Pubdate: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 Source: Herald, The (Glasgow, UK) Copyright: 2013 Herald & Times Group Contact: http://www.heraldscotland.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4784 Author: Helen Puttick, Health Correspondent Page: 10 SCOTS URGED TO REVEAL TRUTH ABOUT ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE World's Biggest Study Offers Chance to Reject Stereotype This is an opportunity for Scotland not to be judged on media hype and stereotype, but on hard data instead SCOTS are being urged to take part in the world's biggest drugs survey to replace the stereotype of reckless indulgence with the truth about drink and drug use north of the Border. The nation is being targeted along with 17 other countries by the researchers who want to paint a picture of the way people really use everything from caffeine and cannabis to cocaine. Called the Global Drug Survey, the online questionnaire asks about experimentation with so-called legal highs, such as Benzo fury, and people can rate their experiences and even say if they felt a drug was "value for money". The negative effects of using different drugs are examined as well, with questions asking about "bad trips" and risks of harm. The cautions people may take when trying a new drug for the first time, such as testing a small quantity first or informing a friend what they are doing, are also probed. Dr Adam Winstock, the consultant psychiatrist and addiction specialist behind the survey, said there was "very little" real data about how most people use drugs. Governments have to rely on national household surveys and statistics from GPs and A&E departments, he said, arguing that policy is often based on the experiences of a minority. Dr Winstock, a senior lecturer at Kings College London, added: "There are people who develop serious drug and alcohol problems and run into serious harm. We run the Global Drug Survey to provide real time information on drug use on the majority of people and use it to inform them and governments about how they can keep themselves safe." The survey is launched across Europe today but is already live in other parts of the world, and more than 8000 people had taken part by yesterday lunchtime. Dr Winstock encouraged people living in Scotland to complete the confidential survey to show the truth about the relationship Scots have with drink and drugs. He said: "Everyone is going to expect that the Scots are going to come out as the biggest drinkers, with the least insight into their drinking and the highest rates of recklessness. "This is Scots' opportunity to break the stereotype and show the world what people from Scotland are really like and what they do. "What it will probably show is Scotland is no better or worse than any other place. This is an opportunity for Scotland not to be judged on media hype and stereotype, but on hard data." He also said the information could help inform the way services deal with legal highs. A total of 47 people in Scotland were found dead in 2012 after taking one of the substances which are manufactured to mimic illegal drugs. He said: "There has been concern in Scotland about legal highs and prescription drug use and no-one is sure what to do because we are not sure what people are doing, why there are doing it and what harm if any they are experiencing either. "If you want to ensure good public health policy you need that information and that information cannot be out of date." Jeremy Adderley, enterprise manager for Scottish drugs charity Crew, said: "It is an anonymous survey that publicises credible information about what people like to use and how they use all substances including alcohol, cigarettes and even caffeine. "The way drugs are used differs from postcode to postcode, and new drugs appear daily. The one uniformity is that as a nation we use many different types of substances for all kinds of reasons. "Gathering evidence is invaluable for making decisions about the relative harms of substance use and helps organisations like ours tailor our approach to keeping harm to a minimum." - --- MAP posted-by: Matt