Spinal injury charity advises on drug policyRSS Feed

A leading spinal injury charity has been working with the government on the UK's approach to drugs, it has emerged.

Aspire helped to launch the UK Drugs Policy Commission paper Impact of Drugs on Different Minority Groups, offering its experience of working alongside spinal cord injury patients.

The charity was keen to be involved in the work, highlighting the lack of data available on drug use among disabled people.

Brain Carlin, chief executive of the charity, said that the commission found it hard to engage with the disabled community because of a paucity of information and the stigma that is attached to drug use.

He said that Aspire was proud to share its knowledge and hopes other disability organisations can do so in future.

Mr Carlin added that spinal cord injury is devastating and can lead to a lifetime of chronic pain.

"Perhaps understandably, many use drugs as a result. All of us working in this field have heard of individuals who take cannabis, for example, for pain relief," he commented.

Aspire claims that spinal cord injury causes paralysis in 1,200 people every year in the UK.

Serious Law, leading spinal cord injury solicitors

Posted by Timothy Walters

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