Daily news - 17th December 2021 |
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UK news
Overlooked: Why we should be doing more to support families and friends affected by someone else's drinking, drug use or gambling (PDF)
This latest research looks at the number of people negatively impacted by someone else's drinking, drug taking or gambling. In line with our 2019 research which looked at families affected by substance use, Adfam found that 5.5 million people are currently dealing with the negative impacts of a friend or family member's drinking, drug talking or gambling | Adfam, UK
Treatment for opioid dependence has an important role in suicide prevention
Opioid agonist treatment, commonly methadone or buprenorphine, for people dependent on heroin or other opioid drugs has an important role to play in suicide prevention, according to University of Bristol-led research published in The Lancet Psychiatry | University of Bristol, UK
Majority of motorists putting themselves at risk of drink driving
A survey commissioned by the UK’s leading independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has revealed that the majority of motorists are unaware of the amount of alcohol that will tip them over the limit, while half admit they are prepared to drive the morning after festive drinks or their Christmas party | IAm RoadSmart, UK
Making UK drug policy a success: Reforming the policy making process
Bad practice in drug policymaking is the hidden driver of the UK’s current crisis, finds the CDPRG’s new report — with polling data showing the majority of MPs from all parties believe it needs an evidence-based update | CDPRG, UK
BBC Politics | Drug Policy Reform | 16 December 2021 - video
Is the UK ready for drug policy reform? Crispin Blunt, unremunerated chairman of the CDPRG shares never-before -published insights from new polling data on MP's attitudes to updating UK drug policy on BBC Politics Live... | BBC, UK
Explained: What's killing Scottish men? - video
Scottish men are self-destructing. We went to Scotland to find out why. The leading causes of death among 15–44 year-old men in the country are drug-related deaths and suicide. Scotland is now the drug death capital of Europe | PoliticsJOE, UK
Oral Tobacco: Health Hazards
Martyn Day SNP: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2021 to Question 72543, on Oral Tobacco, what the serious adverse health outcomes caused by snus are; and how those risks compare with the risks associated with smoking | They work for you, UK
Smoking, pregnancy and fertility - factsheet
Smoking during pregnancy is the leading modifiable risk factor for poor birth outcomes, including stillbirth, miscarriage, and pre-term birth. Smoking during pregnancy also increases the risk of children developing
several respiratory conditions, attention and hyperactivity difficulties, learning difficulties, problems of the ear, nose and throat, obesity, and diabetes | ASH, UK
Burnley's Pastor Mick: ‘If I lock this door, he dies’
Every seven seconds - on average - a person was referred for NHS mental health support in England in September. In Burnley, that comes as no surprise to Pastor Mick - a drug-dealer-turned-lifesaver during Covid - who each day meets people struggling to survive | BBC, UK
Anglesey: £5.5m cocaine haul hidden in orange juice pallets
Cocaine worth £5.5m was hidden in pallets of yoghurt and orange juice as smugglers tried to get it from Great Britain to Ireland, a court heard | BBC, UK
Ramsey man who went to Liverpool for higher quality heroin jailed
The court heard he told police he was "fed up of being dealt poor quality drugs" when arrested on 8 August | BBC, UK
International news
Introducing the Drug Decriminalisation [e]Course
IDPC’s Drug decriminalisation [e]Course is a free-to-access online learning course that is open to anyone interested in this important topic | IDPC, UK
National Poisons centre - Annual Report (PDF)
Over 18,997 agents were involved in cases of human poisoning. 49.1% of all agents were drugs (including medications and drugs of abuse) | Poisons Information Centre of Ireland, Ireland
Malta’s Cannabis Law Is Here… So When Can You Start Buying Some Legally?
Malta’s landmark cannabis bill has been approved by Parliament, but people will have to wait a few months before they can go and purchase the plant or its seeds from a licensed association | Lovin Malta, Malta
Board elects Austrian member Franz Pietsch as Chair and Luxembourgish member Xavier Poos as Vice-Chair
The EMCDDA Management Board, meeting in Lisbon this week, held elections today for the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board | EMCDDA, Portugal
Opioid Overdoses from the Toxicology Investigators Consortium (ToxIC) Fentalog Study Group
This report provides new information regarding comprehensive drug testing of clinical biological specimens collected after suspected opioid overdoses in various cities across the United States | CFSRE, NPS Discovery, USA
Molecular switch for addiction behaviour
A molecular switch influences addiction behavior and determines how strong the response to addictive drugs is. A research team at Heidelberg University and the Sorbonne University in Paris (France) made the discovery in mice treated with cocaine | Medical Xpress, USA
Pandemic-related shifts in alcohol sales explored across 16 US states
Trends examined with machine-learning analysis which could help inform public health policies | EurekAlert, USA
Cannabis may contain heavy metals and affect consumer health, study finds
Research team proposes strategies for growers to avoid heavy metals in their cannabis crops | EurekAlert, USA
Describing addiction as a “chronically relapsing brain disease” is intended to decrease stigma, but may actually increase it
Biomedical terminology has been deployed purposely to describe addiction in an effort to reduce stigma. However, using these terms may have unintended consequences. In this study, the researchers used a rigorous study design to examine if exposure to a variety of commonly used medical and nonmedical terms describing opioid-related impairment makes a difference in people’s attitudes toward those with opioid use disorder | Recovery Research Institute, USA
It works, but why does it work? Perspectives on change in 12-step and non-12-step mutual-help groups
There has been substantial growth of recovery mutual-help groups that adopt non-12-step philosophies. Findings from this study suggest that these newer groups may support change in many of the same ways as 12-step groups. Better understanding how these groups work can provide more options for people with substance use disorders and inform both clinicians and policy makers in supporting people seeking recovery | Recovery Research Institute, USA
A 90-year-old was serving life for marijuana despite serious illness. Now he's going home
In a dramatic reversal, a 90-year-old, seriously ill federal inmate serving life in prison for a nonviolent marijuana trafficking crime will go free after a judge granted him compassionate release on Tuesday -- overturning his previous order denying release | CNN, USA
Federal Data Show Sharp Decrease in Teen Drug Use in 2021
On December 15, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)—a federal research agency in the United States Department of Health and Human Services—published new data showing a significant decrease in drug use among adolescents in 2021. It’s the largest overall drop in teenagers’ illicit drug use reported in the country since 1975 | Filter Magazine, USA
Learning the Blues: West Coast Grapples With Shifting Drug Supply
“Forever, the prevalence of what kinds of drugs people did was completely boring,” Alex Kral, an epidemiologist from the nonprofit health research institute RTI international, told Filter. He has been studying the drug market in San Francisco and elsewhere for 28 years. “For the first 22 years that I was doing that, it was the same.” No longer | Filter Magazine, USA
Canada Allows Three Mental Health Patients to Access Psilocybin Therapy
Canada’s top health agency has agreed to allow an additional three people to use psilocybin mushrooms, a naturally-occurring psychedelic, as therapy. All three have mental health diagnoses, and will use the drug under supervision of medical or psychological professionals. Psilocybin remains illegal, however, and unavailable to millions of other Canadians who might also benefit | Filter Magazine, USA
Cannabis Buds and Flowers Will Soon Be Legalized in Thailand. Here’s What That Means
Cannabis was removed from Thailand’s narcotics code last week, in a move that is set to give a further boost to the country's blossoming industry | VICE, USA
TGA blocks bid to have MDMA, magic mushrooms used to treat mental health conditions
The Theraputic Goods Administration (TGA) has rejected an application to amend current poisons regulations to allow for psilocybin — also known as magic mushrooms — and MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) to be used in medically controlled environments | abc.net.au, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Digital marketing of alcohol, “limbic capitalism”, and the need for action to protect health and human rights
In this post, Dr Eric Carlin first discusses that, as we now live much of our lives in digital spaces, we are exposed and vulnerable to “limbic capitalism”, with global industries marketing addictive, health-harming goods and services online. Dr Carlin then describes the findings of the new WHO/Europe report on digital marketing of alcohol which sets out that we need a global, comprehensive approach to make the internet a SAFER space for all | SHAAP blog, UK
7 Big Themes For Vaping In 2022
For the past 9 years we have run a predictions post, with experts from different fields and different regions sharing their perspective on the future of vaping. This year’s, which will be published next week, is better than ever, with some truly superb write-ups and analysis from our predictors | Ashtray blog, UK
Latest trials confirm the benefits of MDMA – the drug in ecstasy – for treating PTSD
For people with post-traumatic stress disorder, recalling memories of physical or sexual assault, combat or disaster-related events can induce intense anxiety or panic attacks as well as debilitating flashbacks | Conversation, USA
SALIS Digital Library—Indispensable Drug & Alcohol History Resource
If you haven’t yet made use of the SALIS Collection of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs digital library, then you may have a real treat in store. Curated and maintained by the Substance Abuse Librarians and Information Specialists (SALIS) and hosted on the Internet Archive | Points blog, USA