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Daily news - 16th May 2023

UK news

Addiction Mission: Innovation for Treatment and Recovery Awards

The Addiction Mission, led by the UK Office for Life Sciences (OLS), in collaboration with the National Institute of Health and Social Care Research (NIHR), will be inviting applications to the Addiction Mission: Innovation for Treatment and Recovery Awards (AMI) to develop valuable tools that support treatment and recovery for people dependent on opioids or cocaine. The application process is scheduled to open on May 31, with a webinar for prospective applicants taking place on the same day. The call will be open to all UK legal entities, regardless of size or sector, including commercial entities, NHS and third sector providers, charities, local government bodies, universities and research institutions | NIHR, UK

[Open access] The UK Government recently published a White Paper proposing a new system of sanctions for the possession of drugs. The proposals aim to reduce demand amongst a group referred to as ‘so-called recreational drug users’. They will not apply to people experiencing drug dependence, for whom the document suggests drug treatment is more appropriate; however, it is unclear how dependence will be differentiated in practice. The plans have attracted widespread criticism... Here, we consider whether the White Paper proposals are ethically justifiable, whilst reflecting on what a ‘public health approach’ should entail | IJDP, UK

Calls for rehab to be more than 'last resort' for addicts

On an anonymous road just outside Llantrisant is a place offering hope for addicts. When people come to Brynawel Rehab with an addiction - be it drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex - they are often at their lowest ebb, having exhausted all other options and reached rock bottom | ITV, UK

Legalise psychedelic drugs to help treat depression, urge experts

[Article appears to be open access] MPs to debate allowing NHS and researchers to have freer access to psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms | The Times, UK

Isle of Man to grow cannabis business to diversify economy

British crown dependency hopes to license as many as 10 medicinal cannabis firms by end of 2025 | Guardian, UK

British American Tobacco appoints new chief executive as as analysts predict something’s ‘not right’ at BAT

British American Tobacco appointed finance director Tadeu Marroco as CEO on Monday, succeeding Jack Bowles who is stepping down after about four years | City AM, UK

Newcastle cannabis farm with 250 plants dismantled

A cannabis farm with 250 plants and a value of more than £200,000 has been dismantled following a police raid | BBC, UK

International news

Call for different branding on 0% alcohol products

There has been a call for 0% alcohol products such as beers to have different branding to their alcoholic alternatives | RTe, Ireland

Excessive alcohol advertising on street furniture in Dublin ‘not acceptable’

The excessive amount of free alcohol advertising outside businesses in Dublin has been called an “erosion of public space”, amid ongoing changes to street furniture licensing | Independent, Ireland

The gateway hypothesis holds that the use of legal substances (i.e., tobacco and alcohol) increases the risk of initiating in cannabis use which, in turn, increases the chances of using other illegal substances. The validity of this hypothesis has been the subject of intense debate in recent years, finding sequences with a different order. Moreover, this pattern has been scarcely studied in Spain, where characteristics related to cannabis use are meaningfully different to other countries. This study aims to examine the gateway effects of cannabis towards other legal and illegal substances in Spanish adolescents | Addictive Behaviors, USA

The impact of timing of in utero marijuana exposure on fetal growth

[Open access] Timing of marijuana exposure appears to play a key role in specific fetal growth deficits, with exposure throughout gestation most detrimental. However even first trimester exposure may result in decreased weight | Frontiers in Pediatrics, USA

Researchers are unlocking new answers in the quest for safer, more effective opioid therapy

University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers are taking the foot off the brake in their quest to improve opioid therapy while decreasing its side effects | Medical Xpress, USA

Reddit users concerned by health risks of vaping, according to AI analysis

A new artificial intelligence analysis of thousands of posts from the popular online discussion forum Reddit reveals that vapers are concerned about e-cigarettes' possible impact on everything from their respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems to their mental and sexual health and sleep patterns. They also worry about the possibility of addiction, cancer, and dental problems | Medical Xpress, USA

Australia’s New Vape Crackdown Incentivizes Smoking, Critics Say

Australia’s government is intensifying its tight restrictions on nicotine vapes, announcing a ban on the sale of all nonprescription vaping devices, e-liquids, cartridges and related products. While vapes were technically already prescription-only products in the country, they’re still available in some stores. The initiative is intended to crack down on the country’s supply in light of what officials have called a youth vaping “epidemic.”| Filter Magazine, USA

Safer opioid supply via a biometric dispensing machine: a qualitative study of barriers, facilitators and associated outcomes

[Open access] The MySafe program provides pharmaceutical-grade opioids to participants with opioid use disorder via a biometric dispensing machine. The objectives of this study were to examine facilitators and barriers to safer supply via the MySafe program and the associated outcomes | CMAJ, Canada

Vape retailers fear ban on e-cigarettes will send their businesses up in smoke

Owners of Melbourne’s legal e-cigarette stores say they could be forced out of business by the federal government’s proposed vape ban | WA Today, Australia

Psychedelic therapies for some mental illnesses will soon be legal – but experts still have questions

Australia needs to be careful when implementing MDMA and psilocybin therapy, says UNSW researcher Professor Colleen Loo | UNSW, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

Psychedelics-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder: room for more evidence

AUD (alcohol use disorder) has increased by approximately 36% during the past 20 years, (Grant et al., 2017) and currently stands at an estimated 14% in the adult population (Kranzler and Soyka, 2018). High-risk drinking can lead to a range of adverse outcomes including cardiovascular disease, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, psychiatric comorbidities and social impacts | Mental Elf blog, UK

Lives will be saved if the WHO changes its view on e-cigarettes, says PATRICK BASHAM

It is indeed true that most well-funded public health institutions and stakeholders are rabidly anti-tobacco harm reduction and predictably anti-vaping | Express, UK

Germany’s draft cannabis legislation suggests 10% thc limit and yearly home grown restrictions

Many were disappointed with last month’s press conference that outlined Germany’s updated approach to cannabis legalisation. The new rules are set to be considerably watered down from the original cornerstones paper released in October 2022, instead favouring a two-pillared approach that is set to introduce cannabis social clubs and a 5-year regional pilot project. It now appears that the cannabis industry is set to be disappointed for a second time with the latest draft of Germany’s cannabis bill… | Volteface, UK

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