Alcohol and Drugs

http://www.services.drugs.ie/

http://alcoholdrughelp.org.nz/directory/

• Addiction Helper - free help for anyone affected by addiction with advice on both NHS & private drug and alcohol treatment options - t: 0203 131 8327; w: www.addictionhelper.com.

• Al-Anon - self-help support organisation for families and friends of people with alcohol problems - t: 020 7402 0888; w: www.hexnet.co.uk/alanon/.

• Alcoholics Anonymous - self-help organisation for people dependent on alcohol - t: 020 7833 0022; w: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk.

• Alcohol Focus Scotland - for general alcohol advice & help finding services in Scotland - t: 0141 572 6700, e: enquiries@alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk, w: www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk.

• Cocaine Anonymous - self-help organisation for people dependent on cocaine - t: 0800 612 0225; w: www.cauk.org.uk.

• Counselling Directory - Free and confidential service encouraging those in distress to seek help - t: 0844 8030 240; w: www.counselling-directory.org.uk.

• Drink & Drugs News residential directory - for hardcopy directory of UK residential services - click here.

• Down Your Drink - online programme for people wishing to reduce their alcohol intake - w: www.downyourdrink.org.uk.

• Drinkline - for general alcohol advice and help finding relevant services in England and Wales - t: 0800 917 8282.

• Families Anonymous - self-help organisation for families & friends of people with drug problems - t: 020 7498 4680; w: www.famanon.org.uk.

• FDAP practitioner directory - for list of FDAP members providing support services in private practice - w: click here.

• Health Promotion Agency - for general drugs and alcohol advice & help finding services in N. Ireland - t: 028 9031 1611, w: www.drugsalcohol.info.

• Know the Score - for general drugs advice and help finding services in Scotland - t: 0800 5875879, w: www.knowthescore.info.

• Narcotics Anonymous - self-help organisation for people with drug dependencies - t: 020 7730 0009; w: www.ukna.org.

• National Treatment Agency - for written guidance about drug treatment - click here.

• Release - for drugs support and advice with particular focus on legal and human rights issues - t: 0845 4500 215, w: www.release.org.uk.

• Talk to Frank - for general drugs advice and help finding drug & alcohol services throughout the UK, plus online directory of services - t: 0800 776600, e: frank@talktofrank.com, w: www.talktofrank.com.

• Wales Drug & Alcohol helpline (DAN 24/7)  - for general drugs advice and help finding drug & alcohol services throughout Wales - t: 0808 808 2234, w: www.dan247.org.uk

Government information

Alcohol harm reduction strategy for England (pdf)
This report, published by the prime minister's strategy unit in March 2004, recommended that pubs, clubs and the drinks industry should help to reduce the £20bn-a-year social, economic and healthcare costs of Britain's binge drinking culture. Its recommendations included: clearer labelling of the alcoholic content of drinks; promotion of sensible drinking on alcoholic products; a review of TV adverts to ensure they do not glamorise alcohol or encourage underage drinking; and funding for alcohol education programmes from the drinks industry.

Tackling drugs to build a better Britain 
Details of the government's 10-year anti-drugs strategy, launched in April 1998. It has four main elements: preventing drug misuse among young people; tackling drug-related crime; helping drug misusers overcome their addiction; and cutting off the supply of illegal drugs on the streets. The website contains reports, information on local drug action teams, and details of conferences and other events.

Department of Health: substance misuse
This website provides information on tackling drug misuse for health and social care professionals, plus more general information for parents and young people. It contains reports and guidance on drug policy and the incidence of drug misuse, links to the government's latest drug information campaign, Frank, plus other useful websites.

Alcohol

Alcohol Concern
Promotes public awareness of alcohol issues and lobbies government on the development of policies to tackle problem drinking. Its website includes factsheets on health issues, such as the impact of alcohol on mental health; treatment services; prevention strategies; crime and antisocial behaviour; and criminal penalties. There is also information on conferences and training for healthcare staff.

Alcoholics Anonymous
Information about services provided by the AA, with links to local support groups.

Department of Health: alcohol misuse
Information about government policy on alcohol misuse. Topics include sensible drinking, such as the recommended units of alcohol per week for men and women; the national alcohol harm reduction strategy for England; an archive of national statistics on alcohol consumption; and links to other useful sites.

Institute of Alcohol Studies
An independent educational body that aims to raise awareness of the social and health consequences of alcohol misuse. The charity promotes the adoption of measures to prevent and control alcohol-related problems. Its website contains factsheets, including information on alcohol and mental health, crime and binge drinking; policy briefings; an archive on press coverage of alcohol issues; and links to other sites.

Legal issues

Home Office: misuse of drugs
Home Office site on drug misuse law. Includes a link to the advisory council on drug misuse report.

Treatment

National treatment agency for substance misuse (NTA)
The NTA is a government agency set up to increase the availability, capacity and effectiveness of drug treatment services in England. This site includes details of its national and regional drug programmes, policy briefings, news and a comprehensive directory of other drug websites, including links to local drug action teams.

National treatment outcome research study
Based at the national addiction centre in London's Maudsley hospital, NTORS was the first large-scale follow up study of drug misuse conducted in the UK. It recruited more than 1,000 people who entered drug treatment services in 1995. The 54 community and residential programmes surveyed throughout England included methadone maintenance and reduction programmes, inpatient and residential rehabilitation services. Researchers examined patterns of drug use, health risks, physical and psychological health problems, criminal behaviour and treatment history. Here, the DoH website reports on the five-year follow-up study.

Campaigning

Transform Drug Policy Foundation
Transform is a drug policy thinktank, campaigning for the regulation and control of the production and supply of illegal drugs. This website includes detailed policy briefings and news on drug issues.

Charities

Addaction
Addaction provides support and treatment services to drug and alcohol misusers, particularly young people and offenders. Its website contains drug information, publications, advice for parents, lists of conferences, and details of local projects.

Drugscope
DrugScope was created by the merger of the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence and the Standing Conference on Drug Abuse, two charities with around 60 years in the national and international drugs field. It promotes legal reform, conducts research, provides education and advice, and works with professionals including drug action teams (and their equivalent bodies) throughout the UK. Its website includes a glossary and information on drugs and treatment, good practice guidelines, publications, links to drugs and alcohol services, as well as a searchable library of journals and research.

Release
Release works to meet the health, welfare and legal needs of drug users and their families. Its website provides information on drugs, advice on dealing with the police and courts, the health risks of contaminated heroin and links to useful sites.

Turning Point
Turning Point helps people with problems relating to homelessness, drink, drugs, mental health and learning disabilities to lead a more independent life. Its site outlines its services in the fields of homelessness, substance misuse, HIV/Aids, alcohol, mental health and learning disabilities. It also includes a link to drugworld.org, which offers advice for young people using films and cartoons.

Lifeline
Lifeline provides support services for drug users and their families in the north of England. Its online catalogue includes advice for young people and parents, as well as factsheets on a wide range of topics from clubbing and dance drugs to detox.

Metropolitan police: drug-assisted sexual assault
Website offering advice on preventing drug-assisted sexual assault.

Young people

Know the Score
This website supports the Scottish executive's drugs communications strategy, which rejects the traditional "just say no" message. Know the Score aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of information available to young people and adults about the risks of drugs and treatment services. It provides factsheets on drugs, a directory of services, information on reporting drug related crime and links to useful sites.

Advice

Talk to Frank
This helpline provides confidential advice and information to anyone concerned about drugs, including drug users, their families and those who work with them. Its website contains factsheets on various drugs and their associated health risks.

Research

National Drug Evidence Centre
Based at the University of Manchester, the centre monitors drug misuse and treatment services. Its website includes publications on drug misuse and the criminal justice system in the north-west of England, and links to useful sites.

Society for the Study of Addiction 
The SSA promotes the study of dependence on alcohol, nicotine and other drugs. The society brings together practitioners, researchers and policy makers from across the globe. Its website includes statistics and information on drug and alcohol misuse, conferences and abstracts from its respected journals.

Scotland

Tackling drugs in Scotland: action for partnership
Background information on efforts to tackle drug misuse in Scotland.

Drugs action plan: protecting our future
Details of the Scottish executive's anti-drugs strategy. It proposes alternatives to custodial sentences, a team of 120 drug treatment specialists to work in the prison system and more rehabilitation and treatment facilities for drug users.

Scottish drugs forum
The Scottish drugs forum works with government, service providers and users to shape drugs policy. Its website includes details of conferences, information about its services, contact details for drug action teams and brief news reports.

PHA websites

10,000 voices project:  www.10000voices.info
AAA screening: www.aaascreening.info
Be Cancer Aware: www.becancerawareni.info
Breastfedbabies: www.breastfedbabies.org
Cancer screening: www.cancerscreening.hscni.net 
Choose to live better: www.choosetolivebetter.com
Enjoy Healthy Eating: www.enjoyhealthyeating.info
European Centre for Connected Health: www.telemonitoringni.info
Flu aware NI: www.fluawareni.info
Get a life get active: www.getalifegetactive.com
Help protect yourself: www.helpprotectyourself.info
Know your limits: www.knowyourlimits.info
Minding your head: www.mindingyourhead.info
Organ Donation Northern Ireland: www.organdonationni.info
Sexual Health NI: www.sexualhealthni.info
Space to breathe: www.spacetobreathe.org.uk
Supervision of midwives and the Local Supervising Authority (LSA) in Northern Ireland: www.nipec.hscni.net/supervisionofmidwives
Want 2 stop: www.want2stop.info
Care in the sun: www.careinthesun.org

Health and Social Care organisations

Belfast Trust: www.belfasttrust.hscni.net 
Business Services Organisation: www.hscbusiness.hscni.net
Business Services Transformation Programme: www.bstp.hscni.net/
Health and Social Care Board: www.hscboard.hscni.net
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service: www.niamb.co.uk
Northern Trust: www.northerntrust.hscni.net
Patient and Client Council: www.patientclientcouncil.hscni.net
South Eastern Trust: www.setrust.hscni.net
Southern Trust: www.southerntrust.hscni.net
Western Trust: www.westerntrust.hscni.net

Other HSC websites

Choice and Medication: www.choiceandmedication.org/hscni 
Clinical Research Support Centre: http://www.crsc.hscni.net
Corporate Data Administration: http://hpssweb.n-i.nhs.uk/RegInfo/CorpData/index.htm
Data Protection/Confidentiality: http://hpssweb.n-i.nhs.uk/Data_protection/data_protect.htm
Engage: www.engage.hscni.net
Family support NI:www.familysupportni.gov.uk
Guardian Ad Litem: www.nigala.hscni.net
Health and Social Care Northern Ireland Portal: www.healthandcareni.net
HRMS: http://hrms.hpssweb.n-i.nhs.uk/index.html
HSC Identity (Extranet copy): http://hscidentity.hpssweb.n-i.nhs.uk
HSC (Northern Ireland): www.hscni.net
ICT Programme: http://hscictprogramme.hpssweb.n-i.nhs.uk
Interface Pharmacist Network - Specialist Medicines:www.ipnsm.hscni.net
National Poisons Information Service (NPIS): http://hpssweb.n-i.nhs.uk/NPIS/npis.pdf
NI-CO: www.nico.org.uk
Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service: www.nibts.org
Northern Ireland Cancer Centre: http://hpssweb.n-i.nhs.uk/niccpharmacy/index.html 
Northern Ireland Cancer Network (NICaN): www.cancerni.net
Northern Ireland Cancer Screening (Now under PHA): www.cancerscreening.hscni.net
Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council (NIPEC): www.nipec.hscni.net
Regional Payroll Coding: http://hpssweb.n-i.nhs.uk/RegInfo/rpc
Regional User Groups: http://hpssweb.n-i.nhs.uk/RegInfo/RUG/index.html
Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland: www.safeguardingni.org/childsexualexploitation (Helpline: 0800 389 1701; campaign site www.safertoknow.info)
Southern Area Children’s Services Planning (SACSP): www.southernareacsp.n-i.nhs.uk

DHSSPS

DHSSPS: www.dhsspsni.gov.uk 
DHSSPS extranet: http://dhsspsextra.intranet.nigov.net

Other

Childcare choices: www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/parents/childcare/types-of-childcare.htm
Community Pharmacy NI: www.communitypharmacyni.co.uk 
nidirect: www.nidirect.gov.uk 
Northern Ireland Executive: www.northernireland.gov.uk 
RPA: www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/hss/rpa-home.htm 

Primary Care

Local GP Practices: www.n-i.nhs.uk/index.php?link=gps

Cross-border health related

Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT): www.cawt.com
Health Well: www.thehealthwell.info
Institute of Public Health in Ireland: www.publichealth.ie 
IPH Health Impact Assessment: www.publichealth.ie/hia

Community and Voluntary organisations

Action Cancer: www.actioncancer.org
Belfast Pride: www.belfastpride.com
Cancer Focus Northern Ireland: www.cancerfocusni.org 
Cara-Friend: www.cara-friend.org.uk 
Community Development and Health Network: www.cdhn.org
Epilepsy Action: www.epilepsy.org.uk
Family Ties Project: www.familytiesproject.org.uk
Gay Helpline:www.gayhelplinebelfast.org.uk
Glyni: www.glyni.org.uk 
Healthy Living Centre Alliance: www.hlcalliance.org 
HIV Support Centre:www.thehivsupportcentre.org.uk
Lesbian Advocacy Services Initiative (Lasi):www.lasionline.org
Lesbian Line: www.lesbianlinebelfast.org.uk
Macmillan: www.macmillan.org.uk
Northern Ireland Rare Disease Partnership (NIRDP):www.nirdp.org.uk
The Rainbow Project:www.rainbow-project.org
Ulster Cancer Foundation:www.ulstercancer.org (Now called Cancer Focus Northern Ireland: www.cancerfocusni.org)

National and International government (Health and related)

Department of Health (England): www.dh.gov.uk/en/index.htm 
Department of Health and Ageing (Australia): www.health.gov.au 
Department of Health and Children (Republic of Ireland): www.dohc.ie 
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Northern Ireland): www.dhsspsni.gov.uk 
Health Canada: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php 
Health England: www.healthengland.org 
Health in Wales: www.wales.nhs.uk 
Health Protection Agency (UK): www.hpa.org.uk 
Health Protection Scotland: www.hps.scot.nhs.uk 
Health Scotland: www.healthscotland.com 
Health Service Executive (Ireland): www.hse.ie/eng 
NHS Choices: www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx 
NHS Direct: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk 
Public Health Wales: www.publichealthwales.wales.nhs.uk

Training, Education and Research

HONNI QUB Medical Library: www.honni.qub.ac.uk 
HSC Leadership Centre: www.leadership.hscni.net 
Institute of Public Health in Ireland Health Impact Assessment: www.publichealth.ie/hia
NHS Evidence in Health and Social Care: www.evidence.nhs.uk 
Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development (NICPLD): www.nicpld.org
Northern Ireland Public Health Research Network: www.niphrn.org.uk

Media

BBC Health: www.bbc.co.uk/health 
BBC Headroom (Learning about good mental health): (Local) www.bbc.co.uk/headroomni and (National) www.bbc.co.uk/headroom