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Daily news - 17th March 2023

UK news

Official Statistics - Substance misuse treatment in secure settings: 2021 to 2022

Statistics for alcohol and drug misuse treatment in prisons and other secure settings from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) | OHID, UK

Drug consumption rooms considered in Earl's Court

Kensington and Chelsea Council is looking at introducing "safe-use rooms" in Earl's Court. They would allow people with "severe" addictions to consume drugs inside and under medical supervision as opposed to on the street. Earl's Court councillor Linda Wade said: "You have to look at a fresh way of addressing [the drug use issue]." | BBC, UK

The man behind Glasgow’s ‘drug consumption van’

In 2020, Peter Krykant started an unsanctioned overdose prevention site (or drug consumption room) out of a minibus and later a converted ambulance in Glasgow’s city centre. He talked to the Society for the Study of Addiction at Lisbon Addictions 2022 about some of the most important outcomes from drug consumption rooms, the benefits of a medical versus peer-led model, and having the opportunity to challenge news editors to use non-stigmatising language | BBC, UK

Chancellor defends hike in duty on Scotch whisky

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has defended plans to increase duty on Scotch whisky by 10.1% despite industry concerns | BBC, UK

Nitrous Oxide - Question

To ask His Majesty’s Government, further to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs report Nitrous oxide: updated harms assessment, published on 6 March, what steps they are taking to prevent the sale of large canisters of nitrous oxide to the public | They work for you, UK

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder | They work for you, UK

Drug Science Live - Part 2 - podcast

This week we present you with part 2 of the podcast recorded live at the book launch of ‚Drug Science and British Drug Policy’. We’re going to hear panel discussions on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and different approaches to drug policy with co-authors of the book. This time, professor David Nutt will talk with Niamh Eastwood (Release), Steve Rolles (Transform drug policy foundation), and Cara Lavan (Anyone’s Child) | Drug Science, UK

AHA Bulletin – March 2023

It has been a busy year for alcohol duty , with the government reversing a planned increase last December, and a new system expected to come into force in August. The APPG on Alcohol Harm will be hosting a discussion around the direction of alcohol pricing after duty rates are announced in the spring budget | AHA, UK

Bristol Recovery Orchestra

Mondays 12:45 – 2:45pm. The Unitarian Hall, Brunswick Square, BS2 8PE. Create original acoustic pieces guided by the team during our open and friendly sessions. Dust off any under-played instruments you might have at home, or try your hand at playing some of the instruments provided. Our fun and free weekly orchestra group is for anyone affected by problematic drug or alcohol use – people in recovery or working towards recovery, their families and carers, and those who work or volunteer in treatment services | BDP, UK

Rising Voices Recovery Choir

Tuesdays 5 – 6:45pm, St. Paul’s Learning Centre (main hall), 94 Grosvenor Rd, St Paul’s, Bristol BS2 8XJ
Rising Voices Recovery Choir is a place for people to come together, make friends and be uplifted by the power of song. We have been running since 2014 and regularly perform at recovery and public events all over Bristol. Our fun and free weekly singing group is for anyone affected by problematic drug or alcohol use – people in recovery or working towards recovery, their families and carers, and those who work or volunteer in treatment services | BDP, UK

Alcohol (in)justice

Wed, 19 April 2023, 09:45 – 15:30 BST. SHAAP is delighted to host a symposium exploring the journey of people with alcohol problems in the justice system | SHAAP, UK

Jamie Gough: Man jailed after 100kg of cocaine worth £8m seized

Leicestershire Police said Jamie Gough, 41, was sentenced to 10 years in prison following one of the biggest single cocaine seizure in its history | BBC, UK

International news

The Death Penalty for Drug Offences: Global Overview 2022

Harm Reduction International has monitored the use of the death penalty for drug offences worldwide since our first ground-breaking publication on this issue in 2007. This report, our twelfth on the subject, continues our work of providing regular updates on legislative, policy and practical developments related to the use of capital punishment for drug offences, a practice which is a clear violation of international standards | HRI, UK

Cocaine production reaches record levels as new trafficking hubs emerge

Global cocaine production has reached record levels as demand rebounds following Covid lockdowns, a new report has found | BBC, UK

Spanish police refloat submarine suspected of transporting cocaine to Galician coast - video

Spanish police have shared footage of the moment they recovered a submarine suspected of transporting cocaine to the Galician coast. Divers were able to refloat the sub off the coast of Vilagarcia de Arousa on Tuesday 14 March, before transporting it to the nearby port of Xufre | Independent, UK

Killer drug – the Mexico connection - video

Fentanyl is deadly. Thousands of Americans die every year from a drug overdose – the majority of them after using a synthetic opioid like fentanyl | BBC, UK

Why are so many young Finns dying from drug abuse? - video

Finland is often held up as a shining example on the world stage. Thanks to its advanced healthcare system, low crime rates, and wealth of natural beauty, the UN has named it the world’s happiest country five years in a row. Yet behind the romantic snapshots of snow-sunken villages, the Nordic nation has a growing problem. Finland is the European country with the highest proportion of under 25s dying from drugs | Euronews, Belgium

Illegal Opioids Are Hurting Too Many of Us. We Need a New Approach

Fatal overdoses are on the rise in the United States as potent, synthetic opioids—such as fentanyl—proliferate. But deaths are just the tip of America's iceberg-sized opioid problem. To save and improve lives, policymakers will need to take a holistic approach. People who use opioids and their families should be at the heart of this new response | RAND Corporation, USA

Vermont Has Multiple New Drug Decriminalization Bills

Vermont lawmakers have introduced four major drug policy reform proposals in March. Two of the bills would decriminalize simple possession of all drugs and expand harm reduction services; another would remove criminal penalties for using or selling psilocybin, and a fourth would decriminalize certain psychedelic plants and fungi | Filter Magazine, USA

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