UK drugs charity DrugScope has closed

It is with great sadness that we read the news today that DrugScope – a leading centre of drug expertise – is to close today after 15 years, due to a lack of funds. DrugScope is one of the founding members of IDPC, and has been one of our closest partners over the years.

DrugScope is the UK’s main membership organisation for the drug treatment sector, and makes valuable contributions to domestic policy. The focus now for the organisation is to ensure that their legacy and most valuable outputs – such as the excellent DS Daily free news service – are continued.

This sad news follows the announcement from 2013 that the Alcohol and other Drugs Council (ADCA), the Australian equivalent of DrugScope as a national body representing organisations and workers in the sector, was defunded and placed into administration. It comes as a stark reminder of the fragility of civil society in the drug sector, and the importance of continued government and other support for the important functions that civil society networks play.

For more information, please visit the DrugScope website or read this article from The Guardian.

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