Our Sources.
Why did we choose these websites?
Adfam
Adfam is a charity supporting family and friends of anyone struggling with alcohol, drugs, or gambling. They are funded through donations and provide information, resources, events, and direct support through a range of projects across the UK – including York and North Yorkshire.
Good for: advice about supporting someone with addiction
The Talk About Trust
The Talk About Trust (Formerly Alcohol Education Trust) is a charity that helps young people stay safe around alcohol, vaping, cannabis and other substances. They complete their own research, create guides and interactive quizzes, and offer training for teachers and professionals.
Good for: anything about young people, alcohol, and drugs.
American Lung association
The American Lung Association is a charitable health organisation campaigning for better lung health. Smoking, vaping, and tobacco products in general are of special concern. Their website offers research and educational resources to help better understand the risks.
Big think
Big Think is an American online magazine that tackles the big, philosophical questions of our time. For drug queries, it turns to people like Maia Szalavitz, a neuroscience journalist who specialises in drug issues, and Dominic Milton Trott, who tried 157 drugs and wrote the Drug Bible.
Good for: intellectual discussion about drugs
Catch 22
Club soda
Club Soda started as a small Facebook group and now describes itself as a ‘mindful drinking movement’ complete with its own website, research, podcast, and educational courses.
You pay for their courses, but their blogs and drinks guides are free. We would recommend them for consumer advice around low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks.
Good for: finding low alcohol and alcohol-free drinks
Crew
CREW is a Scottish drug charity providing outreach support, counselling, and training. It receives funding from City of Edinburgh council, Scottish government, and grants funding. Although its resources are aimed at a Scottish audience, they are modern, up-to-date, reliable, and relevant for anyone taking drugs.
Good for: Detailed guides for taking amphetamines, benzos, cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy
Dance Safe
Good for: Advice about drugs, sex, and nights out.
drinkaware
Drinkaware is the industry standard for promoting safer alcohol use. You’ll often see their logo on drink adverts and products. Drinkaware is an independent charity but does receive donations from the drinks industry. You can find any research used to inform their guides referenced at the end of the webpage.
Good for: assessing your own drinking and downloading the app to track your use
Drink Drug Hub
Drink Drug Hub has been created by North Yorkshire Horizons to provide reliable information about drink and drugs, with every factsheet, video, guide, and news article checked so you know you can trust it. Anyone living in North Yorkshire can also attend our free training or awareness events, as well as discovering learning opportunities provided by other agencies across our region.
drugs and me
Drugs and Me is run by a small team of students and scientists who research and write about drugs – for people who take drugs. All information on the site is based on peer-reviewed academic publications, or where these are unavailable, from crowdsourced sources. You can find these referenced at the end of each page.
Good for: anything to do with taking drugs at festivals, parties, nights out, and experimentation
Drug Science
Good for: all the science about drugs; history of drug policy; opinion on current drug policy
Drugwise
Good for: all the latest research, articles and news about drugs, alcohol, and tobacco
exchange supplies
Good for: guidance and supplies for safer injecting.
Family Lives
Good for: Parenting support and advice.
Fearless
Fearless is the dedicated youth service of the independent charity Crimestoppers. Aimed at 11–18-year-olds, they provide young people with a safe place to give information about crime 100% anonymously.
Good for: reporting and understanding crime
frank
Good for: A – Z drugs guide. Finding support anywhere in the UK.
global drug survey
Professor Adam Winstock set up Global Drug Survey in 2011. Every year, this independent research company asks people all over the world what drugs they take, how they take them, where they buy them, and what they pay. They publish all their findings and provide short videos and tools to help people better understand their drug use.
Good for: data on current global drug trends; video guides; tools to measure your own drug use.
The Hepatitis Trust
The Hepatitis C Trust is a charity dedicated to eliminating hepatitis C in the UK by 2030. It was founded in 2001 by four people who met while looking for ways to manage their condition. It provides, training, information and support for those affected by Hep C.
Good for: Information, advice and support about Hepatitis C.
HIT
HIT is well-respected within the drugs field, providing training, resources, organising conferences, running media campaigns, and advising on drug-related issues locally, nationally, and internationally. You pay for their printed resources, but HIT has collaborated with major UK drug and alcohol services to provide social media images for free.
INPUD
Good for: advising professionals, organisations, governments, how to support people who use drugs.
Jon Derricott
Morning After
NACOA
Good for: support for anyone affected by a parent’s drinking.
National Post
Nigel Brunsdon
Not My Child
NYSCP
NYSCP is a partnership of North Yorkshire’s statutory safeguarding partners. NYSCP’s website provides safeguarding information and includes the Be Aware knowledge hub. Designed in collaboration with young people, parents, and carers, it signposts all the best resources about child exploitation in our region.
Good for: advice about county lines, online safety, exploitation, and how to access support.
Public Health Wales
Public Health Wales is the national public health agency in Wales. Their wound care video is clear, concise, and easy to follow. In Wales you can pick up a ready-made ACT pack to clean and dress your wounds. In North Yorkshire, you can get everything you need from your local drug service.
release
Release is run by a team of drug and legal experts. They are independently funded and provide support and advice for people using drugs. They want you to know your legal rights if you are stopped and searched or arrested for a drug-related offence.
Good for: understanding the legal status of drugs, and what happens if you are arrested.
re-solv
Good for: anything solvent-related.
ross kemp tv
TV actor Ross Kemp is by no means an expert about drink and drugs. However, there is no question about the expertise of the people he interviews on his podcast. Professor David Nutt, founder of Drug Science, was his guest explaining the harms of alcohol.
SAMHSA
Sesame street
Sesame Street tackles the thorny issues affecting children growing up including parental addiction. Alongside the TV show, the Sesame Street in Communities website hosts a range of videos and activities helping children understand addiction, difficult emotions, and that it is not their fault.
Good for: activities and educational resources for young children.
Substance Misuse resources
Good for: resources around substance misuse.
the alcohol free shop
The Alcohol-Free Shop was set up in 2006 by John Risby who struggled with his own alcohol use and had stopped drinking two years earlier. Today it stocks a wide range of alcohol-free drinks, from spirits to beers, wines, ciders, and cocktails.
Good for: shopping for alcohol-free drinks
the conversation
Good for: informed news and opinions about drink and drugs.
the exchange
The Exchange is a web series exploring issues affecting teenagers, hosted by PSHE Educator Hannah Dawes. We’ve chosen her interviews with Professor David Nutt, Drugs Researcher Anya Aggarwal (@addictionwithanya), and PHD student Ryyan Zafar, of Imperial College London, as standout episodes.
Good for: in-depth discussions about drugs, mental health, emotions
the go-to
Good for: finding mental health support for North Yorkshire’s young people
the loop
Good for: information about the strength and content of festival drugs.
The mix
Good for: asking anything awkward.
thinkuknow
Good for: advice about online safety for children and young people.
vice
Vice started out as a Canadian magazine covering sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. Today it is an international, multi-platform outlet. Whether you agree with Vice’s stance on drugs comes down to your own personal viewpoint. But plenty of leading drug experts appear in Vice videos, including The Loop’s senior scientist Guy Jones in their ‘Always Practice Safe Sesh’ series.
Good for: slick videos about drugs and drug culture.
Young Minds
Good for: mental health advice for children and young people.