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Daily news - 9th February 2023 |
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UK news
Correspondence: ACMD Nitrous Oxide: public call for evidence
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) Nitrous Oxide working group has issued a call for evidence to help in their formulation of advice to government. The deadline to submit written feedback is Tuesday 21 February 2023 | ACMD, UK
Getting in the spirit? Alcohol and the Scottish economy
While Scotland has a well-established reputation as a producer of whisky, a report today reveals that as a nation we are much more likely to drink wine, beer and vodka. The research from the Social Market Foundation think tank report shows that the alcohol industry costs the economy – in terms of impact on public services, productivity and the value of lives lost to alcohol – roughly the same amount as it generates for the economy | SHAAP, UK
Rehab row as official figures show drop in users starting treatment
Ministers say more places were approved and at least 1,000 a year will be funded by 2026 | 1919Magazine, UK
Ethical Storytelling of Psychoactive Substances and Drugs Policy in Bristol
How can ethical storytelling be used to develop new drug policy, to inform how we can live well with drugs in our communities, and to destigmatise drugs and people who use them? | Brigstow Institute, UK
Banned: Laura Whitmore’s TikTok and Instagram posts for alcoholic drinks
ASA rules that former Love Island's social media posts should have been clearly marked as advertisements | Wales Online, UK
Jared O'Mara: Former MP found guilty of fraudulent expenses claims
A former MP who submitted fake expense claims for £24,000 to fund his cocaine habit has been convicted of fraud | BBC, UK
Drug dealer caught after using pigeon-fancying terms in Encrochat
A pigeon-fancying drug dealer who was caught after he shared information about his loft in encrypted messages has been jailed | BBC, UK
International news
Dopamine and the pleasure–pain balance
In Dopamine Nation, psychiatrist and author Dr Anna Lembke writes about “finding balance in the age of indulgence”. The following edited excerpt examines the abundance of high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli in the modern world, and how this has affected our tolerance for pain and threshold for pleasure | SSA, UK
Hospitality giant Iris Capital’s Alice Springs alcohol licence under investigation by NT government
Action comes after police suspended trading twice in two weeks over ‘threats to public safety’ at two of its venues | Guardian, UK
Japan to legalise medical cannabis
The Japanese government is set to allow the medical use of cannabis to treat patients with incurable conditions, while cracking down on recreational consumers | Cannabis Health, UK
Elizabeth Banks defends controversial Cocaine Bear scene in which children use drugs
‘There were conversations about, should we age up these characters?’ Banks said | Independent, UK
Gardaí to take 'holistic approach' to drug use in Limerick
Limerick gardaí are to make “health referrals” for people in drug addiction as part of a new “holistic approach” to policing a surge of crack cocaine use in the city | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Doing more: the health and social impacts of crack cocaine use in Limerick City (PDF)
The primary aim of this study is to explore the health and social impacts of crack cocaine use in Limerick City | Ana Liffey Drug Project, Ireland
Crack cocaine 'hit Limerick city like snow', drug users say
A dedicated addiction team has been formed to tackle crack cocaine use in the mid-west region | Journal, Ireland
Alcohol labels: Ireland 'grateful' and 'surprised' that European Commission accepted proposed law-change
The draft regulations are the first time that alcohol is acknowledge as a public health risk in Irish law | Buzz, Ireland
Founding regulation of the EMCDDA adopted on this day, 30 years ago
On this day, 30 years ago, the adoption of Council Regulation (EEC) No 302/93 heralded the birth of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). This represented a key milestone in the history of European action on drugs and symbolised a major political decision to build drug policies on scientific evidence rather than on ideology (see 'Founding and early history of the EMCDDA'). The agency opened for business in Lisbon in 1995 and celebrated 25 years of monitoring in 2020 | EMCDDA, Portugal
New study explores opioid pain medication theft in long-term care homes
Theft of controlled substances like opioid pain medication (OPM) has been studied in health care settings such as hospitals, pharmacies, hospice, and pain clinics. However, while state officials, pharmacists, and care advocates know that these thefts also occur in long-term care homes, the extent and severity are largely unknown due to a gap in empirical research and lack of nationwide tracking | Medical Xpress, USA
SOTU: Biden Promises Fentanyl Crackdowns, OUD Meds in Prisons
On February 7, President Joe Biden delivered the State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. It put a heavy premium on fentanyl crackdowns | Filter Magazine, USA
As a Disabled Drug User, Home Health Care Leaves Me on the Floor
My first couple of home health aides were picked by a California state agency. As a drug user learning to use a wheelchair, I didn’t exactly like the idea of a random stranger assigned to come to my home. But as it turned out, some wouldn’t even come to my neighborhood. Some did, and were racist and insulting. One came back for her second day wearing a Hazmat suit | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
From Opium To Meth: How Myanmar Became The World’s Leading Producer Of Methamphetamine
Myanmar and its remote borderlands have long been a global centre for illegal drug production. Due to its isolated location and rugged hills, Myanmar is renowned for its major role as an opium cultivating region. However, a rapid shift in the drug market has placed Myanmar as one of the world’s leading producers of methamphetamine | Talking Drugs, UK