Begging For Change

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Begging For Change
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HARD Evidence
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HARD Evidence

37 in-coming Fleeing drug problems main
reason for coming to Edinburgh
18- 25yr olds
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HARD Evidence

Drugs Alcohol
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HARD Evidence

Alcohol Difficulties
High Risk Drug Misuse
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HARD Evidence

Injecting Drugs
Chaotic Drug Misuse
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Begging For Heroin
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Begging For Heroin

Young people aged 18 - 25

• 161 individuals
• 113 have begged on the street
• 87 have mental health problems
• 91 high risk/chaotic drug problems (mainly
  heroin injecting)
• 84 are street homeless (rough sleeping
  hostels)
• 9 problems with alcohol

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Why Heroin Increase?
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Why Heroin Increase?

Supply

• Worldwide
• Easier to get than cannabis
• Dealer-led market

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Why Heroin Increase?

Brixton Experience
Dealers in Brixton have little time for a drug
that doesnt draw addicts. Almost anything else
is on offer crack, heroin, ecstasy, even Viagra.
The profit margin for crack is this big, says
one dealer who holds his hands out
fisherman-wide. Then he narrows his hands to show
how little you make from selling dope. They also
know that while the dope smokers may come and go,
the crack addict always comes back. (Vansagar,
2001)
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Why Heroin Increase?

Brixton Experience
Its hard to get cannabis on the streets.
Everyone is dealing class A drugs, said David
Downes, 37, a former cannabis dealer. If I buy a
10 crack deal, I will be coming back in 10
minutes, he explained. If I buy 10 of cannabis
is might last me three or four days. (Vansagar,
2001)
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Why Heroin Increase?

Personal

• Street-friendly
• Power and control
• Self-medication

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Why Heroin Increase?

Services

• Still tackling symptoms rather than causes
• Beefing up of range of traditional drug services
• No effective treatment support in generic
  hostels
• Hostels excluding street drug users

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No Winter Comfort
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No Winter Comfort

Misuse of Drugs Act

• Prosecution for managers of premises to
  knowingly permit or suffer drug misuse on
  premises.
• Aimed at control of closed drug markets (eg
  crack houses).
• Harm reduction a significant factor only

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Begging For Change?
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Begging For Change

Summary

• Heroin injecting rising rapidly
• No reduction of young people at risk
• No reduction of drug related street deaths

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Begging For Change

Recommendations

• Outreach needle paraphernalia service
• Stop over-reliance on traditional drug providers
• Whole person-centred services
• Evidence-based drug strategy
• PSP approach to hostel problem

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Begging For Change