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Daily news - 14th December 2023

UK news

Risk of dying from cancer in England varies hugely between regions, say scientists

Theo Rashid, the first author of the study, who is a PhD student at Imperial, said: “The greatest inequality across districts was for the risk of dying from cancers where factors such as smoking, alcohol and obesity have a large influence on the risk of getting cancer. Researchers suggested that poverty and cuts to public health services, such as smoking cessation support, probably contributed to the acute differences in cancer death risk | Guardian, UK

Mortality from leading cancers in districts of England from 2002 to 2019: a population-based, spatiotemporal study

Cancers with modifiable risk factors and potential for screening for precancerous lesions had heterogeneous trends and the greatest geographical inequality. To reduce these inequalities, factors affecting both incidence and survival need to be addressed at the local level | Lancet, UK

Smoking decline stalls since Covid as more young people take up the habit - study

A decades-long decline in smoking in England has nearly ground to a halt since the pandemic, a study suggests. The rate of decline slowed from 5.2% in the years before the pandemic to just 0.3% between April 2020 and August 2022, according to the research | BBC, UK

National statistics announcement: Substance misuse treatment for adults: statistics 2022 to 2023

These statistics should be released today at 9:30am at this link | OHID, UK

First Minister commits to reduce children’s exposure to alcohol marketing

The First Minister Humza Yousaf has signed up to support a joint campaign from Alcohol Focus Scotland, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems and BMA Scotland | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK

Nitazenes - the new street drug epidemic? - audio

Nitazenes were linked to at least 54 deaths in the UK in the final six months of 2023. The BBC has been investigating what they are and why they're dangerous | BBC, UK

Spiking - briefing pack

There will be a Westminster Hall debate on spiking at 13.30 on 14 December 2023, led by Judith Cummins MP and Caroline Nokes MP | House of Commons Library, UK

Newcastle mum recovering from alcohol addiction calls for ban on booze adverts

Karen Slater said there's no escape from temptation because of TV adverts promoting alcoholic drinks during the festive season | Chronicle, UK

Working at WithYou: Emma and Jade’s pharmacy technician journeys

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a pharmacy technician at WithYou? We hear from Emma and Jade who help WithYou clients throughout their treatment journeys at the charity’s drug and alcohol services | DDN, UK

UK’s largest medical cannabis study announces new industry partners

Drug Science is pleased to welcome three new industry partners to its groundbreaking medical cannabis study, T21 (formerly Project TWENTY21). They are SOMAí Pharmaceuticals, Blackpoint Biotech and 4Clabs who will be joining long-standing partner EthyPharm as collaborators | Drug Science, UK

Cumbria police operation leads to three drug driving arrests

Police said 31 vehicles were pulled over on Friday in the Carlisle area and on the M6 | BBC, UK

Gainsborough: Two arrested after paramedic drugs go missing

Three vials of adrenaline disappeared from a paramedic's kitbag when they went to a property in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, last week, police said | BBC, UK

International news

Drug use and trading are typically social activities; however, supply through cryptomarkets can occur without any in-person social contact. People who use drugs alone may be at higher risk of experiencing harms, for example, due to lack of others who may call for emergency assistance. Alternatively, cryptomarkets may be a source of harm reduction information and drugs with better-known content and dose, potentially reducing the risk of adverse events. This study examines relationships between cryptomarket use, drug-using social networks and adverse drug events for MDMA, cocaine and LSD | IJDP, UK

Drug policy evaluation in Europe — topic overview

[Page updated] Evaluation is essential for effective policymaking, helping ensure that policies and programmes have the desired effect, provide value for money and do not have negative unintended consequences. The importance of evaluation has been recognised in all EU drug strategies and in the strategies of many Member States. To support those considering or involved in commissioning, managing or undertaking policy evaluations, this page provides access to a range of materials, including a 7-step guide, examples of strategies and evaluations in Europe and potentially useful data sources | EMCDDA, Portugal

Teen drug use remains below pre-pandemic levels

New data show relatively low use of illicit substances, yet overdose death rates among adolescents have risen in recent years. The percentage of teenagers reporting they used any illicit substances in 2023 held steady below the pre-pandemic levels reported in 2020, according to the latest results from the Monitoring the Future survey | University of Michigan, USA

Engaging youth as leaders and partners can improve substance use prevention: a call to action to support youth engagement practice and research

As a subfield of prevention science, substance use prevention researchers and professionals are increasingly focused on translating research into practice, developing the workforce of prevention specialists, and creating a robust prevention infrastructure. One critical need for professional development among the substance use prevention workforce is training and technical assistance around how to include young people in developing, implementing, and evaluating substance use prevention programs | Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, USA

Use of E-Cigarettes and Cigarettes During Late Pregnancy Among Adolescents

This cohort study using 2016-2021 data on 10 428 adolescents from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System in the US found that pregnant adolescents have increasingly used e-cigarettes, with the highest use among White adolescents. Adolescent use of cigarettes during pregnancy was a risk factor for SGA (small-for-gestational-age) birth; however, adolescent use of e-cigarettes or dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes was not associated with SGA birth | JAMA, USA

Is Cannabis Bad for Teens? Data Paint a Conflicting Picture

Ten years after cannabis was first legalized for recreational use in adults, scientists are struggling to provide evidence-based recommendations about the risks to young people | Scientific American, USA

Making history: saving lives - A baseline report on the operation of the first recognized overdose prevention center in the United States (PDF)

On November 2021, OnPoint NYC opened the United States’ first Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs) as a response to New York and the nation’s overdose epidemic. Since launching, the OPCs have saved countless lives and directed thousands of community members to vital services to improve the quality of their lives. Learn more about the first year of operations and the incredible impact in helping tackle the overdose crisis | OnPointNYC, USA

FDA Weighing New Application to Approve Prescription MDMA

A psychedelics-focused drug development company is officially asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review an application to approve MDMA as a prescription medication for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | Filter Magazine, USA

Mental health and addiction now second largest cause of disease in Australia

The burden of disease study estimates the millions of years of healthy life Australians lose because of injury, illness o,r premature death. Disability-adjusted life years (DALY) are used to calculate the impact of living with poor health (the non-fatal burden of disease) and dying prematurely (the fatal burden) | Medical Xpress, USA

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in heroin users: An underappreciated issue with clinical ramifications

[Open access] Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is common among heroin users, particularly smokers of heroin, occurring at rates well in excess of the general population. There is evidence of both early onset and accelerated progression, with fatalities secondary to respiratory failure occurring before the age of 40 years reported. Although often present from a younger age than is expected in smokers or the general population, COPD often goes underdiagnosed and undertreated in heroin users, as do many health complications in this population | Addiction, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

How to move towards a preventive state: which political party will grasp the four big opportunities?

While it is tempting to see only doom and gloom ahead, there is actually a remarkably wide consensus emerging on what needs to be done to help an incoming government make commitments on prevention in health and related policy – and how to make these commitments work in practice. We have summarised these into four big areas of opportunity | Kings Fund blog, UK

New Zealand’s tobacco endgame U-turn – a reversal or an advance?

New Zealand's incoming coalition government says it will reverse tobacco 'endgame' legislation. That will allow New Zealand to pursue better policies based on consent rather than coercion. It is an advance, not a reversal | The Counterfactual, UK

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