Keeping up to speed with the latest in substance misuse research allows for
well-informed policy and practice.

This page provides summaries to key research reports and news. Some of the research
has been conducted in partnership with SAADAT. Other reports featured here is research
we consider relevant to our work.

• General substance misuse research

	Have we got our priorities right? This is the first report from the Think Tank brought together by Aberlour, in partnership with SAADAT ‘s predecessor bodies. It examines and debates responses to children affected by parental drug and alcohol misuse. It draws upon the knowledge and experience of a wide range of personnel working in drug and alcohol misuse in the statutory and voluntary sectors. The report considers “What are the circumstances that would require removing a child from their home?” It sets out a proposed set of principles and recommendations for implementation. It proposes key indicators designed to help professionals in making that decision.
	A Matter of Substance This is the second Think Tank report published by Aberlour in partnership with SAADAT. The report raises awareness of the estimated 100,000 Scottish children affected by parental substance misuse. The report challenges politicians, policy makers and health and social care services to recognise that more tolerant attitudes to drinking can have a harmful effect on the children of problem drinkers.

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• Alcohol specific research

Problematic Drinking in Scotland; Estimating the Size of the Problem and Charting Service Capacity Excessive drinking and alcohol dependence is a serious issue in Scotland. Using a needs assessment-orientated systems approach, this research will examine the numbers of people engaging in different types of problematic drinking at Health Board level in Scotland, and provide estimates of the proportion entering and/or requiring treatment mapped against the configuration of existing services. The research will therefore produce estimates of the gap between the prevalence of need in the population and access to treatment. This research is being commissioned and managed by the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams (SADAAT), with support from the Scottish Executive. If you would like to be considered to tender for this research, please complete an "Expression of Interest Pro-forma" and return to Kathleen Donnelly, SAADAT Office Manager, 166 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 2LW or by email to Kathleen.Donnelly@saadat.org.uk, no later than noon on 15th June 2007

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• Drug specific research

Drugs and Poverty: a literature review There are strong links between poverty, deprivation, widening inequalities and problem drug use. These are the findings of a review commissioned by SAADAT and carried out in partnership with Scottish Drugs Forum and Glasgow University’s Scottish Poverty Information Unit.