EATA Spring Regional Meetings

Winning statutory bids & contracts and implementing the new national drug strategy

The European Association for the Treatment of Addiction (EATA) has organised a special series of regional meetings this Spring, aimed at bringing together members and selected invited guests for an informative and valuable day of workshops, discussions about the latest policy developments and networking.

‘Winning statutory bids & contracts and implementing the new national drug strategy’ – takes place in Bristol on Tuesday 22 April, Manchester on Wednesday 30 April and London on Thursday 15 May.

Running workshops and regional meetings is part of EATA’s commitment to increase the capacity and effectiveness of drug and alcohol treatment organisations. This includes providing training opportunities and speakers at a much lower cost to delegates than if their organisations provided the workshop themselves.

‘We are looking for several outcomes with these events. They are the first three events of our reinstated regional meetings programme, and we want members and other delegates to feedback on the possible topics for future ones, said Sharon Carson, EATA Chief Executive. ‘We also want our members to take away with them a deeper insight into the complex and highly competitive tendering and bidding process, so they can apply it for the benefit of their organisations.

As members of EATA treatment-now.com would thoroughly recommend these events and for further information and to book your place go to the EATA website. These seminars promise to be useful and interesting events.

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Alcohol and Pregnant Women

The Government and NICE release new guidelines

Pregnant women and those who are trying for a baby should avoid alcohol completely, according to new government advice.

The new advice from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) replaces previous advice that stated,

“Excess alcohol has an adverse effect on the foetus. Therefore it is suggested that women limit alcohol consumption to no more than one standard unit per day. Each of the following constitutes one ‘unit’ of alcohol: a single measure of spirits, one small glass of wine, and a half pint of ordinary strength beer, lager or cider.”

Experts now recommend that alcohol should be avoided during the first three months of pregnancy because of an increased risk of miscarriage. Women who choose to continue drinking while pregnant should have no more than one to two units once or twice a week as there is no evidence of any harm to the unborn child at these levels. The guidance actually states that women who are pregnant or trying to conceive should ideally abstain from alcohol.

The change follows concern from some sectors that there is no safe amount of alcohol that mothers-to-be can drink.

The problem with all of these guidelines is that while heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy is known to be damaging to the unborn child, the effects of more moderate intake are less clear.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says there is no evidence that a couple of units once or twice a week will do any harm to the baby. The Department of Health said the revision was not based on new scientific evidence but was needed to help ensure that women did not underestimate the risks to their baby.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Fiona Adshead said: “We have strengthened our advice to women to help ensure that no-one underestimates the risk to the developing foetus of drinking above the recommended safe levels.