Resources

Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third-party sites.

The law

Drugs: the law and your rights
www.channel4.com/health/microsites/0-9/4health/drugs/lar_rights.html
This section of the Channel 4 Health site provides a detailed and very readable breakdown of how UK drug law works. Ian Robinson, former deputy director of Release www.release.org.uk, takes you through the various parts of the Misuse of Drugs Act. There are useful sections on drugs and driving, and on dealing with the police if you are stopped and searched.

DrugScope FAQ
www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/home2.asp
DrugScope's FAQ cover all aspects of drug use, including drugs law and the connections between drugs and crime. You can find out statistics for the number of people convicted of drugs-related offences in the UK, and link to a section that tells you the various penalties for Class A, B and C drugs.

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
www.opsi.gov.uk/sr/sr2005/20050564.htm
You can access the MDA here at the Office of Public Sector Information website, and view the various amendments that have been made to it since 1971. It's quite hard going, and for a more accessible summary of the main points see DrugScope's page on Drugs Law www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/
faq_template.asp?file=\wip\11\1\2\laws.html, which includes info on other laws such as the Drug Trafficking Act 1994 and the Medicines Act 1968.

Drugs Act 2005
www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/20050017.htm
This is an important addition to UK drugs law, and contains some changes to the existing law. One example is the introduction of compulsory drug-testing in the case of some arrests. The police can carry out these tests if they have reasonable grounds to believe Class A drugs were involved in the offence committed.

Advice and information

Addiction

Action on Addiction
Website: www.aona.co.uk
An information service for people who are worried that they have an addiction or that a friend or member of the family might have a problem.

Addaction
Tel: 020 7251 5860 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm)
Email: info@addaction.org.uk
Website: www.addaction.org.uk
Addaction is a charity working in the field of drug and alcohol treatment. The website gives good, detailed info on how drugs affect health and how to get help.

Addiction Alternatives
www.addictionalternatives.com
A gateway to the world of 'how to' methods that can enable you to gain more control of your life whether you are seeking help for a family member, friend, or yourself. Has information, online quizzes, links and recommended resources.

Addiction Network
www.addictionnetwork.co.uk
Contains extensive information on alcoholism and other addictions. Offers advice, education, treatment options and more for professionals and the general public at large. Updated daily, it deals with technical enquiries through its 'Ask the Expert' facility and also has its own agony aunt.

Alcohol

Alcoholics Anonymous
PO Box 1
Stonebow House
Stonebow
York YO1 7NJ
Helpline: 0845 769 7555 (24 hours)
Tel: 01904 644026
Email: aanewcomer@runbox.com
Website: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
Runs self-help groups throughout the UK. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

Alcohol Concern
32–36 Loman Street
London SE1 0EE
Telephone: 020 7928 7377 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm)
Email: contact@alcoholconcern.org.uk
Website: www.alcoholconcern.org.uk
Alcohol Concern acts as the national umbrella body for 500 local agencies tackling alcohol-related harm and offering help to the families and friends of those with alcohol-related problems.

Alcohol Recovery Project
Tel: 020 7403 3369
Email: info@arp-uk.org
Website: www.arp-uk.org
A London-based agency witha range of support services across London, which are free to the individual.

Drinkaware.co.uk
www.drinkaware.co.uk/howmany.php
Website with useful online tools to help you check the amounts of units you’re drinking and advice on how to keep within safe levels. Lots of other online hints and tips.

Drinkline
Helpline: 0800 917 8282 (24 hours)
A free national helpline offering advice and information for people with alcohol problems or anyone concerned about alcohol misuse. Provide advice on sensible drinking and information on local support services to help people cut down on their drinking.

Institute of Alcohol Studies
www.ias.org.uk
The aims of the Institute are to increase the understanding of alcohol and of public policies necessary to reduce the problems associated with its use. The site has many useful fact sheets.

Moderation Management
www.moderation.org
For people who want to reduce their drinking. Resources include suggested lifestyle changes, questionnaire, reading lists, links and frequently asked questions.

Patient UK
Website: www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068675
Simple advice on alcohol and sensible drinking, outlining what drinking too much can do to your body.

Rational Recovery
www.rational.org
RR was founded as an alternative to the 12-Step, spiritual healing program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Resources and forums.

Secular Organisations for Sobriety (SOS)
www.secularsobriety.org
An alternative recovery method for alcoholics or drug addicts who are uncomfortable with the spiritual content of widely available 12-Step programs. Takes a secular approach to recovery and maintains that sobriety is a separate issue from religion or spirituality. Website has details of SOS meetings around the world.

Self Management and Recovery Training
www.smartrecovery.org
A non-profit organisation run almost exclusively by dedicated volunteers. SMART Recovery® offers free scientifically based mutual help groups (including groups online) for abstaining from any addictive behaviour including alcohol, other substances, or activities.

Women for Sobriety
www.womenforsobriety.org
A non-profit organisation dedicated to helping women overcome alcoholism and other addictions. A US-based organisation that has self-help groups throughout the world.

Drugs

DrugScope
Tel: 020 7928 1211 (Mon–Fri 9am–5.30pm)
Email: info@drugscope.org.uk
Website: www.drugscope.org.uk
National drugs information agency with services that include a library, a wide range of publications, policy research and consultancy. Contains useful info on drugs law.>
DrugScope cannabis and mental health PDF
www.drugscope.org.uk/wip/7/PDFS/
Cannabis and Mental Health.pdf
DrugScope's reading list on cannabis and mental health has links to a number of research papers on this topic

Erowid
www.erowid.org
Information about psychoactive plants and chemicals, including cannabis, and related issues. There are links to articles about many aspects of cannabis culture.

FRANK
Helpline: 0800 77 66 00 (24 hours)
Textphone: 0800 917 8765
Email: frank@talktofrank.com
Website: www.talktofrank.com
Provides free confidential drugs information and advice 24 hours a day. All calls are confidential. Use the website's search facility to get the contact details of organisations offering practical help and support in your area.

In-volve
www.in-volve.org.uk
East London-based drugs charity with treatment programmes for young people and adults that focus specifically on cannabis use. Helped to get rapper J Rock to give up the weed.

Know Cannabis
www.cannabishelp.org.uk
This website can help you assess your cannabis use, its impact on your life and how to make changes if you want to. There's a good self-help section and a quiz to help you work out if you're smoking too much.

Narcotics Anonymous
Helpline: 020 7730 0009 (every day, 10am–10pm)
Email: helpline@ukna.org
Website: www.ukna.org
Recovery in NA focuses on the problem of addiction, rather than on any particular drug. The website has information for those who think they may have a drug problem, for professionals working with addicts seeking recovery and for recovering addicts.

National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse
7th floor, Hercules House
London SE1 7DU
Tel: 020 7261 8861 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm)
Website: www.nta.nhs.uk
A special health authority established by the government to increase the availability, capacity and effectiveness of treatment for drug misuse in England.

Release
Legal Helpline: 0845 4500 215 (Mon–Fri 11am–5.30pm)
Heroin Helpline: 0845 4500 215 (Mon–Fri 11am–5.30pm)
Email: ask@release.org.uk
Website: www.release.org.uk
Release's Heroin Helpline offers help, advice, information, support and referral to people affected directly and indirectly by heroin use. It can link you up with different types of support groups. If you are having difficulty getting treatment, Release can help liaise with your local service providers or GP.

Rethink
National advice service: 020 8974 6814 (10am–3pm, Mon–Fri)
Email: advice@rethink.org
Website: www.rethink.org
Rethink is the largest severe mental health charity in the UK. They have a section of the website devoted to their recent cannabis campaign.

Friends and family

Adfam
Tel: 020 7928 8898 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm)
Email: admin@adfam.org.uk
Website: www.adfam.org.uk
Adfam provides a range of publications and resources for families affected by drugs and operates an online message board and database of local support groups. Adfam also runs direct support services at London prisons for families of inmates affected by drugs. A list of publications and resources is available on the website.

Al-Anon
61 Great Dover Street
London SE1 4YF
Tel: 020 7403 0888
Fax: 020 7378 9910
Website: www.al-anonuk.org.uk
A network of self help groups, affiliated to Alcoholics Anonymous, dedicated to helping friends, families or anyone who has been affected by anyone else’s drinking.

Alcohol and Drugs – What parents need to know
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/info/mhgu/newmhgu30a.htm
One of the 'Mental Health and Growing Up' factsheets produced by The Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Families Anonymous
Helpline: 0845 1200 660 (Mon–Fri 1pm–5pm, otherwise telephone numbers of volunteer contacts are given by recorded message)
Email: office@famanon.org.uk
Website: www.famanon.org.uk
Runs groups throughout the UK for relatives and friends of people using drugs or with related behavioural problems.

Home Office – Information for Family Members Who Are Supporting Drug Users
www.drugs.gov.uk/publication-search/
communications-campaigns/
Informationresourcesforfamilymem?
view=Standard&pubID=156728
The findings from a qualitative research project undertaken on behalf of the Home Office and Adfam, to establish the information and resource needs of 'family' supporters of drug users.

Lifeline
Helpline: 0161 839 2054 (Mon–Fri 9.30–5pm)
Email: acs@lifeline.org.uk
Website: www.lifeline.org.uk
Confidential advice, information and support for drug users, their family and friends. Lifeline have offices in Manchester, East Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Calderdale providing a range of services.

Other sites and articles of interest

Smoking Concerns
www.smokingconcerns.com
Smoking Concerns is the specialist tobacco project for Greater Glasgow NHS Board. The website is full of info on quitting, health info, young people and smoking.

Drugs FAQ: www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/science/
medicine/drug_faq.html

Drugs in Sport: www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/science/
society/sportsdrugs.html

Designer Drugs: www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/science/
medicine/designerdrugs.html

Unhooked Thinking
www.unhookedthinking.com
An unusual, international and multidisciplinary conference enquiring into the nature of addiction. There are many different ways in which addiction is understood, but, despite billions spent by governments around the world, the problem just gets worse. Is there some more helpful way to understand it?