A new guide summarising the health harms of drugs, including alcohol, has been published by the Department of Health and the National Treatment Agency. The guide is aimed at supporting non-medical practitioners working with substance misuse issues.
A summary of the health harms of drugs updates the 2003 Dangerousness of Drugs guide, outlining acute and chronic problems associated with each substance, as well as:
- Factors that mediate or moderate the risk
- Potential health risks linked to substances commonly added to illicit drugs
- The influence of different circumstances of use, e.g poly-substance abuse
The guide for drug and alcohol treatment professionals provides the most up to date scientific evidence on the health harms arising from licit and illicit substance misuse. The update includes new drugs since the guide was last published, such as novel synthetic drugs and takes a more in-depth look at the potential harms of using more than one drug and the adulterants commonly added to illegal drugs.
Public information on the effects on alcohol, and further resources, can be found on the NHS Choices alcohol pages, or from the industry funded Drinkaware site. Alcohol resources for professionals can be found on the Alcohol Learning Centre.
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