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Daily news - 30th June 2023 |
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UK news
Adverse childhood experiences are ‘strong predictor’ for adolescent cannabis use
A new study from psychiatric epidemiologist Dr Lindsey Hines calls for greater support to help young people avoid problematic drug use | University of Bath, UK
Views on minimum unit pricing for alcohol before its introduction among people with alcohol dependence in Scotland: A qualitative interview study
[Open access] Scotland implemented a minimum price per unit of alcohol (MUP) of £0.50 in May 2018 (1 UK unit=10mL/8g ethanol). Some stakeholders expressed concerns about the policy having potential negative consequences for people with alcohol dependence. This study aimed to investigate anticipated impacts of MUP on people presenting to alcohol treatment services in Scotland before policy implementation | Drug and Alcohol Review, UK
Alcohol Awareness Week - 3rd - 9th July
This year's Alcohol Awareness Week is on the theme of 'Alcohol and cost'. Alcohol Awareness Week is managed and hosted by Alcohol Change UK. There are a number of free resources for the week available | Alcohol Change UK, UK
AHA responds to major conditions strategy call-for-evidence
The Department of Health and Social care are seeking views to inform the development of the government’s major conditions strategy designed to improve the health of the nation and ease pressure on the health system. This is the response from AHA | AHA, UK
New alcohol duty system provides an opportunity to fix inconsistent government messaging
The UK government has given a wide range of arguments for increasing or decreasing alcohol duty which have sometimes contradicted each other over the past 15 years, according to new research by the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) | IAS, UK
'My drinking was out of control - but now I know I can recover'
Andrew is in recovery after a decade of alcoholism. Ten years ago, he suffered a mental breakdown and his drinking spiralled. It led to the loss of a career in finance and the breakdown of family relationships | BBC, UK
Man who lost two sons to drug overdoses calls on government to allow onsite testing at festivals
A dad in the Isle of Man is calling on the UK government to change its decision to block drug testing at festivals this summer. Ray Lakeman lost his two sons Jacques and Torin from an ecstasy overdose in 2014 | ITV, UK
Dame Carol Black welcomes new approach to mental health and substance use treatment
A new initiative to support people with both mental health and drug and alcohol issues has been welcomed by Dame Carol Black, who led a landmark national review on drugs. Dame Carol visited Staffordshire to find out more about our new ICoN (Integrated Co-occurring Needs) initiative, which brings together local authority, NHS, voluntary and community sectors in a single approach | Humankind, UK
Scottish Government urged to follow Australia's lead and make vapes prescription only
Since October 2021, Australians have needed a prescription to legally obtain nicotine-containing vaping products, and these are only given for a period of three to six months | Scottish Daily Express, UK
Millions of single-use vapes littered on Scotland streets
Up to 2.7 million single-use vapes were littered in Scotland last year, a Scottish government report estimates | BBC, UK
International news
Drugs and guns seized from extreme-right Austrian biker gangs
Security forces in Austria have seized hundreds of weapons, as well as Nazi flags and paraphernalia, during raids on properties linked to an extreme-right group | BBC, UK
National Drugs Strategy Strategic action plan 2023-2024
The strategic action plan 2023-2024 marks a significant milestone in the further implementation of the National Drugs Strategy. The plan is based on the six strategic priorities identified following the mid-term review of the strategy in 2021... | DoH, Ireland
Advertising watchdog to review guidelines on promotion of zero alcohol products
The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland says the review is in response to a number of complaints | Irish Times, Ireland
Cooperation with Peru enhanced through new Working Arrangement with DEVIDA
Cooperation with Peru was enhanced this month following the signing of a Working Arrangement between the EMCDDA and the Peruvian National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (DEVIDA). The agreement was signed via an exchange of letters between EMCDDA Director Alexis Goosdeel and the Executive President of DEVIDA Carlos Figueroa | EMCDDA, Portugal
Launch of Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats
Illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are involved in more deaths of American adults under 50 than any other cause. Other countries face challenges from dangerous synthetic drugs including tramadol, methamphetamine, captagon, MDMA, and ketamine. Recognizing the urgent need for collective action, the United States is rallying the international community to address this pressing challenge | US Department of State, USA
FACT SHEET: HHS Releases Draft Framework to Accelerate Efforts to Help Americans Avoid and Quit Smoking
Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) is releasing a draft framework to support and accelerate smoking cessation, building on supports that are already in place for people who want to quit | HHS, USA
Thousands of unauthorized vapes are pouring into the US despite the FDA crackdown on fruity flavors
The number of different electronic cigarette devices sold in the U.S. has nearly tripled to over 9,000 since 2020, driven almost entirely by a wave of unauthorized disposable vapes from China, according to tightly controlled sales data obtained by The Associated Press | AP News, USA
FDA Inspection Blitz Leads to More Than 180 Warning Letters to Retailers for the Illegal Sale of Youth-Appealing Elf Bar and Esco Bars E-Cigarettes
Recent Studies Show Elf Bar Sales Increasing. Calls to Poison Centers about Elf Bar exposure among children under 5 are raising concerns | FDA, USA
Home delivery of alcohol expanded during pandemic, with permanent effects on health
During the COVID-19 pandemic home liquor delivery soared in the United States, as did binge drinking along with it, a new study finds | Medical Xpress, USA
Hepatitis C can kill, but too many can't access the cure
More than 2 million people in the United States have hepatitis C, but most are not getting the safe treatment that can cure the disease, public health officials said Thursday | Medical Xpress, USA
A new study from psychiatric epidemiologist Dr Lindsey Hines calls for greater support to help young people avoid problematic drug use
The president of Ukraine is calling for the legalization of medical marijuana to help Ukrainians cope with trauma amid the ongoing war with Russia | Filter Magazine, USA
Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia
Alcohol, tobacco and other drug use is a major cause of preventable disease, illness and death in Australia. This report consolidates recent information on the availability and consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in Australia, and related impacts, harms and treatment | AIHW, Australia
Treatment satisfaction among a sample of people who regularly inject drugs in Australia, 2019-2022
The aim of this bulletin is to present current treatment engagement and the level of satisfaction of current drug treatment (excluding those who were currently undergoing multiple treatments), amongst sentinel samples of people who regularly inject drugs in Australia, between 2019-2022 | NDARC, Australia
Experiences of food insecurity among a sample of people who regularly inject drugs in Australian capital cities in 2022
The Illicit Drugs Reporting System (IDRS) is a national drug monitoring system intended to identify emerging trends of local and national concern in illicit drug markets, and forms part of Drug Trends. The aim of this bulletin is determine the percentage of food insecurity among people who regularly inject drugs in Australia along with key correlates in the sociodemographic, drug use and health and wellbeing domains | NDARC, Australia
Microdosing among people who regularly use ecstasy and/or other illicit stimulants in Australia, 2022
The Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) is a national drug monitoring system intended to identify emerging trends of local and national concern in illicit drug markets, and forms part of Drug Trends. The aim of this bulletin is to examine the characteristics and experiences of people who microdose among a national sample of people who regularly use ecstasy and/or other illicit stimulants | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Minimizing double standards in assessing the adverse and beneficial effects of cannabis
The regulation of legal cannabis markets in the interests of public health requires more balanced appraisals of the benefits and harms of cannabis use | Addiction editorial, UK
I quit drinking with flying colours. Oh, the things I could see from my high horse
I revelled in my hard-earned smugness. But as an extremist in all things consumption, could I find a path back to moderation? | Guardian opinion, UK
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” Positives in Colombia’s Cannabis Debate
This month, Colombia finished eight rounds of intense debating to decide whether cannabis should be legalised through constitutional reform. The measure almost narrowly passed, failing to get enough votes to be approved. Maria Alejandra Vélez, the Director of CESED, the Centre of Studies of Security and Drugs, took us through a post-mortem analysis of the cannabis legalisation debates | Talking Drugs, UK
Psychedelic medicine is on its way. But it’s not ‘doing shrooms with your shrink’. Here’s what you need to know
Many people in Australia, including psychiatrists, were surprised when earlier this year the medicines regulator down-scheduled MDMA, known colloquially as ecstasy, and psilocybin, from magic mushrooms | Conversation, Australia