New Scottish drugs strategy launched

The first national drugs strategy since devolution was launched on Thursday 29th May. Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing hailed it as "a new era" in Scotland's approach to tackling drugs. He said promoting recovery from drug problems would now form the focus of efforts to tackle drug use. Ministers believe the strategy will help cut the estimated annual £2.6 billion financial burden of problem drug use to the Scottish economy and society. The document can be found here and the Scottish Government press release can be found here. Further information on the strategy can be found here.

Report published: "How much are people in Scotland really drinking?"

The report "How much are people in Scotland really drinking? A review of data from Scotland's routine national surveys" has been published today by the Scottish Public Health Observatory.

The report assesses the extent to which Scotland's routine national surveys reflect true drinking behaviour. Comparing survey estimates with sales data, it shows that survey underestimation of alcohol consumption has increased (due to larger and stronger drinks) and suggests that people in Scotland may be drinking twice as much as surveys have previously reported. The report concludes with recommendations for the improvement of Scottish survey data on alcohol consumption so that they provide a more accurate picture of Scottish drinking. The report can be accessed here.

Website targets health information at people with learning difficulties

Generate (a charity for people with mild to moderate learning difficulties) has collaborated with the Department of Health to launch Easyhealth.org.uk. The website contains health information from more than 50 organisations and was built to make it easier for people to find health information they can understand. The website is designed to be as easy to use as possible for all patients but particularly for those patients with lower reading skills/levels. Most of the information is free and can be downloaded immediately. The website can be found here.

May Day holiday

The Maria Henderson Library will be closed on Monday 5th May for the public holiday. We will be open as usual on Tuesday 6th May.