Skunk strength has doubled, studies suggest

By Mithran Samuel, Maria Ahmed and Derren Hayes

Skunk strength has doubled, studies suggest

The strength of the “skunk” variety of cannabis doubled from 1995 to 2005, unpublished studies, which are due to appear in drugs charity magazine Druglink, have shown.

The studies, by former Forensic Science Service drugs intelligence unit head Leslie King and King’s College London, have found that the proportion of THC – the main psychoactive agent in skunk – rose from 7% to 14% from 1995-2005.

But the KCL study contradicts claims that 30% plus skunk is dominating the market, finding that only 4% of samples seized by the police had a THC rate that topped 20%, with a top rating of 24%.

Source:- The Guardian Monday 17 September 2007 page 4

Help staff fight drink and drug misuse, firms urged

Four out of 10 firms say alcohol misuse is a significant cause of worker absenteeism but few employers have policies to deal with drink or drug problems, according to a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development study.

Source:- The Guardian Monday 17 September 2007 page 4

£100,000 for abused siblings council failed to take into care

A 39-year-old woman had her two younger siblings have won around £100,000 in an out-of-court settlement with Hackney Council in east London because it failed to remove them from their abusive childhood home.

Jennifer Routledge, who received £57,500, was raped aged nine by a stepfather and later abused by another whom she believed had groomed her for the purpose. She and her siblings were beaten and deprived of food and she left school at the age of 13.

No court has yet awarded damages against a local authority for failing to take children into care but lawyers claim that the Human Rights Act, which places public authorities under a duty to protect individuals from inhuman and degrading treatment, suggests such liability may exist.

Source:- The Guardian Monday 17 September 2007 page 15

Young thugs turn to cannabis

The use of cannabis among young offenders has increased by between 25% and 75% around the country since 2004, when the government downgraded the drug from Class B to C.

The findings were revealed in a survey of youth offending teams.

Source:- The Daily Mail Monday 17 September 2007 page 17

Betting addicts soar to 800,000

The number of gambling addicts has more than doubled in less than a decade, a government-sponsored study will say this week.

The British Gambling Prevalence Study will show that around 800,000 people have problems with regular and uncontrolled gambling, up from 300,000 in a similar study conducted eight years ago.

Source:- The Daily Mail Monday 17 September 2007 page 28

Laws on smacking ‘fuel abuse’

New laws on smacking, which are designed to protect children, were instead putting them at risk of serious harm, a leading children’s charity warned yesterday.

Source: – The Daily Telegraph, Monday 17 September 2007, page 2

Tagged youths up by 27pc in a year

The number of juvenile offenders being monitored by electronic tags has risen by more than a quarter in the past year.

Source: – The Daily Telegraph, Monday 17 September 2007, page 12

Scottish news

Parents aim to set up new school for autistic children

Parents of autistic children from across Scotland want to set up a new independent school for children with the condition.

The families fear the comprehensive system and the independent sector are failing to cater for their children’s complex needs.

There is also concern that the Scottish government’s policy of mainstreaming – sending children with learning difficulties to a comprehensive school – can end up harming children if they are not sufficiently supported.

Source:- The Herald, Monday 17 September

New era in fighting crime as spot fines launched

Police are expecting at least 30,000 offenders to pay a £40 fine this year to escape having a criminal record under an on-the-spot penalty scheme being launched.

The figure means about one in every 14 offences would be dealt with without going to court. From now, Strathclyde police will use the £40 fixed penalty for those caught committing vandalism, minor breaches of the peace and drinking alcohol in a public place.

The aim of the scheme, which has already been piloted in Tayside, is to free up police time and remove minor offences from the courts to allow prosecutors to concentrate on more serious crimes. It is also being rolled out in the other seven forces.

Source:- The Herald, Monday 17 September