Daily news - 21st December 2020 |
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UK news
Drug deaths in Scotland: Minister Joe FitzPatrick loses job
Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick has lost his job in government after Scotland recorded its highest ever number of drug deaths | BBC, UK
Nicola Sturgeon to meet with activist keen to create safe sites for drug addicts to inject
The First Minister will meet activist Peter Krykant on January 7 | Daily Record, UK
Residential rehabilitation - service mapping: report - 2019 to 2020
A data summary of a national mapping exercise reviewing existing service provision, pathways and funding models which informed the data for the Residential Rehabilitation Working Group: recommendations on drug and alcohol residential treatment services | Scottish Government, UK
Drug Deaths
There were 1,264 drug deaths in a single year: a record number of deaths; the sixth year in a row of record numbers of deaths; double the loss of life from drug deaths in 2007; and three and a half times worse than in other parts of the United Kingdom. Scotland’s recorded drug death rate is the worst not just in Europe but in large parts of the rest of the world | They work for you, UK
'Who Cares if They Die' - video
On Monday 14th December 2020 Neil Findlay MSP hosted an online event with the aim to facilitate an inclusive discussion to explore how all policy actors and communities can work collaboratively to bring about meaningful systemic change and reduce drugs related deaths across Scotland | Making Recovery Visible, UK
National Intelligence Network on drug health harms briefing - December 2020
This briefing note includes topics covered at the October 2020 meeting of the National Intelligence Network on drug health harms and has been updated with the latest information. These notes are for directors of public health, commissioners, drug treatment services and needle and syringe programmes. The network exchanges intelligence on blood-borne viruses, new and emerging trends in drug use, and drug-related deaths, and explores how to use this intelligence to improve practice. Information is shared nationally to inform commissioning and practice | PHE, UK
Cannabis users ‘fail to grasp health risks of smoking,’ study says
Study shows that consumers of drug are not aware they could be risking a lifetime of tobacco addiction | Guardian, UK
Medical cannabis eases seizures in childhood epilepsy
Medicinal cannabis could offer patients significant relief from intractable epilepsy, but cost and access barriers remain, a review has found | Imperial College, UK
Brexit letter threatens to leave epileptic children without access to life-saving medicine
Medical cannabis prescriptions can help reduce seizures in youngsters | Independent, UK
UK alcohol sales fall despite rise in home drinking
Beer down 10% and wine 5% as increased online and supermarket sales fail to offset pub revenue collapse | Guardian, UK
Pubs in Wales may not be able to sell alcohol again until the spring
The restrictions on pubs and restaurants are set to be severe for several months to come | Wales Online, UK
New Stop Smoking London campaign launches
Ahead of the New Year, Stop Smoking London have launched a campaign to help more Londoners make 2021 their time to quit smoking for good. They’ve published two new guides on their website. One looks at how smokers can make their New Year’s resolution to quit a success. And another goes into the role that friends and family can have in helping their loved ones succeed | London Post, UK
Almost a quarter of prisoners have a gambling problem, survey says
In the first survey of its kind, 23 per cent of prisoners reported that they think they have a gambling problem. Over half (57 per cent) of respondents think support to address gambling harm should be offered in prison | Forward Trust, UK
Project Twenty21
With Project Twenty21, eligible patients can access affordable medical cannabis treatment, monitored by Drug Science. The project aims to enrol 20,000 patients by 2021, creating the largest body of evidence for the effectiveness and tolerability of medical cannabis. Drug Science hope that the findings of Project Twenty21 will provide evidence for NHS funding where the benefits of treatment with medicinal cannabis is proven to outweigh the potential risks | Drug Science, UK
Accident and emergency department attendance rates of people experiencing homelessness by GP registration: a retrospective analysis
he reasons for attendance and urgency of attendance were broadly similar between the two groups. Repeat attendance was similarly high in both groups. Almost 70% in both groups attended with problems deemed urgent, very urgent, or requiring immediate resuscitation. The patients registered with the specialist homeless service were more likely to be older and male; however, this did not affect the frequency of attendance | BJP Open, UK
Policy Research Programme - Understanding Recent Increases in the Prevalence of Drug Misuse Among Young People
This is a significant opportunity to inform policy and implementation in an area of high importance. Research on this area will inform engagement strategies for reaching those who could benefit from accessing services, but who are not currently doing so. It would also inform the design and implementation of targeted interventions to prevent and deter substance use | NIHR, UK
‘HIV, Heroin and Harm Reduction’ – Dr Roy Robertson on the Drugs Uncut podcast
The latest episode of ‘Drugs Uncut’ – the Scottish Drugs Forum podcast – has been published and is available to listen to for free online or on your favourite podcast app | SDF, UK
Changing Futures Programme - local area webinar
Multiple dates. This webinar is for local areas interested in the Changing Futures Programme, providing information on the programme and the EoI process | MHCLG, UK
Qualitative Methods Journal Club - Meeting 3 (hosted by GCU)
Thu, 14 Jan 2021, 14:00 GMT. We will be discussing the following paper: Pauly BB, Mamdani Z, Mesley L, et al. "It's an emotional roller coaster… But sometimes it's fucking awesome": Meaning and motivation of work for peers in overdose response environments in British Columbia. Int J Drug Policy. 2020; 88: 103015. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.103015 | SSA, UK
Free UKAT Zoom support services over Christmas
Scroll down the page to the section entitled: Christmas activities over Zoom | UKAT, UK
County lines: Drug dealer set up Exeter operation on-the-run
Connor Wilbraham organised the network of couriers and street dealers in Exeter while he was on-the-run from the police after jumping bail in Wales | BBC, UK
Drugs, Drill and Doing Time: 4. Jail or Freedom - audio
Drugs, Drill and Doing Time is a look behind the headlines, at gang crime. How people end up getting caught up in it, and what’s being done to get them out of it | BBC, UK
John Wright killing: Drug dealers sentenced for 'fake cash' attack
Two men have been jailed for the "punishment" killing of a man who bought crack cocaine from them using a fake bank note | BBC, UK
RFA Argus returns to Falmouth after double drug busts
A ship that stopped cocaine worth more than £120m from reaching the streets of the UK has arrived back off Cornwall | BBC UK
Cleethorpes drugs death: Woman admits 'lethal cocktail' manslaughter
A woman has admitted killing another by injecting her with a "lethal cocktail" of cocaine and heroin | BBC, UK
Green and tonic: gin in paper bottles is the new eco-tipple
Packagers step up production of ‘frugal’ containers as consumers embrace sustainable alternative | Guardian, UK
International news
2020 European Cannabis, Wrapped
Despite a year of mixed blessings, there have been significant positive developments in the Cannabis world, paving a promising if bumpy road ahead for 2021 | Volteface, UK
US fraternities busted for 'large-scale' drug ring
US prosecutors have charged 21 people, including current and former university students, with operating a cross-country drug ring within fraternities | BBC, UK
Captagon: Destroying the frontline drug
A massive seizure of the drug Captagon in Italy has revealed the scale of illegal drug production in Syria | BBC, UK
Cork mother urges State to act on medical cannabis
Michael, who has drug-resistant epilepsy and suffered up to 20 seizures a day, received his first dose of CBD in January 2018 | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Overdose Deaths Accelerating During COVID-19
Over 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period, according to recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | CDC, USA
Overdose deaths far outpace COVID-19 deaths in San Francisco
A record 621 people died of drug overdoses in San Francisco so far this year, a staggering number that far outpaces the 173 deaths from COVID-19 the city has seen thus far | Medical Xpress, USA
Heartwarming! Drug Rehab Centre Offers Free Treatment Via Christmas Raffle
The U.S. addiction treatment system is so broken that drug users rely on festive raffles, rehab "scholarships" and GoFundMe pages to kick drugs | VICE, USA
Informing Responses to Harms Related to Methamphetamine Use with Lessons from Public Health Crises
This literature review summarizes lessons learned from the current methamphetamine crisis as well as previous public health crises in Canada, including the HIV/AIDS crisis, the opioid crisis and other crises, to inform responses to the growing methamphetamine crisis in Canada. The report identifies potential areas for further investigation and improvement | CCSA, Canada
Potential reforms to medicinal cannabis manufacturing, labelling and packaging requirements
The Department of Health through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is seeking comments from interested parties on a review of the regulatory processes for the manufacturing, labelling and packaging of medicinal cannabis products | Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia
TGA confirms nicotine e-cigarette access is by prescription only
From 1 October 2021, the law for consumers to import nicotine e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine will align with the law for them to buy such products domestically. Closing a gap between Commonwealth and state and territory law, the decision announced by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (the TGA) today, clarifies that consumers will require a doctor's prescription to legally access nicotine e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine in Australia | Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia
PTSD treatment held back by Australia's antiquated drug law
The use of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, to treat stress disorders in returned service men and women was rapidly gaining traction in the United States, Israel and Europe while Australia stagnated, Dr David Caldicott said | Canberra Times, Australia
Women speak out against controversial religious Sydney drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre the Healing House
Five days into her stay at the Healing House, Rania Bazzi called her lawyer in hysterics | abc.net.au, Australia
NSW crime data shows Cannabis Cautioning Scheme has gone to pot and become a 'class war'
NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data, compiled for the Newcastle Herald, reveals more than 2350 people in the Hunter faced court for cannabis use or possession over the past five years | Newcastle Herald, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Drug Consumption Rooms can save lives - we can't treat people like they are dead
The SNP MP for Inverclyde and vice chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on drugs reform policy gives his view on tackling Scotland's drug problems | Daily Record, UK
Scotland's drug deaths crisis: Rehab funding cuts must stop and we must break the cycle of poverty and drug abuse
Last year a panel of recovering drug users sat before me and other members of the Scottish Affairs Committee, as part of our inquiry into drug use in Scotland | Scotsman, UK
Insight: One mother's story and the scandal of Scotland's drugs death crisis
On Hogmanay last year - when most of us were cleaning our homes in preparation for the Bells - Kirsty* was travelling to Edinburgh City Mortuary. It was a place she had previously visited in the pages of the Inspector Rebus novels; but this time she was there for real: to identify the body of her son Mark | Scotsman, UK
Is rehab effective or a waste of time and money?
When the subject of residential treatment comes up in the addiction treatment field, there is a response I hear often (but not always). It’s a frustrating refrain. It goes like this: ‘there’s no evidence that rehab works.’ | Recovery Review blog, UK
Gin Craze: the moral panic about 'mother's ruin' still demonises women
Our series of extracts from unstaged scripts continues with a musical giving voice to the working-class women whose lives were changed by alochol | Guardian, UK