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Daily news - 21st March 2023

UK news

Report highlights the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) on deaths and hospital admissions

The study estimated a 13.4% reduction in deaths, and a 4.1% reduction in hospital admissions, wholly attributable to alcohol consumption following the implementation of MUP. The study also found that MUP reduced deaths and hospital admissions where alcohol consumption may be one of a range of causative factors. The findings cover the period from MUP implementation up to the end of 2020 | Public Health Scotland, UK

Evaluating the impact of alcohol minimum unit pricing on deaths and hospitalisations in Scotland: a controlled interrupted time series study

Since May 1, 2018, every alcoholic drink sold in Scotland has had minimum unit pricing (MUP) of £0·50 per unit. Previous studies have indicated that the introduction of this policy reduced alcohol sales by 3%. We aimed to assess whether this has led to reductions in alcohol-attributable deaths and hospitalisations | Lancet, UK

Minimum pricing averts alcohol deaths, study claims

A new report suggests the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) in Scotland has led to fewer alcohol-related deaths compared to England | BBC, UK

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol consumption and harm in Scotland and England

This report collates existing research on changes in alcohol consumption and related health harms in Scotland, England and the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic | Public Health Scotland, UK

“I am so happy to be back at work and in a job I love” – employment support scheme in the spotlight

A scheme which supports people in recovery to find permanent employment was celebrated last week in South Tyneside and Gateshead. The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme provides support to people over the age of 16 who have experienced issues with drugs and alcohol. Finding meaningful employment can significantly help with a person’s recovery from drug and alcohol use, so this innovative programme is a great addition to local services and an integral part of a person’s recovery journey | Humankind, UK

Barry bingo hall cannabis farm is uncovered by police

South Wales Police officers found about 3,000 cannabis plants growing in 20 different rooms of the building on Broad Street in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan | BBC, UK

Alcohol Marketing to LGBTQ+ Communities

Wed, 3 May 2023 14:00 - 15:00 BST. How does the alcohol industry target gender and sexually diverse communities with alcohol marketing? | IAS, UK

International news

Psychedelic brew ayahuasca’s profound impact revealed in brain scans

Study gives most advanced picture yet of DMT compound’s effect on advanced functions such as imagination | Guardian, UK

Tighter import bans on e-cigarettes expected in bid to tackle ‘explosion in illegal vaping’

TGA to deliver recommendations to the government on how to curtail rise in vaping rates, particularly among young people | Guardian, UK

‘Shocker’: health experts condemn Nationals proposal to relax vaping laws

David Littleproud says retailers should be permitted to sell nicotine e-cigarettes without a prescription to customers 18 and over | Guardian, UK

Gulf Clan: Colombia suspends ceasefire with drug cartel

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a ceasefire with the country's main drug trafficking cartel, the Gulf Clan | BBC, UK

Financial services worker caught with €60k worth of cannabis avoids jail

Woman was holding drugs to pay off a drug debt but after it was paid off she continued to engage with the dealer in exchange for cannabis for her own personal use, court heard | Irish Examiner, Ireland

Opiate-addicted pharmacist used photocopies of prescriptions to obtain drugs

Man had used photocopies of prescriptions from a GP to obtain quantities of opiates, painkillers and sleeping tablets 'greatly in excess' of what is permitted over a 12-month period, court heard | Irish Examiner, Ireland

Unrealistic vaping views? Nearly 50 percent of parents confident they'd know if their child vapes

Nearly half of parents say they would definitely know if their child was vaping, despite characteristics of vaping devices that make it easy to hide or disguise their use, a new national poll suggests | Medical Xpress, USA

US travelers warned about counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in Mexican pharmacies

The warning was issued in response to concerns about counterfeit pills containing fentanyl being sold at pharmacies in tourist areas and border regions | Medical Xpress, USA

The Chronic Challenge of Burnout Among Harm Reduction Workers

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the midst of the overdose crisis, many harm reduction workers are experiencing burnout. While there’s growing awareness of this issue for staff in many fields, like health care, people working in harm reduction and community organizations face a slew of specific challenges, according to a new paper. There are inevitably knock-on impacts for people in need who are served by these organizations | Filter Magazine, USA

Adaptation Toolkit: Co-creating a Local Resource with Caregivers Supporting a Young Person with Substance Use Disorder

Responding to the need for greater support for parents and caregivers of young people impacted by substance use, a group of parents and caregivers from Victoria, B.C., worked with CCSA to co-design a local parent handbook | CCSA, Canada

Young people in affluent areas drink more alcohol

A La Trobe University study examining Australia’s heavy drinkers has found that young people aged 14-24 years living in higher socio-economic areas are more likely to drink higher quantities of alcohol than those from lower socio-economic areas | La Trobe University, Australia

‘It’s going to be for people with money’: Psychedelic treatments tipped to cost at least $25,000

Australians are expected to pay out-of-pocket costs of at least $25,000 to receive MDMA and psilocybin therapy when the psychedelic drugs become classified as medicines to treat certain mental health conditions later this year | The Age, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

Older women, invisible women: Counting older women in homelessness and substance use data

You can hardly open a newspaper these days without some media personality describing her perimenopausal symptoms. I appreciate it must be irritating for a large proportion of the population who don’t have (and won’t have) this unique bodily experience. My interest though isn’t in the women who already have a platform to raise their voices; my interest is in the women who don’t | DRNS blog, UK

The race is on: the SNP must prioritise public health over industry gains

There is no doubt about it, alcohol harms are one of the biggest public health issues currently being faced in Scotland. Every day, almost 100 people are hospitalised and 3 people die purely because of alcohol, and if you include those incidences where alcohol has played a part, the true alcohol death toll is at least 3 times higher | IAS blog, UK