Daily news - 15th January 2020 |
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UK news
Local Alcohol Profiles for England: January 2020 data update
The profiles provide information to monitor the services and initiatives that have been put in place to prevent and reduce the harmful impact of alcohol | PHE, UK
Many ways forward Stop smoking services and tobacco control work in English local authorities, 2019 (PDF)
This report presents findings of the sixth annual survey of tobacco control leads in England, conducted by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK). The report explores some of the issues that have shaped the development and diversification of local stop smoking services and tobacco control work in English local authorities | ASH, UK
Accelerated speed of discovery could lead to more effective smoking cessation aids
As smokers know all too well, nicotine is highly addictive. It’s hard to quit smoking, a habit that claims the lives of more than seven million people each year | University of Bristol, UK
Telling a Different Story: Understanding news media coverage of severe and multiple disadvantage
This research inquiry explores how print and online news media report on severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD). In this report, SMD refers to the interlocking nature of multiple disadvantages such as extreme poverty, homelessness, discrimination, mental ill health, substance misuse, violence and abuse and contact with the criminal justice system | Lankelly Chase, UK
'Urgent review' of medical cannabis access needed to curb use of street drugs, says trade body
An industry body has called on the UK government to review access to cannabis-based medical products after a YouGov survey revealed that as many as 2.8% of the adult population may be self-medicating with ‘street’ cannabis | Pharmaceutical Journal, UK
Effectiveness Bank: Refresh of “fantastic” free course on alcohol treatment research starts next week
One week before the first instalment of the 2020/21 refresh of Alcohol Treatment matrix, mapping the world of alcohol treatment and brief intervention research. Instalments from the last course remain available to dip into by clicking on cells in the matrix. Sign up to receive new course instalments directly | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK
Smoking at work - audio
A Swindon company's giving employees who don't smoke an extra four days off | BBC Wiltshire, UK
Create Space | Workshop Special
BDP service users are invited to a Create Space art group workshop to take part in two projects raising awareness of the impact of alcohol and other drugs | BDP, UK
Pavement letters urge homeless people in Bristol to get help
The "I've been there" messages are from three people who previously found themselves homeless and offer advice and encouragement | BBC, UK
How a pupil referral unit helped one teenager turn his life around - video
Vinnie Gardner, from Barnet, lost his father to drugs and alcohol at 11 years old | BBC, UK
Gambling on credit cards to be banned from April 2020
The ban, which comes into effect on 14 April, follows the Commission’s review of online gambling and the Government’s Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures. A public consultation was carried out between August and November 2019 | Gambling Commission, UK
Credit card gambling ban: Why mental health charities believe it does not go far enough
Some campaigners are calling for a formal levy on the industry to be introduced to help fund treatment services | i news, UK
International news
Therapeutic potential of brain stimulation techniques
Already used to treat various neurological and psychiatric disorders, a review investigates the utility of brain stimulation techniques for drug and alcohol problems. Is this family of treatments effective in curbing craving and substance use, and do today’s interventions look sufficiently different from those historically misused and abused? | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK
Book list - January 2020
Addiction publishes new book lists five times per year, both in print and on this website. Items are alphabetised by author within each list | Addiction, UK
Juul Labs to stop selling most flavored pods in Canada - CBC
Juul Labs Inc will stop selling most of its flavored vaping pods in Canada, CBC News reported on Tuesday, a move that could help the e-cigarette maker stave off mounting scrutiny over the surging popularity of its products with teenagers | Reuters, UK
'I wake up and I'm a baby': an NFL star's journey into ayahuasca
Kerry Rhodes says a series of hallucinogenic trips he took as part of a documentary helped him understand himself more deeply | Guardian, UK
Sly grog targeted as Aurukun families are told it's safe to return
As calm is restored in troubled Cape York community, alcohol strategy in spotlight | Guardian, UK
The effectiveness of graphic images on tobacco health warning labels in changing smoking attitudes and behaviors
Text-only health warnings have appeared on cigarettes for over 35 years in the United States. Despite these warnings, smoking still causes over 480,000 deaths each year in the United States | BASIS, USA
Why Overdose Deaths Have Fallen Here—Despite More Overdoses
Roughly 66 times every single day in British Columbia, someone calls 911 for a suspected drug overdose | Filter Magazine, USA
U-Haul’s Hateful Policy of Barring Nicotine Users From Employment
U-Haul? More like U-Hate. The ubiquitous moving-and-storage company has made clear that it hates workers who use nicotine—even on their own time | Filter Magazine, USA
Prosecutors Must Learn From Drug Users—But That Takes Humility
Across the US, most health professionals can now find opportunities to learn how to integrate harm reduction into their practice, if they so choose | Filter Magazine, USA
How Methamphetamine Became a Key Part of Nazi Military Strategy
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote that speed is “the essence of war.” While he of course did not have amphetamines in mind, he would no doubt have been impressed by their powerful war-facilitating psychoactive effects | TIME magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Doctors and surgeons can provide vital evidence to help reduce alcohol harm
In this guest blog by Meg Griffiths, Communications Manager from Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA), explains about evidence being needed for the UK having an alcohol strategy and how you can provide evidence on reducing alcohol harm | RCPSG blog, UK
Stop talking about 'wine o'clock': Holly Whitaker on how women can stop drinking – and get happy
When she decided to quit drinking, Whitaker turned, like many people, to Alcoholics Anonymous. She didn’t like what she found there, so she decided to create her own unique approach | Guardian lifestyle blog, UK
Two weeks alcohol-free - what's happening in your body?
You’re almost half way through your dry month! Where are you likely to be at after an amazing two weeks booze-free? | Alcohol Change UK blog, UK
All you need to know about smoking and dementia
The World Health Organisation estimates that 14% of cases of dementia worldwide could be caused by smoking | Alzheimer's Research UK blog, UK
How the alcohol industry persuades us to drink too much
If, like an estimated 4 million other Brits, you’ve embarked on Dry January this year, it might be because you want to reset your relationship with alcohol, get a bit healthier or save some money. But you might also be wondering around now why it’s been a bit of a challenge – it should be easy, right? Well, the world of alcohol has been changing under our noses | World Cancer Research Fund blog, UK
Alcohol industry and health information
Sir, – Further to the article “Simon Harris in lecturing, preening, interfering mood when it comes to alcohol” (Mark Paul, Business Opinion, January 10th), it was concerning to see an evidence-based recommendation by Minister for Health Simon Harris be derided while ignoring common sense and the evidence base | Irish Times opinion, Ireland
America’s Favorite Poison: Whatever happened to the anti-alcohol movement?
Occasionally, Elizabeth Bruenig unleashes a tweet for which she knows she’s sure to get dragged: She admits that she doesn’t drink | The Atlantic, USA
Maine and its Marijuana Market
Back in November of 2016 the people of Maine voted in favor of a referendum that legalized medical and recreational marijuana. The medical marijuana market took off quickly, but recreational marijuana regulatory structures slowed down the process for those interested in the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is now January 2020 and finally the state started accepting applications for recreational retailers | Points blog, USA