Daily news - 3rd December 2020 |
 |
UK news
Rapid evidence review of harm reduction interventions and messaging for people who inject drugs during pandemic events: implications for the ongoing COVID 19 response
[Open access] The review findings suggest that HR services should be deemed essential during a pandemic, with staff supported to work safely and social distancing adaptations implemented. The evidence on HR communication was very limited but key messages on infection control, uncertain drug supply and accessing services were identified. A person-centred rather than disease-centred approach to HR delivered by collaborating partners is recommended and particular consideration of health inequalities is needed | Harm Reduction Journal, UK
New report on how nudge theory shapes alcohol policy
The public are 'blameworthy' for their own alcohol-related health issues, according to a new IAS report looking into how the public health initiatives use nudge theory’s principles to frame actions and attitudes. ‘Nudge theory and alcohol policy – how nudge frames drinkers and industry’ also found alcohol industry actors were framed as 'reliable', with any who engage in behaviour harmful to public health described as outliers | IAS, UK
Course and outcome of patients with alcohol use disorders following an alcohol intervention during hospital attendance: mixed method study
[Open access] To describe the clinical characteristics, drinking profile and trajectory of a cohort of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) attending hospital, and explore participant perspectives of the impact of hospital attendance on their relationship with alcohol | BJPsych open, UK
HMRC plans tough action to tackle illegal tobacco trade
HMRC has outlined proposed new actions to tackle tobacco duty evasion, highlighting the impact that the illicit trade has on legitimate retailers | Talking Retail, UK
Brexit opens the door to tougher anti-smoking measures
Brexit offers the UK opportunities to strengthen its world-leading tobacco control measures, by creating greater flexibility to respond to industry action and market developments, according to new research from the University of Bath | University of Bath, UK
Bristol council considers 'safe injection rooms' for heroin addicts as drug deaths rise
Bristol could introduce dedicated 'safe rooms' for addicts to inject drugs in a clean and supervised space | Bristol Post, UK
Playground smoking is set to be banned by council
City of York Council wants to turn playgrounds into smokefree zones under plans to improve people's health and stop children from picking up the habit when they grow up | The Press, UK
Mark Drakeford barred from 100 Welsh pubs after banning alcohol
Wales’ First Minister has been barred from more than 100 pubs after he banned them from serving alcohol and staying open beyond 6pm | Metro, UK
Anti-doping education: Teaching athletes about morality in sport can help reduce doping
Elite athletes can be persuaded not to take banned substances—either by appealing to their sense of morality or educating them about the risks of using performance-enhancing drugs, according to a new study | Medical Xpress, USA
Oisin Murphy: Champion jockey 'saw cocaine present' night before positive test
Champion flat jockey Oisin Murphy has admitted he saw "cocaine was present" the night before he tested positive for the drug in July | BBC, UK
Peaceful Solutions to the War on Drugs
Wed, 16 December 2020, 17:00 – 20:00 GMT. Join us for this special line up who will discuss drug policy reform, grassroots activism and the harms created by the war on drugs | Recovering Justice, UK
International news
Reefer gladness as UN reclassifies cannabis as less dangerous drug
Commission on Narcotic Drugs removes substance from ‘world’s most dangerous’ category | Guardian, UK
Cannabis Is Officially a Medicine, Following Historic UN Vote
The vote to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is set to spark a rise in research and medical access | VICE, UK
Reporting on the opioid crisis (2000–2018): role of The Globe and Mail, a Canadian English-language newspaper in influencing public opinion
We aim to describe the general characteristics of how the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reports on opioid-related news, the opioid crisis and its victims, and explore how Canadians’ perceptions of the opioid crisis could have developed over time from this reporting. The Globe and Mail has the highest circulation among Canadian newspapers and is Canada’s newspaper of record | Harm Reduction Journal, UK
New WHO report reveals that while smoking continues to decline among European adolescents, the use of electronic cigarettes by young people is on the rise
Tobacco use among young people in the WHO European Region remains a public health concern. Despite the overall downward trend, several countries of the Region observed an increase in tobacco use prevalence among young people in the latest round of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey | WHO, Denmark
High-Risk Drinking in Midlife Before Versus During the COVID-19 Crisis: Longitudinal Evidence From the United Kingdom
[Open access] Emerging evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions may have influenced alcohol consumption. This study examines changes in high-risk alcohol consumption from before to during the COVID-19 crisis in an established cohort of middle-aged British adults | AJPM, USA
Trends in Tobacco Use Among Adolescents by Grade, Sex, and Race, 1991-2019
In this cross-sectional study of 1 297 362 US adolescents surveyed between 2011 and 2019, past 30-day and daily use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco decreased more rapidly since 2012 as e-cigarette use began to increase. Smoking and smokeless tobacco use reached historically low levels among adolescents in the US | JAMA Network open, USA
Comparison of Opioids Prescribed for Patients at Risk for Opioid Misuse Before and After Publication of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Opioid Prescribing Guidelines
This study’s findings suggest that, among patients at risk for opioid misuse, the odds of receiving a Schedule II opioid for noncancer pain vs tramadol in the 18-month periods before and after guideline publication were similar to the odds for those not at risk | JAMA Network open, USA
Patients with heart rhythm disorder warned against heavy alcohol consumption
Fourteen drinks a week is linked with a higher risk of health problems including stroke and embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation, according to research published in EP Europace, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology | Medical Xpress, USA
Ozone breaks down THC deposited on surfaces from thirdhand cannabis smoke
Second- and thirdhand tobacco smoke have received lots of attention, but much less is known about the compounds deposited on surfaces from cannabis smoke | EurekAlert, USA
Federal Government’s Fall Economic Statement Addresses Opioid Crisis and Canadian Wellness amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) welcomes the federal government’s continued recognition of the importance of healthcare efforts to address substance use and addiction while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic | CCSA, Canada
Decriminalisation ruled out as government considers early drug intervention
The NSW government has ruled out decriminalising the possession of illicit drugs as part of its response to last year's special commission of inquiry into ice | SMH, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Medical Cannabis removed from schedule 4 of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs
Drug Science notice of support for joint NGO statement ‘Towards science-based scheduling of Cannabis sativa and other controlled herbal medicines’ | Drug Science, UK
What has 2020 done to the UK’s alcohol consumption?
Alcohol stats expert Colin Angus trawls through a lot of data to work out Brits’ drinking habits in this exceptional year | IAS blog, UK
Politicians must find their nerve on sensible drug reform in Australia – not give in to moral panic
Reports the NSW government was considering removing penalties for personal drug use were met with the usual backlash | Guardian opinion, UK
“All that was missing were the hugs”: Virtual Recovery in the Era of the Pandemic
“Important Update regarding meetings,” read an announcement on the website of the Eastern Massachusetts Central Service Committee of Alcoholics Anonymous in early March. “Due to the Covid-19 health risk note that most meetings have been suspended by the host facility until further notice.” | Points blog, USA
No wrong door: the case for holistic approaches to alcohol, other drugs and mental health
Though robust evidence remains limited, the coronavirus pandemic appears to have driven shifts in alcohol and other drug use, with a recent report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare suggesting alcohol consumption has increased — particularly for women — while illicit substance use has fallen off, partly due to issues around access and supply | Croakey blog, Australia
Courts are the wrong place to tackle drug use
Last week, I listened to a person describing her journey with illicit drugs, including crystal methamphetamine – ice. She talked about her first arrest, for drug use, and the subsequent, inevitable, snowballing of her arrests, convictions, and ultimately time in prison | Brisbane Times opinion, Australia