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Daily news - 14th February 2023 |
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UK news
'It's going to get worse' charity warns about drug use in cost of living crisis
Staff at substance charity Kaleidoscope say they are seeing an increase in people using their services | Wales Online, UK
‘I’ve gone from one extreme to the other’: critical junctures in relationships with alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic
[Open access] The paper highlights implications for healthcare/policy including the importance of considering wider social context when seeking behavioral change. We also stress that alternative explanations – such as declining drinking rates and the growth of Temporary Abstinence Initiatives – must not be ignored when exploring people’s shifting drinking behaviors, even during periods of unprecedented social change | DEPP, UK
Parents and scientists back new study into benefits of cannabis-based medications for children with severe epilepsy
On International Epilepsy Day, patient group MedCan Support, scientific body Drug Science and tech-platform Alta Flora announce the launch of an innovative study into prescribed cannabis oil for children with epilepsy | Drug Science, UK
Green Party’s candidate for mayor of London reveals drug reform and free transport as priorities
The Green Party’s candidate for Mayor of London has revealed her top priorities for Londoners – including drug reform and free public transport for young people | London News Online, UK
Celebrating Maggie
2.30pm, Friday 10th March 2023. St. George’s Bristol, BS1 5RR. BDP’s staff and trustees invite you to join us in celebrating the life of the tenacious & fabulous Maggie Telfer. The event will last approximately an hour and will be full of memories, celebration and song. Maggie loved colour and music, and there will be both | BDP, UK
Norwich: Matthew Project's Walk to Remember 30k steps event
Local substance misuse charity The Matthew Project has announced its first Walk to Remember, which will be held on Wednesday, March 1 | Norwich Evening News, UK
Volunteer
Humankind offer a variety of roles and opportunities for its volunteers. These range from advocate to researcher, admin support to peer mentor, group facilitator to data entry and fundraiser to complimentary therapist. We have also recently created new Volunteer Fundraising Ambassador roles aimed at supporting our corporate fundraising nationally and regionally | Humankind, UK
International news
Webinar – Learning together: Progressing Decriminalisation in Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Poland and Maine
Friday 03 March 2023, 13.00 – 14:30 (GMT). SDF will be hosting a webinar to coincide with the publication of a new report, Working To Decriminalise People Who Use Drugs: Learning From Decriminalisation Efforts In 5 International Jurisdictions. This report has been prepared for Ana Liffey Drugs Project by the Scottish Drugs Forum with support and funding of The Open Society Foundation. The report evaluates the recent decriminalisation and advocacy efforts in Scotland, Poland, Norway, Ireland and Maine (USA) | SDF, UK
Dominic Perrottet’s hardline stance on drugs is ‘magical thinking’, says pill testing advocate
After the death of 26-year-old man at Sydney music festival, health expert says NSW premier’s unwavering stance is unrealistic | Guardian, UK
Environment groups call for urgent action on hazardous waste from e-cigarettes
Head of Clean Up Australia says disposing of vapes is ‘a new and serious environmental issue’ | Guardian, UK
Huge rise in stoned dogs after New York legalises cannabis
[Possible paywall] Owners warned to stop their pets consuming drugs discarded on the streets after surge in poorly animals | Telegraph, UK
High doses of cannabidiol may increase the effects of THC in edible cannabis products
Contrary to some common claims, a study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers found that relatively high doses of cannabidiol (CBD) may increase the adverse effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active ingredient in cannabis that can cause a mood alteration or a "high" sensation. The findings show that in edible cannabis products, CBD inhibits the metabolism, or breakdown, of THC, which may result in stronger and longer drug effects | News Medical, USA
Cocaine addiction makes the brain age faster, suggests study
Scientists tend to view substance addiction as primarily a disease of the brain. When we enjoy sex, food, music, or hobbies, regions of our brain within the reward pathway are flooded with pleasure-inducing dopamine. Drugs like cocaine copy this effect, except up to ten times more strongly | Medical Xpress, USA
Study reveals how CBD counters epileptic seizures
A study reveals a previously unknown way in which cannabidiol (CBD), a substance found in cannabis, reduces seizures in many treatment-resistant forms of pediatric epilepsy | Medical Xpress, USA
Trends in Out-of-Pocket Costs for and Characteristics of Pharmacy-Dispensed Buprenorphine Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment by Type of Payer, 2015 to 2020
Cross-sectional analysis was used to calculate daily out-of-pocket costs and prescription characteristics for retail pharmacy–dispensed buprenorphine from 2015 to 2020. Findings suggest that financial barriers to accessing and maintaining buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder may exist and differ by type of and access to prescription coverage | JAMA Network Open, USA
Psilocybin and mental health
Humans have long capitalized on the metabolic products of fungi for medical purposes. Psilocybin is a fungal metabolite that has attracted increased attention from media outlets, clinicians and researchers in recent years. Naturally found in a multitude of mushroom species (colloquially known as "magic mushrooms"), the compound interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain to trigger various psychedelic effects | Medical Xpress, USA
Health groups call for ban on importation and sale of vaping products
Health groups are demanding a ban on the importation and sale of all vaping products, except those prescribed by a doctor | Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Should alcohol be banned inside parliament house? - audio
Should our politicians be able to drink in parliament? Independent MLA Robyn Lambley is putting forward a motion to ban booze inside the legislative assembly | abc.net.au, Australia
ABC orders journalists to scrap 'booze' and 'grog' when reporting on alcohol measures in the Northern Territory to avoid 'stereotyping'
Barely weeks after apologising for reporting there were acts of "white supremacy" at an Alice Springs community meeting, the ABC has issued an extraordinary directive to staff to scrap "grog" and "booze" in news reports to avoid "perpetuating stereotypes" | Sky News, Australia
Australia's history of alcohol control - audio
Australia has a long and complicated relationship with alcohol and its regulation - from the 19th Century Temperance era right through to the present day | abc.net.au, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
What support do children and young people actually want when their parents use drugs and alcohol?
“No-one has ever asked me about how I feel in any of this.” I found the powerful quote above from a young person during my research exploring parent drug and alcohol (or substance) use from the young person’s perspective. Since then the question of ‘what support do children and young people ACTUALLY want?’ has remained central to my PhD research in this area | Adfam blog, UK
Living on cloud wine
Why is the government ignoring alcoholism while brands profit from addicts? asks Nick Cohen | Perspective Magazine, UK
I don't think cannabis flower should be prescribed
Dr Callie Seaman explains why she thinks the way the UK prescribes cannabis needs to change | Volteface, UK
Fentanyl Crisis: Is the Border the Problem?
At Biden’s State of the Union address last Tuesday, he discussed the fentanyl crisis, noting that the drug is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year... Though combatting the opioid epidemic is, thankfully, a mostly-bipartisan issue, the border aspect is particularly fraught, with both sides throwing around misinformation | Ben Westhoff, USA
Not so fast: Controversial MDMA drug ruling jumping the gun
This month, the TGA announced a change to current regulations allowing some psychiatrists to prescribe MDMA and psilocybin under limited circumstances as of July this year. This change will make Australia the first country to recognise these once-vilified substances as medications, allowing their use outside of clinical trials | Age opinion, Australia