SMART Recovery International

Ireland's first ever national conference on Alcohol Related Brain Injury in Sligo yesterday. A huge thank you to HSE Social Inclusion for funding the event and working with us on it. Some take aways - 1) We have a brilliant team in Alcohol Forum Ireland! Thank you guys, you are all legends. 2) There is growing support across the health services on the Island of Ireland and acknowledgement that we need to do better in responding to alcohol related brain injury and supporting the right to recovery. Fantastic to have the new Regional Executive Officer for HSE West and North West, Tony Canavan attend yesterday and address the delegates. 3) There is hope - despite the fact that up to 75,000 people here may be at risk of developing an alcohol related brain injury, with the right support and rehabilitation, 25% of people can and do make a full recovery There is so much learning to process, so many new links made to follow up on and a few new priorities for action, but for today - time to be thankful!

The Benefact Group’s 12 Days of Giving is here, and UK SMART Recovery has a chance to win ￡1,000 to support our vital work. We need YOUR help! Please take a moment to nominate UK SMART Recovery (Charity Number: 1160516) to help us continue empowering individuals on their journey to recovery. How to Nominate: ?? Visit: https://lnkd.in/eaXeNwR7 ?? Enter our charity name or number. ?? Submit your nomination—it’s that simple! Nominations are open until 23:59 on December 19th, and every nomination counts. #12DaysOfGiving #SupportSMARTRecovery #MovementForGood #TogetherWeRecover #MakeADifference

We have a new Executive Director! https://lnkd.in/gwdCadUb Harm Reduction International's Board of Trustees announced today the appointment of Shaun Shelly as its new Executive Director. Harm Reduction International Board Vice-Chair, Billy Pick, said: “We are thrilled that Shaun has accepted the offer to lead Harm Reduction International. Shaun’s lived experience as a person who used drugs, battling on the frontlines of those effected by drug policies, makes him a unique and ground-breaking choice for Executive Director. He is dedicated to furthering the understanding of drug use, the rights of people who use drugs, and the development of effective drug policy.?This, along with his combination of academic, programmatic, research, clinical and lived experience, makes us confident that he will build on the great work that Naomi did and take the organisation from strength-to-strength. We would also sincerely thank Colleen Daniels and the team for their exemplary leadership leading up to and during the transition.“

Join us for the online launch of our upcoming report, "A World of Harm: How U.S. taxpayers fund the global war on drugs over evidence-based health responses". Register now at https://lnkd.in/gipnP-qd

?? Happening now: the side event, "Evidence-Based Drug Policies & Harm Reduction Strategies," as part of the #CND thematic discussions. Featuring expert insights from: ?? Michel Kazatchkine, Professor of Medicine and Global Fund’s Former Executive Director, Commissioner for the Global Commission on Drug Policy ?? Fariba Soltani, Chief, HIV/AIDS Section, UNODC ?? Colleen Daniels, Deputy Executive Director & Public Health Lead, Harm Reduction International ?? Roland Reithofer, CEO, Suchthilfe Wien (Vienna’s Addiction & Harm Reduction Services) Moderated by Ambassador Laura Gil, Permanent Representative of Colombia to the UN in Vienna. Join us in person or online for this critical discussion on innovative and evidence-based approaches in drug policy and harm reduction. For more details and to join, scan the QR code below ?

?????????? STARTING TODAY — the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) convenes the intn'l community to discuss a range of challenges incl. thriving drug markets, synthetic opioids & cultivation. More info & access: https://lnkd.in/esujQXH3 _ Prepare by catching up on debates at the March #CND67 session with our resources: ?? #CNDblog: https://lnkd.in/dhn2v_nC ?? Proceedings report: https://lnkd.in/eX3w__vy ?? Webinar: https://lnkd.in/eceuvbqa

Please join me as I present an entertaining journey through the history of the depiction of alcohol in literature and movies, how it has influenced people’s subsequent addictive behaviors, positively or negatively, and how movies are now a surprisingly effective way of actually solving the problem that they have long been blamed for causing.

"The report finds that there is still much work to do to increase access to harm reduction services among Indigenous communities, while also highlighting the ways Indigenous people blend their values, practices and knowledge with harm reduction." - Sam Rivera, ONPointNYC Read the foreword to the Global State of Harm Reduction 2024 by Sam Rivera.

Two of our facilitators, Mel and Ross, had the privilege of going to the first EVER SMART Recovery Global Conference as well as the Lisbon Addictions Conference, and letting our voices be heard. Head to smartrecoveryglobal.org to see our brand new website!! To say this was an honour to attend would not be doing it justice. Kim McCreanor and Mike Hooper - thank you for all you did to put this together!!

"People who use drugs are full citizens with the right to establish a dialogue around their needs, their expectations and the decision making around them." - Laura Gil, Ambassador at large for global drug policy, Republic of Colombia Read the foreword to the Global State of Harm Reduction 2024 by Laura Gil: