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Daily news - 12th October 2022 |
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UK news
£50 million to tackle health inequalities through research - press release
People are set to benefit from a £50 million research boost to tackle health inequalities in local areas and improve health outcomes across the country.This will enable new high-quality research into the local challenges affecting people’s health - such as facilitating research to better understand and introduce interventions to help with childhood obesity, COVID recovery, mental wellbeing and drug use | DHSC, UK
Health disparities and health inequalities: applying All Our Health
The main behavioural risk factors for poor health – smoking, poor diet or excess weight, physical inactivity and high alcohol consumption – follow the same pattern of uneven distribution as the wider determinants of health, indicating that there is a relationship between an individual’s likelihood of smoking, eating healthily, physical inactivity, and their social and environmental circumstances | OHID, UK
Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report
The Drugs Team at Public Health Scotland (PHS) has compiled this report of drug-related indicators in order to inform action to prevent drug harms and deaths | Public Health Scotland, UK
Tackling risk factors for non-communicable diseases: the pros and cons of a more integrated approach
This small study, supported by SPECTRUM and led by the Smokefree Action Coalition, Obesity Health Alliance and Alcohol Health Alliance, explores the scope for government, public health professionals and health advocates to take a more integrated approach to tackling the main risk factors for NCDs | Spectrum Consortium, UK
Drug Consumption Rooms – What Are They & Why Are Drugs Workers Fighting For Change?
An innovative public health policy used across the world could be the answer to Wales’ spiralling drug death count, with latest figures up 40% on the previous year | Voice Wales, UK
The Warehouse Project warn attendees of "Blue Punisher" MDMA pills
The Warehouse Project has urged its attendees to be cautious of extra strength "Blue Punisher" pills that are currently in circulation around Manchester | MixMag, UK
Cannabis prosecutions fall to record low as police accused of 'decriminalisation by stealth'
[Possible paywall] The fall in the proportion of people charged comes despite the number using the drug rising to its highest point since 2007 | Telegraph, UK
Jeni Larmour: Newcastle student died after mixing alcohol and drugs
A student who died within hours of arriving at university had mixed alcohol and ketamine, an inquest heard | BBC, UK
Susannah Constantine on how her alcoholism brought her back to reality
The broadcaster and writer reveals how she found purpose in her privileged life | Independent, UK
Medical Cannabis Awareness Week 2022: Industry Insights
Sun, November 6, 2022, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT. An insight into current industry ongoings, focusing on the need to centre and amplify patients in the medical cannabis sector | Volteface, UK
Behind Closed Doors
Mon, 24 October 2022, 18:00 – 20:00 BST. Over a third of the population have tried illegal drugs and a tenth take them regularly. Yet the possession of drugs is illegal. In the context of prohibitionist drug policies, how do people store illegal drugs at home to avoid detection? This exhibition displays images and interview extracts about the drug storage strategies of recreational drug takers | University of Manchester, UK
Drugs: Organised Crime
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people in England and Wales were recorded as victims of 'cuckooing', the exploitation through the occupation and control of their home by others (1) in 2021, and (2) from January to June 2022 | They work for you, UK
Loot boxes in computer games: Are they a form of gambling?
Loot boxes are rewards within computer games that can be bought with virtual currencies or real-world money. Concerns have been raised about whether they encourage gambling-like behaviours, particularly among children. In July 2022, Boris Johnson’s government published its response to a consultation on loot boxes. It decided not to legislate to bring loot boxes within the scope of the Gambling Act 2005 | UK Parliament, House of Lords Library, UK
HMP Parc: Half of prisoners find it easy to get drugs
Bosses are still struggling to stop the flow of drugs, according to a recent inspection of HMP Parc, Bridgend | BBC, UK
International news
The Global State of Harm Reduction 2022: Report Launch
Nov 1, 2022 12:00 PM in London. The Global State of Harm Reduction is the only report that provides an independent analysis of harm reduction in the world. Now in its the seventh edition, the Global State of Harm Reduction 2020 is the most comprehensive global mapping of harm reduction responses to drug use, HIV and viral hepatitis. Join Harm Reduction International and regional experts from Eurasia, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa for the launch of the latest edition of the report | HRI, UK
Webinar on New Drug Trends
On October 12 2022 at 16:00 CET we are delighted to be hosting a webinar on ‘Processes and Progress of Civil Society Monitoring of New Drugs Trends’ | C-EHRN, The Netherlands
Opioids and tranquilizers still frequently prescribed to patients with alcohol use disorder in NY
Prescribing rates of opioids and tranquilizers to people undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse in New York remains high, despite public efforts to curb prescribing practices, according to a new University at Buffalo-led study | Medical Xpress, USA
The People Left Behind by Biden’s Cannabis Pardons
President Joe Biden’s surprise marijuana pardon action on October 6 has been widely praised as an important step toward righting the wrongs of prohibition. But advocates have also been quick to point out that the move is seriously limited in scope and will leave many victims of the war on cannabis behind, without relief | Filter Magazine, USA
E-cigarette ban proposed as WA Cancer Council aims to halve smoking rates by 2030
The organisation, which is proposing to halve smoking rates in the state by 2030, launched its plan at a two-day symposium of health workers and experts in Perth this week | abc.net.au, Australia
Minimising The Harms From Methamphetamine
[This report was published in September] How can we shift to an evidence and health based approach? | Helen Clark Foundation, New Zealand
Blogs, comment and opinion
On (Police) Diversion: Against Carcerality and Prohibition on the Road to Abolition
We are witnessing an intensification of the power, capacity and reach of state violence in Britain through the development and enactment of highly punitive laws and policies that expand policing, surveillance, imprisonment, and bordering | Talking Drugs, UK
Reforming Class A may be wise, but putting weed in the same grade as heroin is not
Given that we are supposed to be in the grip of a libertarian cabal, the Government is giving awfully mixed signals when it comes to that vital frontier of personal freedom: lifestyle | Conservative Home, UK
Tories, if you want growth, growth, growth, legalise marijuana – and slap a hefty sin tax on it
Suella Braverman wants to make cannabis a class A drug, just as other countries are taking a liberal approach | Guardian, UK