Daily news - 18th June 2020 |
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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
Drug researchers warn of the dangers of 'laughing gas' following illegal raves
[ DrugWise Director, Harry Shapiro, interviewed at 1 minute 40 seconds into video] Scattered among the debris, thousands of nitrous oxide canisters were found at the clean up at Daisy Nook Country Park, where the illegal 'Quarantine Rave' took place last weekend | ITV, UK
Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: an update
[Report and appendices updated] This report sets out estimates of the relative risks of alcohol on disease, as well as alcohol-attributable fractions for England | PHE, UK
Pleasant Lands
Volteface is delighted to announce the launch of Pleasant Lands, a campaign to unlock the hemp opportunity for UK farmers and small businesses. Hemp is a versatile, environmentally beneficial and high value crop that should be making a significant contribution to the UK economy. However, it remains classified as a niche crop – with UK cultivation estimated at only 800 hectares annually | Volteface, UK
Drinking outside pubs to be banned in central London post lockdown
[Free registration maybe required] Westminster Council wants to prohibit pubs from allowing customers doing 'vertical drinking' outside | Telegraph, UK
Reopening Westminster’s hospitality sector (PDF)
This document sets out proposals for how Westminster can reopen its hospitality sector – the biggest and most vibrant in the country – following the COVID-19 crisis. We have listened to the views of business and residents in developing our thinking and will continue to do so. This document serves as a basis for discussions we will have with residents and stakeholders about what can work in their area over the coming weeks, ahead of the reopening of the hospitality sector in July | City of Westminster, UK
Post-duty point dilution of wine or made-wine
The Chancellor of the Exchequer must review the expected effects on public health of the changes made to the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act 1979 by this Section and lay a report of that review before the House of Commons within one year of the passing of this Act.” | They work for you, UK
How London Has Changed Over 25 Years, Through the Eyes of a Drug Dealer
Eric survived a tough childhood to run cocaine sales in a string of north London pubs and bars. Along the way, he's seen the capital transformed by gentrification and new drug cultures. This is his story | VICE, UK
Bibliography on COVID-19 and Addiction
This downloadable document lists articles found in PubMed from searches on 15 June 2020 involving addiction-related topics and COVID-19 | Addiction, UK
Faculty for Homelessness and Inclusion Health - free online event
Tue, 23 June 2020 17:00 – 18:00 BST. In our first Faculty meeting since the lockdown, we will discuss how clinicians have adapted during COVID19 to care for homeless patients with addictions | Faculty for Homelessness and Inclusion Health, UK
‘Drugs were normal in my family’: Ronnie Wood’s son Jamie opens up about how growing up with a Rolling Stone led to addiction
'No one would let their children come to my house after school,' said Jamie | Independent, UK
Guernsey sexual offence laws enter 'unknown territory'
Consumption of alcohol or drugs preventing consent in cases of rape or sexual abuse will be considered by Guernsey courts | BBC, UK
Lincolnshire man jailed for dealing heroin and crack cocaine
Keia Hull, 25, attracted suspicion after he was seen cycling around Grantham, Lincolnshire, delivering to customers, Lincoln Crown Court heard. A court heard he met drug users out of sight of the town's CCTV cameras | BBC, UK
Whitehaven dealer 'stashed heroin in boxer shorts'
The court heard that the former soldier, who had suffered personal loss and trauma and received a previous post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, had since kicked his heroin habit | BBC, UK
International news
Madrid police break up 'cocaine hotline' delivery service
Gang used fleet of motorbikes to guarantee delivery time of 20 minutes and operated loyalty scheme to reward best customers | Guardian, UK
Carlos Lehder: Pablo Escobar's crime partner freed from US jail
The man who set up the notorious Medellín drug cartel alongside Pablo Escobar has arrived in Germany after his release from a US prison | BBC, UK
Alcohol in Ireland: Dying for a drink
An overview of the alcohol crisis in Ireland and the latest approaches to managing alcohol-related cirrhosis | Medical Independent, Ireland
Tobacco industry discounting linked to higher cigarette consumption in Europe
Cut price cigarette availability undermining impact of tax levies, say researchers | EurekAlert, USA
Oral antibiotics work, shorten hospital stays for IV drug users with infections
People who inject illicit drugs can develop potentially deadly infections of the heart, blood, joints and soft tissues. Typically, such infections require weeks of hospitalization to treat effectively | Medical Xpress, USA
Hong Kong’s Rejection of Vapes Ban Could Have Welcome Influence
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has won an important victory | Filter Magazine, USA
Safe Supply Pioneer Presents Vaping as Central to Harm Reduction
“I am an accidental voice in the vaping world,” began Dr. Mark Tyndall, a professor at the University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health. “For the most part, my world of harm reduction did not include cigarette smoking.” | Filter Magazine, USA
“There Is No Naloxone for Racism”—Kassandra Frederique Speaks Out
Since George Floyd was horrifically murdered by Minneapolis cops on May 25, events have unfolded dramatically, and amid worldwide protests, conversations about police brutality and racism—and responses from defunding to abolition—have become mainstream like never before | Filter Magazine, USA
Does Drinking Within Low-Risk Guidelines Prevent Harm? Implications for High-Income Countries Using the International Model of Alcohol Harms and Policies
Many countries propose low-risk drinking guidelines (LRDGs) to mitigate alcohol-related harms. North American LRDGs are high by international standards. We applied the International Model of Alcohol Harms and Policies (InterMAHP) to quantify the alcohol-caused harms experienced by those drinking within and above these guidelines | JSAD, Canada
Pregabalin use found to be relatively common among people who regularly inject drugs
The use of pregabalin, a medicine for neuropathic pain, is relatively common among a sample of people who regularly inject drugs (PWID) in Australia, a new study by researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW Sydney has found | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
The hidden burden of laughing gas
The frequent presence of silver canisters, or “whippits,” on our streets (even during the covid-19 lockdown) is a visible mark of the increasing incidence of nitrous oxide (N2O) or laughing gas misuse | BMJ opinion, UK
Getting back on the beers after lockdown? Here’s what you should know
If you’re feeling excited about being out of lockdown, you’re not alone. Social media is buzzing with plans of big nights out to celebrate the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions in Australia and New Zealand | Conversation, Australia