With the introduction of the new National Drugs Strategy and Action Plan (Drugs: protecting families and communities) the Government has emphasised the importance of providing timely support for young people, families, and their communities. Increasingly, emphasis is placed on evidence based approaches, although developing and delivering interventions based on research is difficult. This is particularly challenging when faced with a range of evidence from different disciplines and with different qualities. This conference will present the latest evidence and understanding on a range of young people’s substance use issues. It will present policy discussions, examples from practice, theory driven interventions, and wider discussions of the role of substance use in young people’s lives today.

This conference will focus on Drug Strategy priorities and provide evidence based practice and policy responses to the issues;

• Delegates will learn about, and be able to discuss the latest information and evidence relating to young people’s substance misuse issues;
• The conference will facilitate the exchange of knowledge, views and experiences between diverse professions and disciplines;
• To promote collaborations between policy makers, practitioners, and academics.

The conference will be of interest to a diverse range of individuals and organisations and we wish to encourage participation from all sectors, including:

• Specialist drug workers;
• General young person workers;
• Charity and community workers;
• Police;
• Educators;
• Commissioners;
• D(A)ATs;
• Applied Researchers;
• Academics;
• Students (drug professionals; taught and research post graduates).

SPEAKERS

Speakers include (subject to change)

Matthew Scott, Substance Use Lead, DCSF, whose team helped develop the YP element of the new Drugs Strategy;
Professor Chad Werch (University of North Florida), who has designed and delivered effective and innovative prevention interventions in the USA for 20 years;
Professor Scott Decker (Arizona State University), who is one of the world’s leading experts on youth drug-related crime and violence, and has delivered and evaluated effective gang prevention interventions;

Dr Michael MacIlwee (Liverpool JMU), history of youth gangs since the 19th century;
Dr Judith Aldridge (University of Manchester), drug use and dealing in youth gangs;
Local responses to youth gangs in the UK (projects from Manchester, Liverpool);

Prof Marina Barnard (Glasgow University), responding to drug use in families;
Dr Donald Forrester (UCL), social work responses to drug use in families;
Option 2 Project (Swansea), Adapting US family practice for the UK;

Professor David Foxcroft (Oxford Brookes University), Strengthening Families prevention programme for families with substance use problems in the UK;
TBC, Blueprint;
Dr Fabrizio Faggiano (Avogadro University of Eastern Piedmont, Italy), A Comprehensive Social Influence prevention program: the EUropean Drug Abuse Prevention (EUDAP) project;

Prof Mark Bellis (Liverpool JMU), public health responses to young people’s drug issues;
Dr Margaret Melrose (University of Bedfordshire), Young cannabis users and the law;
TBC, UK drug policy review.

ORGANISERS

Centre for Public Health (CPH) at Liverpool John Moores University (www.cph.org.uk). CPH is a vibrant research and teaching community with an international reputation for its original research, evidence review, evaluation, and substance use intelligence systems.

FEES

Full - £160

Early bird (before 1/8/8) - £125

Full time students (with ID) - £125

Early bird student discount (before 1/8/8) - £80

Community and voluntary organisations can contact us for special rates

Accommodation is not included in the registration fee but a list of nearby hotels (various prices) will be provided on registration. Please note that we do not endorse any of the hotels listed.

For further information please contact: l.wilkinson@ljmu.ac.uk

All other conferences are listed in date order: