Daily news - 30th June 2020 |
Coronavirus frequently updated resources
COVID-19 and addiction: webinars, podcasts and online discussions | SSA
Treatment and recovery services – and COVID-19 |Collective Voice
COVID-19 Information Hub | Scottish Drugs Forum
COVID-19 and smoking: resources, research and news | BMJ
Coronavirus: information and advice hub - alcohol | Alcohol Change UK
COVID-19 resources page for people who use drugs (PWUD) and drug service providers | EMCDDA
UK news
Fall in use of 'party drugs' as more Britons turn to alcohol in lockdown
European-wide survey finds that drug users in UK are turning away from ‘stimulants’ such as cocaine and ecstasy | Guardian, UK
Families in Lockdown: The effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on the family and friends of someone with an alcohol, drug or gambling problem (pdf)
In April, 241 people coping with a friend or family member’s alcohol, drug or gambling problem responded to an online survey by Adfam which sought to understand how some of their usual daily challenges associated with addiction- fear, domestic abuse, isolation, loneliness and mental stress – might be being further exacerbated by COVID-19 and the lockdown measures imposed from March 2020. The survey also asked family members and friends about what kind of support they would benefit from going forwards | Adfam, UK
Urgent action needed to address lockdown ‘time bomb’, warns Adfam
People coping with a loved one’s drug use, drinking or gambling have been hard hit by the COVID-19 lockdown, according to a new survey from Adfam | DDN, UK
Reducing hepatitis C among people who inject drugs: evidence for policy makers
A new PolicyBristol briefing brings together evidence from a range of research projects investigating strategies to reduce hepatitis C transmission among people who inject drugs | NIHR HPRU, UK
Alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 lockdown (PDF)
In addition to ongoing research with data collection, a number of surveys have been set up specifically on the issue of drinking during the pandemic. This briefing summarises the emerging evidence base on changes in UK alcohol consumption during the lockdown, by bringing together findings from different sources | IAS, UK
Substance misuse 'unsustainable burden' for NI
The costs of substance misuse in Northern Ireland is an "unsustainable financial burden", an Audit Office report has said. The Department of Health said it spends over £1bn dealing with drug and alcohol misuse every year and it is a key priority for the minister | BBC, UK
Sapphire Medical Clinics Launches Medical Cannabis Access Scheme
Sapphire launches the UK’s first Medical Cannabis Registry and Access Scheme offering the first 1,000 patients reduced access costs to be involved | Cannabis Exchange, UK
Campaign launched to help LGBT community at high risk of drug and alcohol addiction
Researchers have found a higher level of substance misuse in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community as the 'gay scene' often involves going to pubs and clubs | Daily Record, UK
Premier League clubs 'to campaign to allow fans to drink in seats' on return to grounds
Consuming alcohol in the stands has been outlawed in Britain since 1985 after the UK Home Office brought in a law to help try and curb rising levels of hooliganism | Mirror, UK
SDF COVID-19 webinar, Medication Assisted Treatment during COVID 19 and beyond
Friday 3 July at 13.00 – 14.00. This webinar will explore the changes that have occurred with the delivery of Medication Assisted Treatment since lockdown on 23rd March and what are the lessons learnt from this moving beyond COVID 19 | SDF, UK
Reading Festival-goer died from accidental drug overdose
A student nurse died after taking an accidental drug overdose at a music festival, a coroner has concluded | BBC, UK
International news
Realist evaluation of a theory-based life skills programme aiming to prevent addictive behaviours in adolescents: the ERIEAS study protocol
In France, a programme called Expériences Animées (EA, Animated Experiences) has been developed, inspired by life skills development programmes that have been proven to be successful. The EA programme uses animated short movies and talks with high school and secondary school pupils about the use of psychoactive substances and addictions | BMJ Open, UK
Kweichow Moutai: 'Elite' alcohol brand is China's most valuable firm
A drinks maker has become China's most valuable publicly-listed company, overtaking the country's biggest bank | BBC, UK
UK judge rules against Johnny Depp over 'drugs texts' in libel case
Actor failed to disclose messages but high court declines to throw out case against the Sun immediately | Guardian, UK
‘War on drugs’ blamed for deaths of at least 122 children in Philippines
Activists claim young people are deliberately targeted and call for UN to investigate human rights record of Duterte regime | Guardian, UK
"How could they do this to my child?” - Philippines: New report reveals deliberate killings of children during “war on drugs”
A new report (PDF), published today, documents 122 killings of children, from 1 to 17 years old, throughout the Philippines, between July 2016 and December 2019. The report, titled “How could they do this to my child?”, jointly published by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center (CLRDC, Philippines), shows that the majority of the killings were carried out by police forces or affiliates | World Organisation Against Torture and the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center | Switzerland and Philippines
DrugNet Europe - June
Latest monthly news roundup | EMCDDA, Portugal
Painkiller: America's Fentanyl Crisis - podcasts
The opioid crisis hit a milestone this past year: fentanyl killed more people in a single year than any other drug in modern history. How did we get here? VICE News reporter Keegan Hamilton (Chapo: Kingpin on Trial) tracks the third wave of the opioid crisis | VICE, USA
A drink or two a day might be good for your brain, study says
Love a glass of wine with dinner? There's good news for you from a study that finds "moderate" alcohol consumption—a glass or two per day—might actually preserve your memory and thinking skills | Medical Xpress, USA
Pilot program increases access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) in Colorado
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants help increase access to MOUD 10-fold in two rural Colorado counties with high overdose rates | EurekAlert, USA
Government E-cigarette restrictions on marketing lower use
Comprehensive provincial restrictions on electronic cigarette marketing are associated with lower levels of exposure to marketing and lower prevalence of e-cigarette use, according to a Canadian study published online June 29 in Pediatrics | Medical Xpress, Canada
Study says ad displays in stores boost teen vaping rates
Until May 2018, e-cigarettes weren't widely available in Canada and it was illegal to advertise those containing nicotine. When the law changed, Quebec and Manitoba adopted their own restrictions, including bans on retail displays and ads for e-cigarettes and other tobacco products | Medical Xpress, Canada
The Mexico Opium Network
To counteract this dearth of knowledge, Noria Research and México Unido Contra la Delincuencia (MUCD) have launched the Mexico Opium Network. The Network will act as a clearinghouse for the production and dissemination of knowledge on opium poppy, from cultivation to consumption. We will analyze the complex opium poppy economy in Mexico, in all its key regions (Guerrero, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Durango and Chihuahua) and using a wide array of thematic analysis | Noria Research and México Unido Contra la Delincuencia, Mexico
Ministers urged to approve effective pregnancy health warning on alcohol labels
Food safety Ministers are being urged to put the health and wellbeing of families and communities first by approving the most effective pregnancy health warning label on alcohol products when they meet next month | FARE, Australia
How to get the most out of coronial investigations
This presentation reviews the process of death investigation in Australasia, discusses some differences between jurisdictions and in other parts of the world, and provides advice on means of maximising the value of accessible information | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Drugs, Prisons and ‘Unintended Consequences’ – Does drug interdiction drive drug-related harms?
The availability of drugs in prisons around the world is well documented. In Europe alone, up to seventy percent of people in prison have used an illicit drug. In Canada, forty-eight percent of prisoners in federal correctional institutions have had ‘problems’ with drugs. In Australia, one in six people discharged reported using illicit drugs during their sentence | GDPO blog, UK
UN World Drug Report: Four Key Takeaways
The World Drug Report is the annual analysis from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the state of the ‘global drug problem’. The report assesses developments in illegal drug use and drug market dynamics, and also includes special thematic chapters, exploring a particular issue in more depth. This year includes an analysis of the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic | Transform blog, UK
Why the ban on nicotine vape fluid will do more harm than good
Last week the federal government’s Office of Drug Control announced changes to the importation of nicotine-containing electronic cigarette fluids that will seriously affect the estimated 227,000 regular e-cigarette users in Australia | Conversation, Australia