Daily news - 25th June 2021

UK news

NICE backs vaping to help people stop smoking in new guidance

New NICE draft guidance has said that healthcare professionals can recommend e-cigarettes, or vaping devices, as a means to help patients stop smoking | GP Online, UK [See also top item in Blogs section below...]

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

To ask what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on the effectiveness of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 | They work for you, UK

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

The Government has no plans to introduce minimum unit pricing at this time | They work for you, UK

Alister Jack Scottish Secretary says no evidence for Glasgow drug consumption rooms

The Scottish Secretary has said current evidence does not support opening drug consumption rooms, despite the Home Office previously admitting a range of public health benefits | Glasgow Times, UK

UK-wide e-cigarette trial to help homeless quit smoking

A trial led by UCL and LSBU researchers will investigate whether e-cigarettes could help people experiencing homelessness to quit smoking | UCL, UK

Edinburgh app connects those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction to support services

A new app has been launched in Edinburgh to connect people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction to local support services | Holyrood, UK

Dundee drugs deaths to be tackled with new mental health crisis service

A ‘pioneering’ new project to combine addiction and mental health services to tackle drug abuse and deaths in Dundee has been announced | Evening Telegraph, UK

The Duchess of Cambridge becomes Patron of The Forward Trust

[Yesterday] The Duchess of Cambridge has become Patron of The Forward Trust, which formally merged with Action on Addiction in May 2021 | Forward Trust, UK

Katie East awarded SSA Academic Fellowship

The SSA is delighted to announce that Dr Katie East has been awarded the 2021 Griffith Edwards Academic Fellowship. Katie’s fellowship will look at the factors that influence young adults’ perceptions of vaping harms and how those perceptions can be modified | SSA, UK

Understanding how consumers engaged with gambling advertising in 2020

This release uses online survey data to reflect on consumers’ awareness of advertising, social media use and the impact it has in the context of gambling in 2020 | Gambling Commission, UK

Webinar: Dame Carol Black's Independent Review of Drugs - Part 2

Mon, 12 July 2021, 13:00 – 14:30 BST. We're delighted to welcome Dame Carol Black as the keynote speaker of our next webinar, presenting the findings from the second part of her Independent Review of Drugs | Collective Voice, UK

Reconnect Recharge Recover

15th, 16th and 17th July, Bristol. Have you lost touch with playing music through your drug and alcohol use? BDP are excited to host 3 days of FREE summer music workshops for anyone who's been affected by drug and alcohol problems and can play an acoustic instrument to beginners standard. You can book onto 1 workshop or all 6. If you're not sure if it's suitable for you - please get in touch to have a chat about it | BDP, UK

Drug gangs exploiting Norfolk children - audio

A charity says that children as young as 8 are being exploited by drugs gangs in Norfolk | BBC Radio Norfolk, UK

New powers to seize alcohol in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Three seaside resorts will see new rules in a bid to curb drink-related disorder, a council has agreed | BBC, UK

International news

Exclusive: Euro 2020 officials agree not to place Heineken in front of Muslim players after Paul Pogba snub

[Limited number of free articles per week] Plus, after his public display of disdain for Coca-Cola, Cristiano Ronaldo is nearly hit by a bottle thrown at him as he played for Portugal | Telegraph, UK

UK breaks from ‘flawed’ EU science with vow of evidence-based snus ban review

UK health minister Jo Churchill’s promise of an evidence-based snus ban review marks a significant turning point in acknowledging the questionable science behind the impact assessment used by the EU to justify the ban | Snusforumet, UK

UN Demands Global Ban on Cannabis Advertising

The UN's World Drug Report says people perceive cannabis to be low risk despite a rise in potency over the last 20 years | VICE, UK

Perceived fear of losing children major barrier to women accessing addiction treatment

A new report from Trinity College has found that there is an urgent need for the expansion of gender-sensitive drug and alcohol treatment approaches that support the needs of women. A dominant theme in the report found that the perceived fear of losing children is a major barrier to women accessing treatment for drug and alcohol addiction | Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

UNODC World Drug Report 2021

Around 275 million people used drugs worldwide in the last year, while over 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders, according to the 2021 World Drug Report. The Report further noted that in the last 24 years cannabis potency had increased by as much as four times in parts of the world, even as the percentage of adolescents who perceived the drug as harmful fell by as much as 40 per cent, despite evidence that cannabis use is associated with a variety of health and other harms, especially among regular long-term users | UNODC, Austria

EMCDDA webinar: Prison and drugs in Europe: current and future challenges

30 June 2021, 13.00 - 14.30, CET Brussels. A webinar to discuss the results of the report Prison and drugs in Europe: current and future challenges Insights with key customers | EMCDDA, Portugal

Adolescent marijuana and alcohol use did not significantly change during the pandemic

Adolescent marijuana use and binge drinking did not significantly change during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite record decreases in the substances' perceived availability, according to a survey of 12th graders in the United States | News Medical, USA

Flavored Tobacco Ban in D.C. Would Have Disparate and Discriminatory Consequences

Proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products would criminalize behavior and undermine criminal justice reforms the city claims to care about | Reason Foundation, USA

People with fibromyalgia are substituting CBD for opioids to manage pain

As the ravages of the opioid epidemic lead many to avoid powerful painkillers, a significant number of people with fibromyalgia are finding an effective replacement in CBD-containing products, finds a new Michigan Medicine study | Medical Xpress, USA

Probation Puts Drug Offenders at Greater Risk of Returning to Prison: Paper

Reformers have long criticized the criminal justice system for its lengthy prison sentences for drug-related offenses | Crime Report, USA

Support. Don’t Punish—A Call to Reject the World’s Brutal Drug War

On June 4, Chandran Vithushan, a young man in Sri Lanka, was buried by his family. He had been arrested two days earlier, on suspicion of selling drugs. Police told his family that he fell ill while in custody at the police station that night, and died the following morning after being brought to the hospital | Filter Magazine, USA

Health Canada Keeps Admitting That Its Vape Policies Could Increase Smoking

On June 19, Health Canada, the agency responsible for the country’s health policy, released a proposed regulation that would ban flavored vaping products, with the exception of tobacco, menthol and mint | Filter Magazine, USA

Modelling projections for opioid-related deaths during the COVID-19 outbreak

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) released new modelling projections of the number of opioid-related deaths that may occur over the course of the coming months. The results of the model suggest that, under some scenarios, the number of opioid-related deaths may remain high or may even increase through to December 31, 2021 | Government of Canada, Canada

Opioid- and Stimulant-related Harms in Canada

The COVID-19 outbreak is worsening the already deadly and ongoing public health crisis of opioid overdoses and death. It is having a tragic impact on people who use substances, their families, and communities across Canada. People who use substances, such as opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine, are experiencing a number of increased risks, with several jurisdictions reporting higher rates of fatal overdoses and other harms | Government of Canada, Canada