Safe refuges to stop child runaways sleeping rough

January 11, 2008 in Community Care

A network of safe houses and refuges for the 100,000 children who run away from home every year is planned by ministers to keep vulnerable young people from sleeping rough.

They have set up a cross-government working group to look into the issue – currently the government does not even calculate the number of young runaways or pay for any emergency accommodation, while just 12% of councils have any services for runaways.

Source: The Times Friday 11 January 2008 page 32

Abuse of cannabis puts 500 a week in hospital

The number of people requiring hospital treatment for the effects of cannabis has risen from just over 11,000 in 2004-5 to over 16,500 in 2006-7, while the number of children treated has grown from around 8,000 in 2005-6 to 9,250 last year.

The British Medical Association said that the latest treatment figures justified its decision to oppose the downgrading of cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug in 2004, but the Department of Health said it reflected improvements in treatment rather than rising use.

Source: The Daily Telegraph Friday 11 January 2008 page 1-2