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Daily news - 23rd December 2022 |
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A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our supporters and readers! We will see you again on January 3rd. Best wishes from Jackie and Harry.
UK news
£3.6 million social prescribing funding to bolster mental health support and ease pressure on GPs
Social prescribing can help people with a wide range of issues, including grief, and support those battling addiction. Dale, who lives in North London recently joined the Men’s Woodwork Group, run by St Margaret’s House – who also received a grant from the Thriving Communities fund. After leaving rehab, where he received treatment to help with alcohol and drug addiction, the group gives Dale a space to connect and be creative | Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Maria Caulfield MP, The Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, and Helen Whately MP, UK
Bristol adapts harm reduction approach for drug use
Bristol has become the first UK city to adopt a city-wide, harm-reduction approach to drugs and alcohol | BBC, UK
Drug Market Update: Oxycodone and Percocet Tablets
Do you or someone you know take non-prescribed oxycodone tablets? They might be sold as tablets designed to look like prescription medications such as OxyContin and Percocet amongst others. There is concern that some tablets that are being sold in the illicit UK drugs market may contain one of a variety of new synthetic opioid drugs. Synthetic opioid drugs called ‘nitazenes’ have been detected in the European and UK drug supply | CREW, UK
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in reference to page 92 of the Women’s Health Strategy following the analysis of the call for evidence written evidence submission, what steps has his Department taken to encourage research on foetal alcohol spectrum disorder prevalence rates | They work for you, UK
Continuity of Care in drug/alcohol treatment - review findings & top tips - video
This video is a recording of a webinar delivered by OHID on 29th November 2022. It describes how local areas improved the continuity of care for people in drug or alcohol treatment in the transition from prison to community services | OHID, UK
MAT Standard 8 - Towards Implementation: The MAT Standards Webinar Series - video
People have the right to ask for a worker who will support them with any help they need with housing, welfare or income. This worker will support people when using services, make sure they get what best suits them and that they are treated fairly | SDF, UK
Alcohol and drugs support hub
New website with information on drugs and how to be safer when using them. The site also includes “self-help” style support, and information on the support available locally in Middlesborough. The website was developed with project ADDER and the new integrated support solutions, which recently integrated the local drug and alcohol services into the local authority | Middlesbrough Council / ACT Middlesbrough, UK
West Yorkshire Police issue warning after seizing drug-laced Christmas chocolates
Police have seized edible cannabis that drug dealers had disguised as Christmas chocolates | Yorkshire Evening Post, UK
Taunton shop closed after selling vapes and bongs to kids
A shop which sold vapes, cannabis grinders and bongs to children has been ordered to close after a court hearing | BBC, UK
Cost of living: If no one comes we close early, says pub
At the Barn Pub near Rugby, the drinks are ready to be served, but unless lots of customers arrive, staff leave early | BBC, UK
International news
From Medellín To Manchester: Inside The Rise Of Tusi, Colombia's Pink Cocaine
Europe's party scene is suddenly awash with a bright pink substance commonly known as tusi — but what is it? And where has it come from? David Hillier investigates | MixMag, UK
Hispanic and Latino young males with higher education, greater acculturation are more likely to use e-cigarettes
A Rutgers researcher leads study that is among the first to characterize the use of electronic cigarettes among people of Hispanic and Latino backgrounds | EurekAlert, USA
FDA’s tobacco program must be proactive, not reactive, independent panel says after extensive review
An independent panel of experts says its review of the US Food and Drug Administration’s tobacco program found numerous wide-ranging problems that hinder its ability to regulate the industry and reduce tobacco-related disease and death | CNN, USA
California’s Vape Flavor Ban Begins With Confusion, Enforcement Threats
On December 21, California’s nicotine flavor ban finally went into effect, a little more than a month after voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 31. The law will prohibit the sale of almost all flavored nicotine products—including vapes and menthol cigarettes, but excluding hookah and some premium cigars | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
A treatment-based approach to tackling hard drugs that works
A treatment-based approach to tackling hard drugs that works
Barry Coppinger writes about the successes of heroin-assisted treatment in Middlesbrough. Plus a letter from Dr Michael Symonds | Guardian letters, UK
Exploring Christian attitudes to our drug laws
Earlier this year we returned to St George’s House to hold a consultation on drugs and drug policy through the lens of Christian ethics and theology. Christian churches have historically played an important role in supporting their local communities, particularly those in most need | Transform blog, UK
Coffee: Capitalism’s Secret Weapon
What can the most widely available psychoactive drug teach us about how society views drug users? | Volteface, UK
Drinking alcohol this Christmas and New Year? These medicines really don’t mix
A glass or two of champagne with Christmas lunch. A cool crisp beer at the beach. Some cheeky cocktails with friends to see in the New Year. There seem to be so many occasions to unwind with an alcoholic drink this summer | Conversation, Australia