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Daily news - 6th March 2023 |
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UK news
Press Release: APPG for Prescribed Drug Dependence welcomes new action plan by NHS England to tackle prescribed drug dependence and withdrawal
The APPG for Prescribed Drug Dependence welcomes the publication of the NHS England Framework for Action ‘Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms’ | APPG, UK
Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms
NHS England working in partnership with integrated care system (ICS) leads and representatives, has devised actions to help systems develop plans that can support people who are taking medicines associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms. The actions will support ICSs to deliver on their 4 key objectives | NHS England, UK
Regulation of alcohol advertising can help protect young people
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh is emphasising that the regulation of alcohol advertising and promotion- subject to a current Scottish Government consultation which ends on March 9th- offers a real opportunity to help protect children and young people from alcohol-related harm | RCPE, UK
Is alcohol heading for the same marketing curbs as tobacco?
“In my more optimistic moments, I think that is the way we’re moving,” said Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, a liver specialist and chair of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) | Herald, UK
Harm Reduction Information Hub for North Yorkshire
Launch of Drink Drug Hub website provides reliable harm reduction information for anyone in North Yorkshire | DDN, UK
Birkenhead's first alcohol-free social club to act as support service
The owner behind a new alcohol-free venue has said he will use his own experience of recovery to help others | BBC, UK
‘Addiction can be funny’: the standups tackling drugs, booze, psychosis and self-harm on stage
Rich Hardisty cut himself, Harriet Dyer numbed her pain with drugs. A new wave of comics are working out their issues in their acts. But is it really helping them? And should we be laughing? | Guardian, UK
Prince Harry says marijuana ‘really helped' him deal with trauma - video
Prince Harry has said his use of some drugs “really” helped him mentally, as a trauma expert diagnosed him with attention deficit disorder (ADD) | Independent, UK
SSA Impact Prize
Each year, the SSA presents an Impact Prize to a person or team whose work has had a strong public-facing impact – for example, through the media, or by influencing policy and practice. Apply by 5 June 2023 for an opportunity to win £1,000, and have your work recognised in front of your peers at the SSA’s Annual Conference | SSA, UK
The Truth About Drug Science - An Evening at Queen's University Belfast
Thu, 30 March 2023, 17:00 – 19:30 BST. Queen's University Belfast University Road Belfast BT7 1NN. Were you taught to say no to drugs rather than being given the tools to make an informed decision? Are current drug laws actually working? | Drug Science, UK
A gambling white paper by Easter would be a turn-up for the books
A shakeup may cover maximum stakes and a statutory levy on gaming firms, but football sponsorship deals remain a thorny issue | Guardian, UK
Dungannon: Cannabis accused claims he was victim of human trafficking
A man accused in connection with an alleged cannabis farm has claimed he was the victim of human trafficking | BBC, UK
Manx teenage cannabis user spared jail to get help, court rules
An Isle of Man cannabis user and dealer has been spared prison by a judge so he can attend a rehabilitation programme | BBC, UK
Darlington: Illegal vapes and cigarettes seized during shop raids
Illegal cigarettes and over-strength vapes have been seized during raids on two shops in Darlington. An operation into the suspected supply of illicit goods also found children as young as 12 being sold vapes | BBC, UK
International news
Working to decriminalise people who use drugs (PDF)
Scottish Drug Forum (SDF) were commissioned by Ana Liffey Drug Project in Ireland to conduct an evaluation of the recent decriminalisation and advocacy efforts, in five international jurisdictions | SDF, UK
Scotland - The Drink Debate: How other countries regulate alcohol advertising
When Celtic stepped onto the pitch to play French team Rennes in the Europa League in 2011, the players were not wearing their usual shirts | Scotsman, UK
Seychelles: The island paradise held prisoner by heroin
Some 10% of the local population in the tropical island nation of Seychelles is dependent on heroin in what is now an epidemic, according to the country's government. Even being locked away offers no protection for those dependent on the drug. BBC Africa Eye gained rare access to the main jail to witness the sharp end of a problem threatening to overwhelm the country | BBC, UK
Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine - video
Police in Australia have revealed details of an undercover operation that stopped nearly $700m worth of cocaine linked to a Mexican drug cartel from reaching the country | BBC, UK
Make vapes a pharmacy-only drug, say New Zealand health groups
Smoking rates have plummeted but vaping is soaring among younger people, sparking calls to restrict access | Guardian, UK
Drug decriminalisation policy 'could help with criminal and social issues', Irish report finds
A report on efforts to decriminalise drugs in Ireland and four other jurisdictions has concluded that advances have been made in recent years but there is a lack of political will in Ireland | Journal, Ireland
Support for evidence-based alcohol policy in Ireland: results from a representative household survey
Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for death and disability and there is a need for evidence-based policy measures to tackle excess alcohol consumption and related harms. The aim of this study was to examine attitudes towards alcohol control measures among the general public in the context of significant reforms undertaken in the Irish alcohol policymaking landscape | European Journal of Public Health, Ireland
Levy on alcohol industry akin to 'polluter pays' recommended
A levy on the alcohol industry, similar to the 'polluter pays' model, should be considered so that it contributes towards the State's estimated €3.7bn annual bill for alcohol-related harms. This is among the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice after it scrutinised proposed legislation intended to modernise Irish alcohol laws | Irish Examiner, Ireland
EMCDDA announces changes to its Scientific Committee line-up
The EMCDDA Scientific Committee, meeting in Lisbon this week, re-elected its Chair and Vice Chair and welcomed four new members | EMCDDA, Portugal
Study finds cannabis vaping more harmful than nicotine vaping
A study published in the journal Thorax compares the pulmonary effects of vaping nicotine and cannabis. The study finds that cannabis is more harmful to lung health than nicotine | News Medical, USA
Facing overdose crisis, Mayor Adams says NYC will seek to lower drug deaths by 15%
In response to a record surge in drug overdose fatalities, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday a plan to expand intervention services in neighborhoods hit hardest by the crisis | Gothamist, USA
‘This Is a Good Neighbor’: San Francisco Officials Impressed by New York Drug Consumption Sites
San Francisco leaders said they came away impressed by what they saw during a tour of two sites for supervised drug use in New York City and hope to bring lessons in how to open up similar sites in San Francisco | San Francisco Standard, USA
2 Drug Companies Can Legally Start Selling Cocaine, Heroin, and MDMA
A Canadian weed company and a psychedelics company have received government licenses to make and distribute the drugs under certain circumstances | VICE, USA
The experiences of family members attending an online addiction education program: a qualitative study
Family members of people experiencing addiction may experience increased stress and have difficulty coping with disrupted relationships, stigma, and isolation. Education programs for affected family members aim to assist in improving coping skills, understanding of addiction, and provide support, yet these have not been subjected to in-depth research, especially programs delivered by peers, or people with lived experience. This study explored the experiences of participants attending a BreakThrough online group education and support program for family members of people experiencing addiction | DEPP, Australia
International police operation stops $1 billion worth of cocaine linked to Mexican cartel from reaching Australia
Police have revealed details of a covert international operation that stopped 2.4 tonnes of cocaine, worth $1 billion, from reaching Western Australia, in what is believed to be the nation's biggest-ever drug bust | abc.net.au, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Tackling the drug deaths crisis should be the first priority
As a country, we stand stubbornly apart from even our closest neighbours. With drug death rates in Scotland almost four times that of the UK average this is a unique problem; and a problem that is causing devastation in our communities | Glasgow Evening Times, UK
The Trip Report 05/03
Through the work of organisations such as WEDINOS, The Loop, and SaferParty, we know a little more about the drugs in circulation. The report provided here is a summary of their findings over the last few weeks | Cameron Scally, UK
Sorter review – an unflinching account of opioid addiction
Richard Mylan’s grim narratives are filled with sympathy and compassion, lifted by Sophie Melville’s all-consuming and fearless performance | Guardian, UK
Irish Examiner view: Shining a light on Irish drug-trade growth
The management of illicit substances is a challenge for Ireland which is no less serious than tackling climate change | Irish Examiner opinion, Ireland
Reflections on GED classes as part of Recovery Management
Yesterday, I attended a memorial service for a former co-worker of many years We worked together at Dawn Farm, an addiction treatment and recovery support program, where one of Robin’s roles was to teach GED classes | Recovery Review blog, USA
A neighbourhood ‘war zone’ and a garden-gate overdose sparked Judy Ryan’s fight for Victoria’s first safe injecting room
Most of us don’t have people overdosing on drugs in our front garden. Judy Ryan did. In July 2016, Ryan found a young man slumped at her gate: one of her “regulars”, who often injected drugs in or around her Richmond property | Conversation, Australia