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Daily news - 15th August 2023

UK news

Two teens die within hours of each other following SWG3 DJ event

One of the 18-year-old's took unwell outside SWG3 in Glasgow, while another took unwell on Constarry Road, Croy | STV News, UK

Vape adverts on London buses criticised for recycling message

The advertising watchdog is reviewing complaints that disposable vape adverts carried on London's transport network give out "misleading" environmental messages | BBC, UK

When were vapes and e-cigarettes invented and when did they come to the UK?

Vaping is becoming more and more common in the UK - particularly among young people. But has anyone stopped and asked how it all began? | Yahoo News, UK

Is it your duty to quit smoking? - audio

The Government's latest attempt to get six million Britons to quit smoking could include slipping positive messages into cigarette packs. They'll list the benefits of giving up, such as decreased risk of heart attack, and saving around £2,000 a year. It's part of an attempt to get all of us off cigarettes by 2030. 5 Live listeners spoke to Nicky Campbell about the potential changes | BBC Radio 5, UK

Man jailed for smuggling £84,000 worth of ecstasy hidden in cat food

A man who tried to smuggle over £84,000 of ecstasy into Scotland hidden in cat food has been jailed for more than four years | BBC, UK

Sock thrown out of Cambridgeshire car leads to drug arrest

Cambridgeshire Police said the "bizarre twist" happened after it attempted to stop an erratic driver on the A10 between Stretham and Little Thetford. "The driver sent his socks flying out of the passenger window", it said | BBC, UK

International news

New York's top federal prosecutor vows to shut down two 'illegal' supervised drug consumption sites in Manhattan - despite workers reversing 1,000 overdoses since opening in 2021

New York's top federal prosecutor has vowed to shutter two 'illegal' supervised drug consumption sites in Manhattan - despite the centers reversing 1,000 overdoses since it opened in 2021 | Mail Online, UK

Form of gene therapy offers hope for severe alcohol addiction, study finds

US research linked to dopamine release finds macaques decreased consumption by up to 90% after treatment | Guardian, UK

Perceptions of Safety of Daily Cannabis vs Tobacco Smoking and Secondhand Smoke Exposure, 2017-2021

In this survey study of 5035 US adults, daily cannabis smoking or smoke exposure was perceived to be safer than tobacco. Over time, views increasingly favored the safety of cannabis vs tobacco smoke | JAMA Network Open, USA

Youth Use of e-Cigarette Flavor and Device Combinations and Brands Before vs After FDA Enforcement

This US nationally representative cohort study found no difference in e-cigarette continuation rates between youth who used sweet/cartridge e-cigarettes and youth who used other flavor/device combinations. More than 75% of youth who initiated or continued e-cigarette use in 2021 used flavor/device combinations and brands not included in the enforcement priorities of the US Center for Tobacco Products | JAMA Network Open, USA

Integrating Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Into Primary Care Settings

In this survey-based and qualitative study, 4 themes encapsulated multilevel barriers and facilitators associated with primary care team provision of MOUD during implementation: (1) structural barriers delayed or limited primary care team responsiveness to patients needing opioid-related care; (2) patient engagement was more challenging than expected; (3) prescribing clinicians needed ongoing training and tools; and (4) primary care teams had conflicting attitudes about expanding MOUD care | JAMA Network Open, USA

[Open access] Consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) is a high-risk drinking practice. This systematic review examines how AmED use contributes to aggression (physical and sexual), in what role(s) (perpetrator and/or victim), in adolescents and young adult drinkers (age 25 and younger) | Clinical Psychology Review, USA

Drinking, often heavy, is common among cancer survivors

Many Americans diagnosed with cancer continue to drink alcohol regularly—sometimes heavily and sometimes during treatment, a new study shows. The study, of over 15,000 U.S. cancer survivors, found that 78% were current drinkers. And of them, significant percentages said they binged or engaged in other "risky" drinking. The same patterns were seen even among people undergoing cancer treatment | Medical Xpress, USA

Recommended Scope for NPS Testing in the United States

The objective of this report is to provide updated guidance in developing an appropriate analytical scope of testing for novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in the United States (and around the world) based on current trends and intelligence | CFSRE, USA

We’re on the cusp of another psychedelic era. But this time Washington is along for the ride

From Congress to the Biden administration, there’s enthusiasm for the drugs’ ability to treat mental illness | Politico, USA

Singapore Announces Plans to Execute More Death-Sentenced Prisoners Convicted of Non-Violent Drug Offenses

Human rights advocates are criticizing the Singapore government’s plan to execute more death-sentenced prisoners convicted of non-violent drug offenses. Singapore has so far hanged 16 people since resuming state executions in March last year, and all of those executed were low- to mid-level drug offenders convicted of trafficking amounts of drugs that would currently result in relatively small punishments in the UK and UK | Death Penalty Information Centre, USA

Blogs, comment and opinion

“You should be glad he’s dead”: Stigma, Grieving, and Drug Deaths

Today, drug-related deaths (DRD) are a significant contributor to non-accidental deaths worldwide, particularly due to accelerating fatality rates across the West in the past decade. DRDs have reached “epidemic proportions” in the United States, with 91,799 deaths in 2020, increasing by 30% in 2021. In the UK, DRDs have been growing yearly, with 4,879 people dying in 2021. This trend is also true for many other European countries. Scotland has the highest rates in Europe, and DRDs significantly contribute to an overall fall in life expectancy | Talking Drugs, UK

Effective Drug Policy Must Look Beyond Life Preservers!

An oft quoted observation by Desmond Tutu: “there comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” We seem to be stumbling on even the first measure, pulling people out of the river. We simply toss in flotation devices in an attempt to stop immediate death | Recovery Review blog, USA

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