View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
January 8, 2003updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Drugs guide aims to tackle media misreporting

By Press Gazette

DrugScope, a UK centre of expertise on drugs, hopes to stem what it perceives as inaccurate reporting of drug issues with a new media guide.

The guide, funded by the Wellcome Trust, encourages responsible journalism and will be a key resource for those reporting on drugs, said the organisation.

It sets out to explode commonly repeated myths about drugs, explaining that, for example:

-Cannabis is far from being a ‘harmless’ drug; 
-There is no such thing as a soft drug;

-No drug is instantly addictive; addiction generally takes several months to develop.

The guide also contains a glossary of drug terms and further resources such as picture libraries and statistics.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Helen Wilkinson, director of information and policy at DrugScope, said: "The media has a key role to play in informing people of the danger of drugs. It also has a responsibility not to mislead people by giving them incorrect information, which can actually make matters worse. There is already evidence that the disproportionate coverage given to ecstasy deaths has led to some people switching from ecstasy use to cocaine use and therefore increasing the harm that drugs are doing. We hope this tool will inform coverage in the future and help journalists filter fact from fiction."

lTo order a copy of The Media Guide to Drugs online, please visit www.

drugscope.org.uk/news_home.asp.

By Jean Morgan

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network