Changes to police stop and search rules
Around half of all police stop and searches are carried out on the suspicion of drug offences and the police are stopping more people on these grounds; however, the number of arrests due to drug offences has fallen. Complaints about aggressive treatment and unnecessary searches continue, and the black community appears to be targeted more
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Elderly drinkers in the West Country are a “time-bomb”
The West Country is experiencing growing numbers of elderly people with drinking problems. As many as one in five elderly men and one in ten women of the same age are drinking enough to cause ill-health. This represents a rise of 40% in men and 100% in women during the last 20 years. It is
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Australian councillors to be breath tested before meetings
A new workplace drug and alcohol policy in Australia may soon apply to councillors as well as to staff. Council staff in Cessnock, New South Wales have to undergo drug and alcohol tests; however, councillors are not currently being tested. Liberal councillor Bryce Gibson has called for the testing policy to apply to councillors "as
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Chase Farm Hospital’s new service for heavy drinkers praised
David Burrowes, MP for Enfield Southgate, has praised Chase Farm’s accident and emergency department after speaking with staff at the hospital who are tackling alcohol abuse. So far the hospital has screened 4,000 patients to assess how much alcohol they are drinking; in cases where there is a risk of addiction, patients are referred for
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