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Daily news - 13th January 2023 |
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UK news
Response to Drug Deaths Taskforce report - news story
More than 80 actions supported by £68 million over the course of this parliament are outlined in the Scottish Government’s response to Changing Lives, the final report from the Drug Deaths Taskforce | Scottish Government, UK
Drug Deaths Taskforce Response: A Cross Government Approach
This publication provides a cross government response to the Drug Deaths Taskforce report, Changing Lives. It contains a cross government action plan, response to Taskforce recommendations and a stigma action plan | Scottish Government, UK
Deaths from chronic liver disease soar by almost 25% in Wales
It comes as data shows that deaths from chronic liver disease have more than doubled over the past 20 years | ITV, UK
More than 1,100 babies born in Scotland with signs of addiction in past five years
More than 1,100 babies have been born dependent on substances in the past five years, leading to calls for world-leading alcohol and drug services in Scotland | Scotsman, UK
Wolverhampton council targets high level of alcohol deaths
In Wolverhampton 70 people died due to alcohol consumption in 2020, the worst rate in the country, said the council | BBC, UK
Spiking: No need for specific offence, government says
The government has said it will not create a specific offence for spiking, arguing a new law is unnecessary | BBC, UK
Spiking Incidents: Prevention — [Esther McVey in the Chair]
I beg to move, That this House has considered the prevention of spiking incidents... | They work for you, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to (a) update the policy paper entitled Alcohol Strategy, published on 23 March 2012, CM 8336 and (b) commission a new alcohol strategy; and what recent assessment he has made into the potential merits of implementing minimum unit pricing | They work for you, UK
Westminster Accounts: Why a cannabis company invests in a group of MPs - and the unusual way it works
The Standards Committee has warned all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) could be used for commercial interests to buy influence with parliamentarians. One company trying to change the law by backing one of the groups tells Sky News they offer a transparent way to engage with Westminster | Sky News, UK
Align Events and Alcohol Change UK Present: The Shoreditch Dry
Thu, 19 January 2023, 18:30 – 22:00 GMT. Join us for a fun filled alcohol-free evening of music, prizes, and a chance to test your mocktail making skills with our free masterclasses | Alcohol Change UK, UK
The economic and social cost of harms associated with gambling in England (PDF)
The gambling-related harms evidence review was published by Public Health England (PHE) in September 2021, including this economic and social cost of harms report. PHE has since been disestablished. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has carried out a review and update of the work, with the aim of continuing to improve our methodology. This is a standard approach for previously published reports, and it includes an update of all the areas of analysis to reflect the current price year. This report is an updated version of the 2021 publication | OHID, UK
West Midlands drug dealers jailed for Welsh county lines network
Two West Midlands drug dealers have been jailed for supplying heroin and cocaine to a Welsh village | BBC, UK
International news
Anger brews in Italy over Ireland’s plans for alcohol health warnings
Critics say warnings are a ‘direct attack’ against Italy as a key exporter of wine | Guardian, UK
Arizona mother put on child abuse registry for using medical marijuana finally wins three-year court battle
Lindsay Ridgell was told in 2019 that she was a negligent parent because of her medical marijuana use during her pregnancy, despite the fact that she had been described the drug for 10 years | Independent, UK
A Short History of Pigeons Smuggling Drugs in Tiny Backpacks
A pigeon found in a Canadian prison yard with a tiny backpack of meth is carrying on a decades-long tradition | VICE, UK
Party Panel: developing theory- and evidence-based health promotion in nightlife settings
This paper describes the development and results of a web survey, named the Party Panel, that addresses emerging risks in nightlife settings. The survey does so by gathering the information that prevention organisations require to develop theory- and evidence-based behaviour change interventions. The survey supports the development of such interventions by mapping the determinants and sub-determinants of substance use-related behaviours among Dutch nightlife participants. The paper presents the results of the survey round which focused on highly dosed ecstasy pills | EMCDDA, Portugal
Benzodiazepine tightrope: Experts advocate education and prescribing surveillance vs. strict governmental regulation
Anxiety disorders are among the most common and pervasive mental illnesses in the United States. Antidepressants and psychotherapy typically are the preferred treatment options, although benzodiazepines can be helpful in treating acute or persistent anxiety that does not respond to first-line therapy | Medical Xpress, USA
Study refutes industry claims that ban on menthol cigarettes leads to increased use of illegal smokes
A new research study has found that banning menthol cigarettes does not lead more smokers to purchase menthols from illicit sources, contradicting claims made by the tobacco industry that the proposed ban of menthol cigarettes in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will lead to a significant increase in illicit cigarettes | Medical Xpress, USA
Association Between State Opioid Prescribing Limits and Duration of Opioid Prescriptions From Dentists
In this cross-sectional study of nearly 90 million dental opioid prescriptions dispensed to adults and children in the US from January 2014 through February 2020, the median duration of these prescriptions was 3.0 days. Implementation of state opioid prescribing limits, most of which allowed up to a 7-day supply of opioids, was not associated with changes in the duration of these prescriptions | JAMA Network, USA
The “Three Amigos” Summit Promises More Drug War
On January 9 and 10, President Joe Biden made his first visit to Mexico while in office—and the first of any United States president since Obama in 2014. There, he participated in the so-called “Three Amigos” summit with President Andres Manuel López Obrador of Mexico and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The three North American leaders discussed immigration, trade, technology, security and, of course, drugs | Filter Magazine, USA
How Important Is Peru’s Port of Callao for Cocaine Trade?
Despite not getting the same attention as major ports in Ecuador or Brazil, Peru's port of Callao, near the capital Lima, has remained a crucial launchpad for cocaine heading for international markets | Insight Crime, Colombia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Already ‘failed’ Dry January? There’s another way, and I’ve been doing it for years
Like other sober-curious people, I wanted slightly more of a handle on what I drank. So I started logging every drink in an app. And, reader: it helped | Guardian opinion, UK