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Daily news - 27th February 2023 |
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UK news
Illegal tobacco offered to a third of child smokers
The Action on Smoking and Health Wales (Ash) study comes as the charity launches a campaign [see item below] to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco to children | BBC, UK
No ifs, no butts
Want to report illegal tobacco or vape sales?. You have come to the right place. The sale of illegal tobacco and illegal vapes is a big problem in Wales. These sales put cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the hands of children, as well as harm public health, local businesses, and can contribute to serious organised crime | ASH Wales, UK
No Smoking Day: Smokers unaware that quitting smoking will reduce risk of dementia - Press release
March 8th. Smokers are being urged to give quitting a go ahead of No Smoking Day, as research shows those who smoke are more likely to develop dementia | ASH, UK
No Smoking Day: 8th March 2023 - Communications toolkit
This toolkit supports local campaign activity for No Smoking Day 2023. This year’s theme is: “Stopping smoking improves your brain health”. We’re working with Alzheimer’s Research UK whose research shows dementia is the most feared health condition for people over the age of 55 – more than any other life-threatening disease including cancer and diabetes. Only 18% of smokers know that smoking causes dementia, compared to over 70% who know that smoking causes lung diseases and cancers | ASH, UK
How vaping took over UK schools, with children as young as 10 using e-cigarettes
It has helped many to kick unhealthy smoking habits. But now vaping is sweeping our schools, with sweet-smelling e-cigarettes hooking in children as young as 10, and their teachers are worried about the consequences | I news, UK
Jess Phillips and Iain Duncan Smith lead calls to criminalise ‘cuckooing’
Practice of taking over people’s homes should be included in an overhaul of the Modern Slavery Act, say MPs | Guardian, UK
Beer and Cider: Excise Duties
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to (a) reduce duty charged on draught beer and cider served in pubs and taprooms by 20 per cent from August 2023, (b) introduce a lower business rates multiplier for hospitality businesses in recognition of their community value and (c) increase support with energy bills for beer and pub businesses from April 2023; and if he will make a statement | They work for you, UK
Are we close to the legalisation of therapeutic psychedelics?
Gemma Ross heads to Miami for Wonderland, one of the world's largest psychedelic conventions, to investigate | MixMag, UK
Fresh bid for Belfast safe drug injecting room that would ‘save lives’
A group of Belfast councillors have launched a renewed bid for a safe drug injecting room in the city that would “save the lives of some of our most vulnerable”. | Belfast Telegraph, UK
Women Supporting Women – stories from the frontline
Wed, 8 March 2023, 10:00 – 11:30 GMT. What is good practice when working with women in drug and alcohol treatment services? | Collective Voice, UK
International news
US agency to reverse Covid-19 policy for frequently abused prescription drugs
Patients using Adderall, OxyContin and other medicines with ‘high potential for abuse’ will be required to physically visit a doctor | Guardian, UK
Hemp: the green crop tied down by red tape in the US
Stalky plant is not approved as a livestock feed, holding back a sustainable industry that could invigorate agriculture | Guardian, UK
New York’s new drug problem: what to do with a billion dollar weed mountain?
Cannabis farms are booming upstate, but red tape frustrates newly legal shops in the city. Result: confusion – and a very big stash | Guardian, UK
US ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh admits he stole millions for drugs
The scion of a once-powerful South Carolina legal dynasty now facing murder charges has admitted to stealing $3.6m (£3.1m) in a single year | BBC, UK
‘They were shot in the head’: morgue gives up truth of Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war
Crusading pathologist Raquel Fortun finds evidence of multiple murder at the direction of ‘a madman’ in the exhumed remains of young Filipinos | Guardian, UK
Thai drug dealer had plastic surgery to look like Korean man, police say
A Thai drug dealer underwent several facial plastic surgeries to look like "a handsome Korean man" and evade the law, local authorities have said | BBC, UK
Facebook ads opposing a ban on vaping in Australia failed to disclose tobacco company backing
Meta says it removed ads for failing to state they were sponsored by an initiative of British American Tobacco Australia | Guardian, UK
What really happens when a bear takes cocaine?
[Possible paywall] A horror film about a bear ingesting Class A drugs may be fitfully entertaining. But the reality of animals getting high isn’t always fun | Telegraph, UK
Clare man facing jail-time for ‘smoking a few joints’ goes on hunger strike
“I will be starving in Ennis Circuit Court,” he said. “I don’t know what else to do” | Independent, Ireland
New EMCDDA work programme prepares agency for significant changes ahead
I am delighted to announce the publication of the latest EMCDDA work programme, which outlines our activities for 2023–2025. This period promises to be very exciting for the organisation as the EU institutions negotiate a new regulation that will transform us into the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) in 2024 | EMCDDA, Portugal
More frequent cannabis use associated with higher risk of coronary artery disease
People who used marijuana daily were found to be about one-third more likely to develop coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with people who have never used the drug, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology | News Medical, USA
First-of-its-kind study examines the impact of cannabis use on surgical patients' post-procedure healthcare needs
As legislation in multiple states eases former restrictions around medical and recreational cannabis in the United States, an increasing proportion of the population reports use of the drug. Between 2016 and 2018, more than 22 percent of Massachusetts residents reported any prior cannabis use for medical or recreational reasons. However, little is known about cannabis use in patients who undergo surgery or interventional procedures, where cannabis use has important additional clinical implications | Medical Xpress, USA
Estimating treatment need by analyzing Google search queries shows promise
No approaches currently exist to capture the number of individuals who are looking for addiction treatment in a given area. Internet data could offer a low-cost and near real-time way to estimate help-seeking for substance use disorders, so that treatment resources could be made available more efficiently. This study examined characteristics and trends in Google searches focused on help-seeking for a variety of substance use problems conducted over a 10-year period | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Testing the active ingredients of motivational interviewing to reduce alcohol use: Things are not quite what they seem
Motivational interviewing is a popular, widely used, talk therapy to enhance motivation to change a behavior, such as cutting down or quitting alcohol or other drug use. Despite its wide use, researchers and clinicians do not know what components of motivational interviewing are essential – in other words, what makes the therapy work. This study tested two versions of motivational interviewing against a no treatment group to identify the essential ingredients needed to effect behavior change | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Experiences of participation in a longitudinal cohort study of people who inject drugs in Victoria, Australia
Longitudinal cohort studies are important for understanding the social and health trajectories of people who inject drugs. Little research exists, however, about the motivations, challenges, and experiences of participation in these studies. To address this gap, we conducted in-depth interviews with participants of an open-ended natural history longitudinal cohort study (SuperMIX) and with fieldworkers who collect the data for this study. Interviews were audio-recorded, and data analyzed thematically | DEPP, Australia
Standard drinks of alcohol per person decline
The number of standard drinks per person available for consumption declined to 1.96 per day in 2022, Stats NZ said today. This was a fall of 1.0 percent | Stats.gov.nz, New Zealand
Blogs, comment and opinion
Guest blog: Why I gave up alcohol
Research Officer at Drinkaware, Duncan Talbot, talks about why he decided to give up alcohol, mental health and what his journey has been like so far | Drinkaware blog, UK
Opinion: The Greek model of responding to drug use is worth keeping an eye on
Tony Duffin of Ana Liffey project and his long-time friends, Dr Brian Melaugh and Dr Austin O’Carroll visited Athens to see how drug use is handled there | Journal, Ireland
Opinion: 'Sending Gardaí clubbing will not reduce drug harms, minister'
Last week, minister for Justice Simon Harris made several critical and morally charged statements about ‘recreational’ drug use. He also announced an increase in anti-drug policing operations to catch recreational users and dealers in pubs and nightclubs | Journal, Ireland