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Daily news - 2nd June 2023 |
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UK news
Helping kids and families living with alcohol-dependent parents
Independent evaluation finds scheme helped improve wellbeing, relationships and life satisfaction of children affected by parental alcohol use and conflict | Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Work and Pensions, and Neil O'Brien MP, UK
Evaluation of the Children of Alcohol Dependent Parents programme innovation fund
This report presents the findings from the national evaluation of the Children of Alcohol Dependent Parents (CADeP) programme innovation fund (IF) in England. The programme was evaluated by the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations, in partnership with IFF Research, between October 2018 and March 2022 | Department of Health and Social Care, UK
Drug deaths: digital hub launched
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (the “College”) has launched a digital drug deaths hub which provides resources and further information for clinicians and allied health professionals who interact with people who use drugs. The hub, which is the first to be launched by a Medical Royal College in the UK, is completely free to use and it includes video introductions and contributions from health experts in the drug deaths field, including experts in substance use and addiction medicine | RCPE, UK
Drugs minister hails ‘real change’ as funding for support projects announced
Scotland’s drugs minister has insisted the Government is delivering “real change on the ground”, as more than £15 million of support for projects was confirmed | Press and Journal, UK
Preventing the harms of intergenerational drug use through the delivery of whole family interventions
Michaela Dean, Registered Manager, Specialist Family Service Sheffield at Phoenix Futures explores how whole family interventions can help prevent the harms of intergenerational drug use | DDN, UK
Medicinal cannabis: Teagan Appleby may lose access to epilepsy treatment
A mother who fought to obtain medicinal cannabis oil for her daughter's severe epilepsy has said they will lose access to the medication in July | BBC, UK
PSHE/Citizenship GCSE: Drink & Drugs: My Story
The science of how alcohol and other drugs affect the body is explored through eight real-life stories, highlighting how behaviour can change dramatically as a result of drinking alcohol or taking other drugs. Suitable for: PSHE and Citizenship GCSE . This series is relevant for teaching teenagers about personal welfare and the effects of drink and drugs | BBC, UK
Safer partying ketamine survey
Crew have teamed up with Dr Karenza Moore at Newcastle University as part of the Safer Partying Research Project. Crew are supporting research into ketamine use and we would love to hear from you! | Crew, UK
A volunteer’s story: Inspired by Cranstoun
Over four years ago I started attending Cranstoun Inspire in Sutton as an Abstinent Service User at the Recovery Hub. At that time, I was lost. With physical health implications due to alcohol addiction, I needed help. I didn’t know who I was, or where to turn. The groups at Cranstoun Inspire’s Recovery Hub helped me find my inner strength which helped me develop tools to use in my recovery | Cranstoun, UK
Operation Venetic: Final member of drugs gang jailed for role in industrial scale amphetamine factory in Scotland
The final member of an organised crime group that ran an amphetamine factory in Scotland and trafficked heroin and cocaine across the UK, has today been sentenced and given an 8.5 year prison sentence | NCA, UK
International news
Every Canadian cigarette will soon carry a health warning
Canada will soon print warning labels directly on cigarettes in a world-first, the country's health agency announced | BBC, UK
Homelessness and health-related outcomes in the Republic of Ireland: a systematic review, meta-analysis and evidence map
[Open access] omelessness in Ireland is associated with reduced access to primary care and overreliance on acute care. Chronic conditions amongst homeless individuals are understudied | Journal Public Health, Ireland
South Inner City Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Force - stratgeic plan
The SICDATF strategic plan establishes the SICDATF vision for 2023-26 and how its objectives are aligned with the six strategic priorities for the national drugs strategy for 2021-2925. It will guide the work of the Task Force for the next three years and inform how it intends to achieve the proposed outcomes. The strategic planning process reflects on the work over the last five years, identifying actions that are fundamental to the role of the Task Force, and building on the success of previous work | SICDATF, Ireland
Government seeks public's views on disposable vapes ahead of potential ban
The public is being urged by the Government to "tell us what you think" about disposable vapes as it considers banning the devices outright | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Trends in Opioid Misuse Among Individuals Aged 12 to 21 Years in the US
In this cross-sectional study of 114 412 participants, the trajectories of opioid misuse in youths and young adults improved based on cross-sectional pseudocohorts beginning in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, and 2014. Most notably, during high school years, later pseudocohorts had lower starting prevalence rates, and the rates increased less sharply with age | JAMA Network Open, USA
Smoking Cessation and Changes in Anxiety and Depression in Adults With and Without Psychiatric Disorders
In this cohort study of 4260 adults, smoking cessation was associated with significant improvements in anxiety and depression among people with and without psychiatric disorders | JAMA Network Open, USA
New research may explain why, despite 'the munchies,' frequent cannabis users are leaner than non-users
Despite getting "the munchies," people who frequently use cannabis are leaner and less prone to diabetes than those who don't. University of California, Irvine researchers have now uncovered a possible explanation for this paradox—and it's not good news. The findings are reported in a new study titled, "Adolescent exposure to low-dose THC disrupts energy balance and adipose organ homeostasis in adulthood," published today in Cell Metabolism | Medical Xpress, USA
Fentanyl Patches Are Saving My Life. We Need to Make Them Accessible
True safe supply means a legal and regulated supply of the same drugs people access through the unregulated market. In Canada, what we have instead—for the few who are lucky enough to access it—is safer supply. That amounts to a short list of pharmaceutical alternatives that aren’t necessarily the substances we want, in the quantities we need, but are vaguely in the neighborhood | Filter Magazine, USA
How Student Activists Sparked North Carolina’s Psychedelics Bill
North Carolina lawmakers are advancing a bill to authorize research into psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. If it’s approved, the state would put millions of dollars into psychedelic research to demonstrate to lawmakers and regulators whether the drugs are safe and effective—and could ultimately change criminal laws | Filter Magazine, USA
AOD and mental health in young people
A new resource package developed for and with General Practitioners | adf, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Minimum unit pricing policy for alcohol saved lives in Scotland according to new research
It took the Scottish Government a significant amount of time to implement its minimum unit pricing policy for alcohol. Minimum Unit Pricing, as the name suggests, applies a fixed cost for each unit measured in an alcohol-based drink such as wine or beer. The levy set by the Scottish Government back in May 2018 was 50 pence per unit of alcohol | Mental Elf blog, UK
Opinion: Overdose Prevention Centers Help Make Communities Safer
“We are in the midst of a worsening overdose crisis. Children don’t deserve the remnants of drug use in the playground, or to lose loved ones to overdose. People who struggle with drug use shouldn’t have to hide in dark places to avoid having their health issues confronted with shame and judgment.” | City Limits Op Ed, USA