Basic HTML Version
immediately acknowledged that the
existing policy was flawed and declared
that the country had to change course
in major ways to head us towards a
drug-free society.
And the strategy they announced
was fabulous when compared to what
had gone before for six decades,
ie
pretty much what Caroline Lucas
appears to look for.
The first strand of their new policy
is ‘reduce demand’, which they are
striving for by seeking to recover
addicts from their addiction – because
they have understood that it is addicts
who create demand, not non-users.
They have also set a goal for
‘recovery to lasting abstinence’ in place
of ‘habit management’, and underlined
this by disbanding the NTA and
introducing Payment by Results based
on a certified outcome of ‘12 months
free of addictive substance usage’.
But it takes time to dismantle and
replace the deeply embedded failed
policies of more than 60 years,
especially as there has been not only
the usual inertia and natural
resistance to change, but also
determined efforts both overt and
covert by the long incumbent treatment
providers, commissioners and
prescribers to protect their jobs,
incomes and the tolerant lack of real
results they have long enjoyed.
So let’s avoid uninformed calls for
changes until the current 2010 drug
strategy is actually out of the starting
blocks and into delivering a return to
the natural state of relaxed
abstinence into which 99 per cent of
the population is born.
Kenneth Eckersley, CEO Addiction
Recovery Training Services (ARTS)
ARE YOU A
SOCIAL WORKER?
Or perhaps you have a colleague who
is? The British Association of Social
Workers (BASW) Special Interest
Group (SIG) in Alcohol and other
Drugs is looking to establish a
database of social workers
specialising in substance use.
The SIG is keen to ensure its
events and resources meet the needs
of professionals who specialise in
substance use as well as those who
specialise in other areas of social work
practice and who want to learn more
about responding to substance use.
We would use the database for
consultation on policy responses, as
well as consultation on future events
and resources.
If you would like to be added to
our database, please contact
Sarah Richards at BASW on
s.richards@basw.co.uk or the chair of
the SIG, Sarah Galvani, on
sarah.galvani@beds.ac.uk.
Sarah Galvani
MAKE MUSIC
The Phoenix Re:Cover Music Project
(see news, page 5), is looking for
anyone who has been affected by
addiction and want to use their passion
for making music to communicate their
experience and story.
The project will give a small
number of people the chance to
record two songs, one original and one
cover, both of which tell a story or give
an insight into addiction. Each solo
artist or group will have a day in a
recording studio to record their songs
with the help and support of an
industry professional mentor. The final
recorded songs will be posted online
for the public to vote on their favourite
and the solo artist or group with the
most votes will receive a prize
package worth £1,500 (to spend on,
for example, making a music video,
vouchers for musical equipment, or
music training sessions).
Have you or someone you know
been affected by drug or alcohol
addiction? Do you have a passion for
making music and want to
communicate your story? If so you
can apply today.
Any support for the project is really
appreciated; we need people to spread
the word and we'd also be interested
in speaking to anyone who’d like to
partner with us for an even more
ambitious Re:Cover in 2014.
To find out more about supporting,
or applying to, the project, visit
www.phoenix-futures.org.uk/recover or
contact me at recover@phoenix-
futures.org.uk.
Vicky Holdsworth, marketing officer,
Phoenix Futures
We welcome your letters...
Please email them to the editor, claire@cjwellings.com or post them
to the address on page 3. Letters may be edited for space or clarity –
please limit submissions to 350 words.
Letters |
Family matters
September 2013 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 11
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
WHILE THE SUN IS STILL SHINING
and we enjoy
the rest of the summer at Adfam HQ, our
thoughts have turned to chillier festive times
as we start to plan our annual carol concert.
Each year this event is lit up by the words of
families who have lived through a loved one’s
addiction and entered our Family Voices
competition. It always serves as a wonderful
reminder of their strength and resilience to get
through the dark times, but also in speaking
out to share their stories.
Last year’s winners aged from seven years to
in their 60s, highlighting the huge impact drugs
and alcohol can have across the whole life journey of family members. Our
winner last year was a grandmother who shared the pain of seeing her
grandson grow up with parents who use drugs.
MY GRANDSON
A tiny baby wrapped up so tight
Crying helpless through the night
What’s wrong? He looks fine to me
But his pain is deep where we cannot see
A pain that was put there by his mummy
Because she took heroin while he was in her tummy
This tiny baby is growing up strong, looks around and thinks ‘what’s
gone wrong’?
Why has my life been so sad when all I want is a mam and dad?
A mam and dad he needed most but instead he was passed from pillar
to post
First his dad, then his mam, but he always had to go back to his gran
His gran was the one who held him tight, kept him safe through
the night
But he knew this wasn’t how things should be, why could one of them
not see?
They tried and tried but all in vain to rid themselves of all the pain
One would duck one would dive one would run one would hide
One way out... they had to split to rid themselves of all of it
They did the thing they thought was right
But one won the battle... one lost the fight
Now 16 years and college bound that tiny baby won’t look around
He’s come through so much but he’s not sad
Today he’s happy... he lives with his DAD
If you would like to enter this year’s competition you can find the details
on our website or email your entry to carols@adfam.org.uk.
Joss Smith is director or policy and regional development at Adfam,
www.adfam.org.uk
FAMILY MATTERS
VOICES OF STRENGTH
Adfam’s Family Voices competition turns
the darkest times into inspiration for other
families, says
Joss Smith