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Daily news - 30th March 2023 |
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UK news
Number of people attending safe needle and syringe programmes falls by 27 per cent
The number of people who regularly attended needle and syringe programmes (NSP) in Wales in order to access safe equipment to inject drugs, reduced by more than a quarter in 2021-22, compared to 2019-20. The figures, revealed in Public Health Wales’ annual report of NSP activity, show a substantial change both in the numbers of individuals attending the service regularly, and also the profile of service users, following the lifting of restrictions during the pandemic | Public Health Wales, UK
Elena Whitham MSP - New Scottish Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy
Elena Whitham (née McLeod, born 9 July 1974) is a Scottish politician serving as Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy since March 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley since 2021 | Wikipedia, UK
Community Groups Supporting Family Recovery to Benefit from New Funding
The Scottish Government is announcing increased investment in the Family Recovery Initiative Fund (FRIF), which offers grants to community-based groups and organisations supporting families affected by alcohol and drugs. This further investment of £70,000 will grow the Fund to £100,000 for 2023/24 | SFAD, UK
No half measures: Do proposed restrictions on alcohol marketing go too far?
Back in 2017 a reader of The Psychologist sent a letter to the magazine’s editor that was published under the heading ‘Alcohol Problem’. Why, the reader – a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist – wanted to know, did a voucher for Naked Wines drop out of the latest issue of the magazine when there are “important ethical implications in advertising alcohol” as well as “clear and adverse medical, financial, psychological and judicial outcomes” involved in drinking it | Holyrood, UK
Welcome to Season 4 with Dr Thurgur and Prof Neill - podcast
Welcome to season 4 of the Drug Science Podcast! In this episode, we’re introducing our new hosts: Professor Jo Neill and Dr Hannah Thurgur | Drug Science, UK
Daniel Barwell: Doncaster councillor sentenced for part in global drug ring
A former Labour councillor has been sentenced for his part in a worldwide drug trafficking conspiracy | BBC, UK
Ark House Virtual open morning [Microsoft Teams link]
Friday 31st March at 10.30am. Meeting ID: 348 431 917 971. Passcode: R5HU6b . All professionals, clients and their families are welcome to join to discuss what happens in a 12 step rehab as well as discussing some of the myths around a 12 step program | Ark House, UK
Gloucester: Drugs seized after raids on fake shops
Six shops suspected of being fronts for illegal drug dealing have been raided by police and two people have been arrested | BBC, UK
International news
The acceptability of overdose alert and response technologies: introducing the TPOM-ODART framework
Despite the widespread availability of naloxone among people who use opioids (PWUO), many who suffer fatal OD use alone, without others present to administer the reversal agent. Recognising this key aspect of the challenge calls for innovations, a number of technological approaches have emerged which aim to connect OD victims with naloxone. However, the acceptability of OD response technologies to PWUO is of key concern | Harm Reduction Journal, UK
FDA approves overdose-reversing Narcan for sale without prescription
Move seen as a key strategy to control the US overdose crisis, which has been linked to more than 100,000 deaths a year | Guardian, UK
FDA Approves First Over-the-Counter Naloxone Nasal Spray
[Yesterday], the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan, 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for over-the-counter (OTC), nonprescription, use – the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription | FDA, USA
How Can Over-the-Counter Naloxone Help Prevent Opioid Overdoses?
A Yale Medicine doctor explains how naloxone, a medication that reverses an opioid overdose, works | Yale Medicine, USA
Drug overdose fatalities among US older adults have quadrupled over 20 years, research finds
Overdose mortality among people age 65 and older quadrupled over 20 years, suggesting the need for greater mental health and substance use disorder policies addressed at curbing the trend, a new research paper finds | Medical Xpress, USA
How To Talk to a Friend About Their Drug Habit
Addiction is often a lonely battle, but good friends can help | VICE, USA
U.S. and Mexico weighing deal for Mexico to crack down on fentanyl going north while U.S. cracks down on guns going south
The tentative agreement is the result of months of tense discussions between top Biden administration officials and the Mexican government, said sources | nbc news, USA
Psychedelics and Cognition: A New Look
The synthesis of LSD and psilocybin in the early to mid-20th century sparked not only a new counterculture in the United States but also a new interest in brain science, specifically the role of neurotransmitters. Despite these discoveries, research on psychedelics went dormant for decades due to anti-drug sentiment | Medical Xpress, USA
Teens whose parents allow alcohol at home suffer more harm - audio
Research into the drinking habits of 16 and 17-year-olds has found those who are allowed to drink at home have a greater risk of struggling at school or getting into fights, than those who don't get parental permission | abc.net.au, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
I tried magic mushrooms with my 15-year-old daughter
Experimenting in a safe environment is less likely to lead young people to dangerous life journeys, says Anne Poitrineau | Guardian letters, UK
e-Cigarette and Cigarette Use Among Youth: Gateway or Common Liability?
In 2018, the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s report on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) concluded that youths use of e-cigarettes is associated with increased risk of ever cigarette smoking. Ever since, the public health community has been preoccupied with e-cigarettes as a gateway to cigarette smoking among young people | JAMA Network Open, USA
No, deporting undocumented immigrants won’t solve the fentanyl crisis
In recent months, Republicans in Congress have been pushing the narrative that unauthorized immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border is responsible for fentanyl-related overdoses across the country | SF Chronicle opinion, USA