Daily news - 11th August 2016 |
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UK news
Police in England and Wales seize over 1,000 cannabis plants a day, study finds
Official data released in November showed there were 124,408 seizures of the class B drug in 2014/15 | Independent, UK
The UK Is the European Leader in Deep Web Drug Deals
Me oh my, aren't we a naughty bunch of druggies? In a recent study conducted by RAND Europe, a not-for-profit research institute, the UK came top of the pops for deep web drug trafficking | VICE, UK
Britain’s booming online drugs market proves ‘utter futility of the war on drugs’, campaigners say
The UK’s dark web drugs market now dwarfs any other in Europe | Independent, UK
430 drivers fail drink and drugs tests in Wales
A total of 306 motorists failed drink-drive breath tests and 131 others tested positive for drugs during a summer clampdown, police have said | BBC, UK
Nine motorists were arrested every single day under new crackdown on booze and drug driving
The annual summer clampdown in June by GMP saw 275 drivers arrested | Manchester Evening News, UK
Alcohol treatment research course completes screening and brief intervention
Screening and brief intervention programmes identify risky drinkers at locations such as GPs’ surgeries and emergency departments, and then deliver brief advice to reduce risk. Do they work well enough - and can they be implemented widely enough - to reduce alcohol-related harm across a population? | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK
Understanding Health Research
This tool will guide you through a series of questions to help you review health research that you have come across | Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, UK
Tributes paid to 'legal high' teen
Tributes have been paid to a "loving and funny" teenager who is believed to have died after taking a former legal high | ITV, UK
Leader of mephedrone gang goes on run
The leader of a gang that sold mephedrone and other drugs is being hunted by police | BBC, UK
Majid Hussain jailed after heroin, handgun and money found in Birmingham home
A drug dealer has been jailed after a "forgotten" wrap of heroin found in his bag at Birmingham Airport led police to uncover a stash of drugs, money and weapons at his home | BBC, UK
'Ridiculous': Judge adjourns drug trial after prison fails to deliver prisoner for FOURTH time
An exasperated judge is writing to a prison governor to question why a defendant was not transported to court yesterday - for the fourth time | Gloucestershire Live, UK
International news
US said to allow more weed research but won't loosen its drug classification
The decision, to be announced by the Drug Enforcement Administration on Thursday, rejects a petition to re-classify it as a drug with accepted medical uses | Guardian, UK
Black patients half as likely to receive pain medication as white patients, study finds
Findings show racial bias in emergency room prescriptions for ‘non-definitive’ pain, as advocates say lack of diversity in medical field may exacerbate situation | Guardian, UK
Speedy cannabis spit test could spot people driving while high
An erratic driver is pulled over by the police. The officer smells a hint of marijuana, so dabs a cotton swab in the driver’s mouth to collect some saliva. Just 3 minutes later, still by the side of the road, the result comes back: every millilitre of spit contains 5 nanograms of THC, weed’s active ingredient | New Scientist, UK
North Korea 'feeding workers crystal meth' to speed up skyscraper project
North Korean workers are being given a powerfulmethamphetamine known as "ice" in the hopes it will speed up a major construction project, according to reports | Telegraph, UK
Scientists Developed a Way to Make DMT Trips Last Longer Than Ever
Known in drug lore as "the businessman's trip" for its lunch-break-size 15-minute duration, DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is infamous for blasting its users into vivid alien worlds. It's among the most literally hallucinogenic of all the psychedelics, and now a pair of veteran researchers have proposed a method to safely extend the experience beyond its normal length | VICE, USA
Smoking Risks 2016: How Nicotine Affects The Body
Cigarette smoking has steadily become less popular in the United States over time, with only 15 percent of adults now current smokers — a sharp decline from the 40 or so percent who regularly lit up in the 1960s | Medical Daily, USA
Vaping flavor: Dangerous trends in youth consumption of e-cigarettes
Currently, we are experiencing a new phenomenon with youth consumption of e-cigarettes all around the United States. New flavors appear to be one of the main reasons why teens are getting hooked on this product, say researchers | Science Daily, USA
Quitting smoking may actually widen social network
Some smokers fear that quitting will result in losing friends, but the opposite seems to be true, according to a new study | Reuters, USA
Using substances to treat chronic pain
People who struggle with chronic pain often experience daily difficulties, such as depression and anxiety symptoms, sleep disturbance, substance use, and increased use of healthcare systems. Because chronic pain is difficult to treat, patients might seek relief outside of typical medical pathways. This week, STASH reviews a study by Daniel Alford and his colleagues that looks at the prevalence of primary care patients with chronic pain and pain related dysfunction, as well as a history of self-medication with substances | BASIS, USA
Molecule in brain may drive cocaine addiction, scientists show
Increased levels of a molecule in the brain, called hypocretin, may contribute to cocaine addiction, a new study suggests. The research shows that blocking hypocretin may reduce compulsive drug-seeking behavior in rat models of cocaine addiction | Science Daily, USA
Marijuana candy sickens 19 at quinceañera
Edible marijuana offered at a quinceañera celebration is suspected of sickening 19 people Saturday night in San Francisco's Mission District, according to the city's Department of Public Health | CNN, USA
The long trip: A potted guide to art and drugs
The dawn of man was soon followed by the birth of curious types, seeking to alter their mental state and express it in every which way they could: song, dance, rudimentary forms of painting and inscription | CNN, USA
Harm reduction study grants worth $1.3m launched by VicHealth
The triggers for excessive alcohol consumption in different social groups — from Friday night knock-off drinks with colleagues to sharing post-match beers with teammates — will be targeted through a new $1.3 million program | Herald Sun, Australia
Bob Carr calls for unity to push through music festival pill-testing trial
Former New South Wales premier Bob Carr has told health experts they may be able to persuade Premier Mike Baird to consider trialling pill-testing machines at festivals if they pitch the idea properly | abc news, Australia
Sydney's small bars to get bigger under night-time proposal
Sydney's vaunted small bars won't be so small any more under a proposal for breathing life into night-time Sydney being actively considered by the state government | Age, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Alcohol use disorder and increased mortality
The associations between excessive alcohol consumption and increased mortality and morbidity are well-established. Indeed, in January 2016 the UK Government changed drinking guidelines (PDF) in recognition of evidence that there is no ‘safe’ level of alcohol consumption: the risks of disease and premature death begin to rise even in people who drink relatively small amounts of alcohol | Mental Elf Blog, UK
Mental health and substance abuse: a dual dilemma
People with mental health and drug and/or alcohol needs are still being neglected. That’s the conclusion of a recent (3 August 2016) report from Turning Point entitled: Dual Dilemma: the impact of living with mental health issues combined with drug and alcohol misuse | Russell Webster, UK
Hysteria about drugs and harm minimisation. It's always the same old story
Debates about harm reduction follow the same pattern: relentless hostility, proof that it works, then more relentless hostility. This is the ‘drug problem’ problem | Guardian Opinion, UK
Campaign for all trustees to read The Essential Trustee: one year and 114,000 clicks later
It’s a year since we launched the new edition of the Essential Trustee and kicked off a campaign to get every trustee to read it. And I wanted to share some reflections on this campaign and our results so far. Why do we think this piece of guidance matters so much? And where do we go next? | Charity Commission Blog, UK
Should Drug Addicts Get Hepatitis C Cure?
New, highly curative hepatitis C therapy is both safe and effective as a treatment option for people who inject drugs, the major population affected by the virus, according to a paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine | Science 2.0 Blog, USA
Follow Up on Effective Dates of New Rules on E-Cig Advertising
In recent days, there have been a number of broadcast trade press articles about new regulations that have gone into effect for e-cig advertising. We wrote about the FDA proceeding which dealt with these rules here | Lexology Blog, USA
Mainstream media decline proving ‘boon for for-profit drug services, bust for informed debate’
As the capacity of mainstream media outlets to fund quality journalism continues to decline, they become increasingly reliant on cheap, externally sourced content. This is particularly concerning to us, due to the lack of accountability within the for-profit AOD treatment sector | Croakey Blog, Australia
And finally...
Responses To Alan Sugar’s Laughing Gas Tweet Were Relentless And Hilarious
Lord Sugar, savvy businessman and champion of industry, turned to his beloved Twitter account on Wednesday for some enlightenment | Huffington Post, UK