Student Annalie Clark musters the courage to go out and about with a drug and alcohol worker. She emerges with rather changed perceptions [Drink and Drugs News, UK]

Professor David Clark reflects on the ways that drugs, alcohol and solvents can cause harm, and describes various risk factors.

WIRED projects with the Peterborough Nene Drug Interventions Programme and BAC O'Connor Centre lead to 29 new stories.

Media outraged as model Kate Moss is discovered to be using cocaine! It’s all a bit familiar, says Kevin Flemen [Drink and Drugs News]

Views of parents and partners in Peterborough

A qualitative analysis of the experiences and views of clients on the Peterborough Nene Drug Interventions Programme

Links to the main stories, opinions and more unsual articles of 2003.

WIRED research team also ask who is responsible for the high unemployment amongst these groups and who is reponsible for changing the situation?

Alison describes her descent into alcoholism and her recovery. "Learning to live clean is good, coz there’s lots of things you think you can’t do but you can."

Ever think it would be good to know what other treatment workers are doing, what experiences they have, and how they deal with certain problems and situations?

Difficulties experienced by a father in trying to get help for his son who wants to overcome his heroin addiction.

Talk delivered by a mother at a recent conference entitled Families in Focus.

David has been receiving injectable diamorphine on prescription for over ten years. He explains how polydrug use and dealing grew to become his driving force. He now leads a 'normal' life, but chooses to stay in touch with drug culture, despite the fact that his offending ceased when he received his first script.

A series of interviews of clients on a 12-step based treatment programme in prison.

Articles on some of the major issues and stories of the year.

We found a treatment worker who taught us to play music and to become part of a band. Please listen to our newly discovered talents.

A summary of the Audit Commission report on the commissioning and management of community drug treatment services, and consideration of its implications for North Wales

Debbie had tried many drugs by the time she first smoked and developed a strong habit for heroin at the age of 16. She describes the positive and negative effects of heroin, and her terrible withdrawal experiences. She tells us of a life spent with, and then without, heroin.

Practitioners, commissioners, policy makers and the general public must gain insights into the concerns that those with a drug problem have about treatment and related matters. We look at a report of a user involvement workshop by the Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug Misuse (SACDM).

Natalie talks about her addiction to heroin. She describes her childhood and the development of her polydrug use. She starts to smoke heroin at the age of 21 and over the next 18 months the drug takes over her life. Natalie describes the impact of constantly smoking heroin on herself and her family. A situation is reached where her father, boyfriend and most of her friends are using heroin. Her mother gives her an ultimatum - Natalie decides she must quit.

Natalie visits a treatment agency for her heroin addiction. She describes how she stopped smoking heroin and how, with the help of others, she has stayed away from drugs and repaired the damage they caused. Natalie is a much stronger and happier person. She has been clean and sober for two years.