charge. There is a £15 delegate fee cover the costs of staging the English events.
Meeting the Needs of Diverse Populations: Hard to Reach or Easy to Ignore? Brighton Centre, Brighton. 24th and 25th April 2008 The Royal College of General Practitioners Sex, Drugs and HIV Task Group presents The 13th National Conference: Management of Drug Users in Primary Care. The conference is for GPs, shared care workers, drug users, nurses and other primary care staff, specialists, commissioners, and researchers interested in, and involved with, the management of drug users in primary care. The event will consist of formal conference sessions, workshops, poster displays and paper presentations, films and dedicated networking opportunities. For further information and to book http://www.healthcare-events.co.uk/conf/booking.php Drugs and Alcohol Today – London. Business Design Centre, London. 1st May 2008. This national event opens its doors to some 1,500 people and aims to bring visitors together from across both sectors and regions to debate the latest issues. This one-day event, incorporates a large exhibition, a full and comprehensive seminar programme providing updates on policy and showcasing examples of good practice, and a range of exciting and stimulating activities. It provides a unique opportunity for professionals and managers, involved in preventing and treating substance misuse, service users and those interested in the field to come together to share best practice, network and reflect on the very latest thinking. Tickets – In advance £20 including VAT, On the day £25 Inc VAT, Group Discount – five tickets for £80 including VAT For further information contact Pavilion on 0870 890 1080 or email info@pavpub.com 5th UK/European Symposium on Addictive Disorders 8th, 9th, 10th May 2008. London, UK The conference offers about 40 presentations, with 60 international and national experts in the field, many of whom are also well-known authors and trainers. Speakers include Professor Carlo DiClemente on the Stages of Change model, Professor Alan Marlatt on mindfulness therapy as relapse prevention, NTA chair Baroness Massey, bestselling authors Rokelle Lerner, John Friel and Brenda Shaeffer, Kathy Gingell of Breakthrough Britain, Martin Lee of NOMS, researchers Dr David Best and John Marsden, CSCI lead David Finney, IC and RC president Jeff Wilbee, CARF CEO Nikki Migas, former US deputy drugs czar Dr Andrea Barthwell, Patrick DeChello, Deirdre Boyd. UKESAD topics include: structured interventions, art therapy, chronic pain childhood trauma, sex and love addiction, family-of-origin issues, diagnosing and treating personality disorders, codependency, GLBT issues, "dual diagnosis", offenders, aftercare, the latest pharmacotherapies, a european "round table" among others. To book a place at the conference contact Melissa Gordon, contact Fran Henshall about exhibiting and contact Deirdre Boyd re sponsorship. All available on: 020 7233 5333. Drugs and Alcohol – Scotland. Braehead Arena, Glasgow.10th June 2008 This national event opens its doors to some 1,500 people and aims to bring visitors together from across both sectors and regions to debate the latest issues. This one-day event, comprising a full and comprehensive seminar programme and a large exhibition, will provide a unique opportunity for professionals and managers involved in preventing and treating substance misuse, service users and those interested in joining the profession to come together to debate the big issues, share best practice and network Tickets – In advance £20 including VAT, On the day £25 Inc VAT, Group Discount – five tickets for £80 including VAT For further information contact Pavilion on 0870 890 1080 or email info@pavpub.com
Harm Reduction 2008: IHRA's 19th International conference. Barcelona, Spain 11th-15th May 2008. IHRA has held annual harm reduction conferences around the world since 1990. The most recent event was the 18th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm' in May 2007 and attracted over 1,200 delegates from nearly 90 countries. These events have become must attend events for the harm reduction field - the key forum for the dissemination of ideas, research, projects and practice. They have helped to put harm reduction on the map and to coordinate advances, innovation, evidence and advocacy in this field. For further information/registration click here Perspectives on outreach work in Europe-Reaching Youth at Risk-Working Towards Social Inclusion. Radisson SAS Scandinavia Hotel, Oslo, Norway 22nd-24th April 2008. Norwegian Directorate for Health & Social affairs; Norwegian Directorate for Children; Youth and Family Affairs; Norwegian Association for Outreach Workers | 
