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Daily news - 26th May 2023 |
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UK news
ACMD review of the evidence on the use and harms of diphenidine
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has undertaken a review of the evidence on the use and harms of diphenidine and other related substances | ACMD, UK
ACMD review of the evidence on the use and harms of Cumyl-PeGaClone
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has undertaken a review of the evidence on the use and harms of Cumyl-PeGaClone | ACMD, UK
Government not taking 'appalling' alcohol harm seriously, MPs say
MPs are concerned that the government is not taking alcohol harm seriously enough following an increase in deaths | BBC, UK
Promoting vapes to kids is ridiculous, says Rishi Sunak
It is "ridiculous" that vapes are promoted to children, Rishi Sunak has said as he pledged to look at ways of strengthening marketing rules | BBC, UK
Humza Yousaf urged to not backtrack on alcohol marketing pledge
Campaigners have questioned if Humza Yousaf is in the “pocket of the alcohol industry” after a consultation on curbing advertising was unexpectedly tabled | Herald, UK
'My son nearly died from alcohol abuse - banning ads will save lives'
The “heartbroken” mum of a man who nearly died from alcohol abuse has backed calls to ban alcohol advertising in Scotland | STV, UK
Former addict who had Hepatitis C warns pharmacy closures putting users at greater risk of virus
A former addict who contracted Hepatitis C when she could not access a new needle, has warned others of the importance of safe needle exchanges | ITV, UK
Drugs: should clubs move from a “zero tolerance” to “zero harm” approach?
Illegal drugs help fuel the nighttime economy. You won’t hear that at an industry conference, but let’s be real – they have been a major factor in defining dancefloors and, by definition, our after-dark fun, since the 1970s. Any venue or promoter who says otherwise is just, not unreasonably, regurgitating a party line to protect their licence. Apart from the occasional (but increasing in number) sober raves out there, there’s likely never been a nightclub totally devoid of drugs, whether that’s ping of MDMA, line of coke, tab of acid, puff of spliff or, yes, booze | The Face, UK
Let's talk e-cigarettes - audio
Since coming on the market over a decade ago, e-cigarettes have divided opinion. A team of Oxford researchers are searching for new e-cigarette studies every month. In this podcast, Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Dr Nicola Lindson talk about what has been found, and how this changes what we know about e-cigarettes | University of Oxford, UK
Collaborative dental health sessions
Oral health problems are among the most prevalent health problems associated with drug addiction. Many of the people we support struggle with their dental health through numerous compounding factors. In collaboration with dental health charity Dentaid, we ran two days of dental appointments for people engaged in BDP services from our location in Brunswick Square. Participants received a check-up, could talk to a dentist about any issues they were having and had emergency procedures, including fillings and extractions as needed | BDP, UK
Recovery Festival: Thursday 6th July - Bristol
6th July Bristol. The Recovery Festival is a free, family friendly Bristol festival now celebrating its 10th year. We are the biggest recovery focused event in the South West and we looking forward to welcoming you to our second event at Trinity on 6th July | Recovery Festival, UK
Drugs baron died after refusing to take medication
One of the UK's biggest drug barons died after refusing to take medication or have treatment for a long-standing heart condition, an inquest heard | BBC, UK
International news
Alcohol labelling in Ireland
That this House congratulates the pioneering efforts of the Irish Government for introducing mandatory health labelling on alcoholic drinks to alert consumers to calorie content, grams of alcohol, risks of cancer and liver disease and dangers of drinking while pregnant; recognises that standardised health labelling enable consumers to make informed decisions on alcohol consumption... | UK Parliament, UK
‘Potheads, go giggle elsewhere’: public weed ban begins in Amsterdam
Tourists and residents now face €100 fine for public smoking in De Wallen, but some business owners are worried about impact | Guardian, UK
Heroin treatment higher in poor areas, but opioid cases more prevalent among affluent
There are four times as many drug treatment cases involving people from disadvantaged areas than people from affluent communities, new research shows | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Mariupol. The city that was killed
This is the story of Natasha Kaluzhskaya, a patient in an opioid substitution programme in Mariupol, Ukraine. Mariupol was completely destroyed by the Russian army in 2022. Under the bombs, Natasha rescued people who were using drugs. She managed to survive. And today she stands as a witness to the crimes of war in Ukraine | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Police Demolished “Illegal” Drug Consumption Room in Helsinki
In order to raise public awareness of effective overdose-death prevention methods, activists set up an unofficial drug consumption room in the middle of Helsinki | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Ketamine Matches 'Gold Standard' in Major Depression Trial
When it came to improving treatment-resistant major depression in outpatients without psychotic features, ketamine worked just as well as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the ELEKT-D randomized trial found | MedPage Today, USA
Researchers investigate racial, ethnic bias when diagnosing alcohol use disorder among veterans
University of Kentucky College of Public Health faculty member Rachel Vickers-Smith, Ph.D., and a team of investigators recently examined whether there is racial or ethnic bias in who receives an alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnosis | Medical Xpress, USA
California's fentanyl problem is getting worse
California has allocated more than $1 billion in recent years to combat its opioid crisis. Much of the money has been used to distribute fentanyl test strips and the overdose reversal drug naloxone, as well as deliver medical care to people who are homeless. The state has an opioid awareness campaign tailored to youths and recently called on the National Guard to help detect drug traffickers | Medical Xpress, USA
Dozens of Democrats join GOP in passing bill on fentanyl-related drug penalties
Legislation to permanently classify fentanyl-like substances into a category reserved for the most dangerous drugs passed the House on Thursday | The Hill, USA
Why high school kids are saying ‘yeah, nah’ to alcohol
Striking differences in the way high school students socialise may be one of the reasons behind a dramatic drop in youth drinking over the last 20 years, a study from the University of Otago, Wellington, has found | University of Otago, New Zealand
Blogs, comment and opinion
Expert reaction to trial looking at ketamine versus ECT for nonpsychotic treatment-resistant major depression
Results from a trial looking at ketamine versus ECT for nonpsychotic treatment-resistant major depression have been published in the NEJM | Science Media Centre, UK
Tranq: first UK death from the flesh-rotting ‘zombie drug’ xylazine
The flesh-rotting “zombie drug” xylazine has been wreaking havoc in the US. Now it’s in the UK. A toxicology report showed that a middle-aged man from Solihull, England, died from the effects of xylazine, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine | Conversation, UK
I cut my drinking due to my breast cancer risk
In this guest blog from Breast Cancer UK, Charlie reflects on her decision to cut down on drinking to reduce her breast cancer risk | AHA UK blog, UK
Navigating Cannabis Use in Legal and Illegal Contexts Across Continents: An Interview
Cannabis use in Nigeria and worldwide is a complex and multifaceted issue. Referred to as igbo*, ganja, weed, marijuana, and several other monikers, Cannabis has garnered a contentious reputation in Nigeria. While cannabis use is illegal in Nigeria, it is consumed by many young people and openly celebrated by its users | Points blog, USA