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Daily news - 6th November 2023

UK news

A Message from The Princess of Wales for Addiction Awareness Week

To close Addiction Awareness Week 2023, (28th October - 4th November), The Princess of Wales, as Patron of the Forward Trust has shared a message of support... | Forward Trust, UK

"Let’s Talk About Addiction" Live from The Brink, Liverpool (2nd Nov, 7:00 - 8:45pm)-video

Join Taking Action on Addiction and partner organisations for an evening of inspiring and powerful real-life stories, panel interviews and live music performances in support of Addiction Awareness Week (28th October – 4th November) | Forward Trust, UK

[Open access] ‘Alcohol use disorder’ (AUD) is used by several contemporary conceptualizations to identify, treat and prevent problems associated with alcohol use. Such conceptualizations encompass diagnostic classifications and broader frameworks for policy and practice. However, current AUD concepts are subject to multiple tensions and limitations in capturing and responding to the complex and heterogeneous nature of alcohol problems | DASD, UK

Glasgow city centre pubs to stay open until 1am under new pilot scheme

Glasgow city centre bars will be able to remain open for an extra hour's trading under a 12-month trial | Scottish Herald, UK

Priorities for Scottish Drugs Research: 2024 and beyond

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 10:00 - 12:00 GMT. We are holding an online event to discuss the priorities for Scottish drugs research and the network in the coming years. We are inviting the funders, creators, users, and beneficiaries of drugs research to share views on the most important subjects to investigate, and information on emerging programmes of work and associated learning | DRNS, UK

Boy, 14, charged with drugs offence after Fife death

A 14-year-old has been arrested and charged with a drugs offence as part of an ongoing investigation into the death of a teenage boy in Fife | BBC, UK

International news

Matthew Perry Foundation set up in late Friends star's name to help addicts

Perry, who was best known for playing Chandler in TV sitcom Friends, died on Saturday at the age of 54. The star battled addictions to alcohol and drugs for much of his life | BBC, UK

Dozens killed in fire at Iranian drug rehab centre

At least 32 people have been killed in a fire that tore through a drug rehabilitation centre in northern Iran, authorities have said | BBC, UK

Cocaine: How do you destroy two tonnes of illegal drugs?

Cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis and heroin are among the drugs which smugglers attempt to bring to Ireland. In September, one gang was foiled when law enforcement in the Republic of Ireland made the largest ever drug seizure in the history of the state | BBC, UK

HMS Dauntless seizes £60m of cocaine in Caribbean Sea

A Royal Navy ship has helped seize £60m worth of drugs in the Caribbean Sea | BBC, UK

‘The country, the whole region, is being flooded’: tracking meth to Australia

From Myanmar to Brisbane, journalist Conor Woodman followed the drug from origin to end users. He answers 10 questions about what he found | Guardian, UK

Council backs plans for drug needle bins in Belfast city centre

Plan have been agreed to install needle bins in parts of Belfast city centre where drug use is rife | Irish News, Ireland

Afghanistan opium cultivation in 2023 declined 95 per cent following drug ban: new UNODC survey

Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan plunged by an estimated 95 per cent following a drug ban imposed by the de facto authorities in April 2022, according to a new research brief from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) | UNODC, Austria

Senate bill would permanently extend Covid-era rules on telehealth addiction treatment

Abipartisan group of senators this week introduced a bill that would permanently allow health providers to prescribe buprenorphine, a common medication used to treat opioid addiction, via telehealth | STAT News, USA

Opioid disorder treatment: Prediction model can calculate risk of relapse within first three weeks

A newly developed prediction model may be able to calculate the risk of opioid relapse among individuals in the early stages of medication treatment—as early as three weeks into therapy | Medical Xpress, USA

Study identifies varied factors in buprenorphine users and urine drug testing

A study by a team of researchers across the country, including two from the University of Kentucky, is the first to demonstrate a connection between the characteristics of patients receiving buprenorphine for opioid use disorder and the use of urine drug testing | Medical Xpress, USA

As billions roll in to fight the US opioid epidemic, one county shows how recovery can work

Communities ravaged by America's opioid epidemic are starting to get their share of a $50 billion pie from legal settlements | Medical Xpress, USA

E-Cigarette Use Among US Adults in the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey

In this cross-sectional study of 414 755 respondents to the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, a high prevalence of e-cigarette use was observed among US adults, particularly among young adults aged 18 to 24 years (18%). Within the group aged 18 to 20 years, 72% of those who reported current e-cigarette use had no history of combustible cigarette use | JAMA Network Open, USA

Mast cell receptor linked to alcohol withdrawal-associated headaches

In a recent study published in Neuron, researchers investigate the role of the mast-cell-specific receptor Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor B2 (MrgprB2) in alcohol-withdrawal-induced headaches and its potential as a therapeutic target | Medical Xpress, USA

U.S. and Israeli Officials Claim Hamas Was High During Oct. 7 Attack. Is It True?

Captagon is at the center of a long-debunked myth about militant violence in the Middle East | VICE, USA

Fentanyl Isn’t Being Cut Into the Cocaine Supply. Here’s Why

Over the course of my 28 years in prison, I’ve known a lot of people who sold drugs. I sold meth for about 20 years altogether, both inside and outside prison. Like with any other job, drug-selling is generally something people do with the intention of making money. This is the main reason people who sell cocaine aren’t putting fentanyl in their supply on purpose | Filter Magazine, USA

Not Everyone Chooses the “Sober Dating” Life. Some of Us Are on Parole

Many people who are in recovery have noted that the culture of modern dating isn’t the most suited to them. The default first-date suggestion is often to meet the other person at a bar. But at least those who choose not to use alcohol as a social lubricant can seek out like-minded people and get to know them in spaces that suit them both | Filter Magazine, USA

[Open access] In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigate the latest evidence in the literature, focusing on placebo-controlled randomized trials examining the efficacy and safety of bupropion for the treatment of individuals with ATSUD amphetamine-type stimulant use disorder | DAD, Canada

Meeting Critical Needs: Evidence with Impact – CCSA Annual Report, 2022–2023

Outlines CCSA’s activities in fiscal year 2022–2023 and provides the auditor’s report. Highlights how, together with our partners, we offered people in Canada the latest insights and knowledge on the effects of substance use. We also issued new evidence to improve substance use health, inform policy makers at all levels of government, and support care delivery and education | CCSA, Canada

Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia

Alcohol, tobacco and other drug use is a major cause of preventable disease, illness and death in Australia. This report consolidates recent information on the availability and consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in Australia, and related impacts, harms and treatment | AIHW, Australia

SBS to let streaming viewers block gambling, alcohol and fast-food ads

Hybrid public broadcaster SBS is introducing controls for viewers to avoid gambling, alcohol and fast-food ads on its digital streaming platform SBS On Demand as part of its responsible advertising practices | Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

Canberra man makes Federal Court bid to ban alcohol advertising during televised sport, after death of his brother at the age of 23

A farmer in central New South Wales who had developed an addiction to alcohol, Greg Spaul's life had spiralled out of control as he dealt with financial hardship | abc.net.au, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

New synthetic drugs on the RADAR

The latest report from RADAR, Scotland’s drugs early warning system, highlights the emergence of new benzodiazepines and opioids, but how does this effect harms? In this blog post, Vicki Craik from the Drugs Team at Public Health Scotland, explains how the drugs market is changing and what impact that may have on public health in Scotland | Public Health Scotland blog, UK

Partner blog: Phoenix Futures

My name is Jessica Douglas and following 15 years working in various roles in the sector I recently took on Phoenix’s new role of Head of Residential Access & Placements. One of the key aspects of this role is to explore what is preventing access to substance use residential treatment and to work with other community and residential providers as well as commissioners to improve access | Forward Trust, UK

Pubs are safe spaces – and we’re watching them die

[Possible paywall] With the industry pleading for relief to keep the lights on and the doors open, I fear one day youngsters will have no idea what they were | Telegraph, UK

We won’t solve the fentanyl crisis with failed drug war tactics

Two different but equally disturbing images abound in the fentanyl era | The Hill opinion, USA

Restoring American Community – Recovery Community as a Catalyst

We are losing community and connection with each other across our nation. It is a key driver of drug use. People cope with boredom, isolation, and despair by getting high to feel relief. We have become a nation of lonely, isolated people who far too often use alcohol and other drugs as our “go to feel good tool” as community and connection erodes | Recovery Review blog, USA

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