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Daily news - 9th March 2023 |
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UK news
Press release: £5 million Innovation Fund to reduce drug use
Five projects will receive part of £5 million innovation fund to test new ways to reduce use of so-called recreational drugs | Department of Health and Social Care and Neil O'Brien MP, UK
Budget 2023: No vaping crackdown in spring statement as Jeremy Hunt rules out disposable e-cigarettes levy
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has rejected calls from health officials to introduce a new levy on single use vapes in next week’s Budget, i can reveal. The Department of Health and Social Care has been pushing for the new tax to be introduced to disposable vapes such as the extremely popular Elf Bar brand as part of the Government’s plans to crack down on their use among children. The proposals are expected to be included in the Government’s response to the Khan Review on smoking, which will also seek to clampdown on the worrying rise in vaping among under-18s | i news, UK
Small shops 'at risk of closure' under alcohol advertising plans
Changes to how alcohol is advertised would result in the closure of small shops across Scotland, according to a leading industry figure. Ferhan Ashiq, Scottish president of the Federation of Independent Retailers, said many convenience stores rely on alcohol sales to keep them afloat | BBC, UK
Calls for disposable vapes ban over environmental concerns
There are calls for a ban on disposable vapes due to worries about the effect they're having on the environment. The vapes are made with plastic and their batteries contain lithium, which is a metal in short supply | ITV News, UK
Opioid prescribing and social deprivation: A retrospective analysis of prescribing for CNCP in Liverpool CCG
Treating Chronic Non-Cancer Pain (CNCP) with long-term, high dose and more potent opioids puts patients at increased risk of harm, whilst providing limited pain relief. Socially deprived areas mapped from Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores show higher rates of high dose, strong opioid prescribing compared to more affluent areas | PLOS One, UK
WDP and The Nelson Trust to launch new women-only detox
WDP and The Nelson Trust are teaming up to open a specialist women-only detox centre – the only one of its kind currently in the UK. While there are some women-only residential rehabilitation services available, there is currently no women-only inpatient detoxification service in the UK | WDP, UK
Free Creche Service Case Study – International Women’s Day 2023
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, we are sharing some insight into how services can positively impact the experience of women by looking at the free crèche we offer during our weekly Women’s Morning | BDP, UK
Psychedelics & PTSD: On the Frontline - at the University of Manchester
Wed, 15 March 2023, 18:00 – 21:15 GMT. An evening with a unique line-up of psychedelic researchers and people with lived experience who have experienced the power of psychedelics | Drug Science, UK
Haverhill £8m cocaine haul: Romanian man charged after lorry search
A man has been charged after cocaine with an estimated street value of £8m was found in a lorry container | BBC, UK
Canadian caught with £300,000 of drugs at Aberdeen International Airport
A Canadian was caught with drugs worth almost £300,000 in his luggage after landing at Aberdeen International Airport, a court has heard | BBC, UK
International news
EU set to introduce zero-tolerance on alcohol for new drivers
The European Union is looking to introduce new laws that will mean drivers who have passed their test within the last two years will not be allowed to drink any alcohol at all before driving | TTI, UK
Oklahoma rejects referendum on recreational cannabis
Voters in Oklahoma have overwhelmingly rejected a state-wide referendum to legalise cannabis for recreational use.The state already has a booming medical marijuana industry, but Tuesday's ballot question would have allowed dispensaries across the state to sell cannabis to anyone over the age of 21 | BBC, UK
Victoria’s major parties back overhaul of drug-driving laws for medicinal cannabis users
The government and opposition are backing Legalise Cannabis effort to change ‘unfair’ road safety laws | Guardian, UK
Number contacting HSE helpline over cocaine use up 17% last year
Increase of 9% in people contacting helpline over concerns about alcohol abuse | Irish Times, Ireland
Dutch parliament supports making e-cigarettes look boring, uniform
Dutch parliamentarians want e-cigarettes and vapes to have a boring and uniform appearance. According to the D66, which will submit this proposal in parliament on Wednesday, this will make vaping less attractive to teenagers. A majority in parliament supports the plan, RTL Nieuws reports | NL Times, The Netherlands
Women and drugs: health and social responses
Updated. This miniguide is one of a larger set, which together comprise Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide. It provides an overview of the most important aspects to consider when planning or delivering health and social responses for women who use drugs, and reviews the availability and effectiveness of the responses. It also considers implications for policy and practice | EMCDDA, Portugal
Opioid overdose risk 10 times greater for those recently released from prison, research shows
People recently released from prison in Oregon face a risk for opioid overdose 10 times greater than the general public, according to a new study led by an Oregon State University College of Pharmacy scientist | Medical Xpress, USA
Quality of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment for Persons With and Without Disabling Conditions
How do quality indicators for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment for people with common physical, sensory, cognitive, or developmental disabilities compare with OUD treatment for people without these disabilities? | JAMA Network Open, USA
Incidence of Newborn Drug Testing and Variations by Birthing Parent Race and Ethnicity Before and After Recreational Cannabis Legalization
Do newborn drug testing rates and results differ by birthing parent race and ethnicity at a Midwestern US academic medical center, and did this change after state recreational cannabis legalization? | JAMA Network Open, USA
Major Psilocybin Business in Oregon Implodes, Casting Wider Doubts
Amajor business in Oregon’s nascent psilocybin industry is melting down—leaving its employees jobless, and potentially abandoning students who’ve paid tens of thousands of dollars for courses | Filter Magazine, USA
InSight Crime’s Cocaine Seizure Round-Up 2022
Cocaine seizure figures from Latin America in 2022 suggest traffickers are varying their routes to avoid detection, as authorities get a better grip on spotting trafficking through maritime container ports | Insight Crime, Colombia
Alcohol companies ply community with 40,000 alcohol advertisements a year on Facebook and Instagram
Alcohol companies are creating online environments for harm, with a new report revealing that 39,820 distinct alcohol ads are placed on Facebook and Instagram each year, often combined with a button prompting users to “shop now” | FARE, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
How Many Drug And Alcohol Workers Do We Have?
Now that the Government has started to invest in the drug treatment sector again, the issue of recruitment is key to the task of rebuilding. The just published National Workforce Census of Drug & Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Services gives a good picture of the work that needs to be done | Russell Webster, UK
My day as a Tobacco Dependency Treatment Adviser
Tobacco Dependency Treatment Adviser Sally has been working at Rotherham General Hospital, South Yorkshire, for two years. She began working as a healthcare support worker during the peak of the pandemic and now supports patients and staff to live healthier lives by helping them to stop smoking | NHS England blog, UK
Scotland's alcohol advertising restrictions won't hurt the economy and could save lives – Aveek Bhattacharya
On the face of it, the dilemma facing the Scottish Government as it weighs restrictions on alcohol marketing seems clear enough | Scotsman, UK
International Women’s Day 2023: What the latest research says about women and addiction
Natalie Davies has gathered some of the latest academic research papers and commentaries about women and addiction. From representations of drinking in women’s magazines to preventing overdoses among sex workers, these articles give insight into women’s distinctive experiences of substance use and substance use interventions, and what more equitable and gender-responsive services could look like | SSA, UK
International women’s day 2023: endometriosis and wellbeing of women
UK charity Wellbeing of Women looking for new treatments for endometriosis its associated symptoms | Volteface, UK
Vaping: Sex and lies are used to sell vapes online
It’s easy to buy vapes or e-cigarettes online. When we looked at websites selling them to buyers in Australia and New Zealand, we found a variety of slick, false or misleading marketing claims | NZ Herald opinion, New Zealand