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Daily news - 10th November 2023 |
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UK news
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs - call for evidence
Illegal drug use causes significant harm to both individuals and to wider society, and costs an estimated £20 billion a year. In December 2021, the Government published ‘From Harm to Hope,’ its 10-year plan providing £900 million of new funding to reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs. The Committee’s inquiry follows its May 2023 report on alcohol treatment services, and will examine both progress to-date in implementing the strategy, and the work of the cross-government Joint Combatting Drugs Unit. The committee wants to hear your views. We welcome submissions from anyone with answers to the questions in the call for evidence. You can submit evidence until Friday 17 November 2023 | UK Parliament, UK
Drugs Map of Britain - new series - video
Cutting through the headlines - the real world of users and dealers in the UK today. What are the drugs of choice across the nation, and what are they doing to local communities? Currently there are 4 episodes available 1) Nitrous Oxide 2) Ketamine 3) Uppers and Downers and 4) Cocaine | BBC, UK
Emergency department bloodborne virus opt-out testing: 12-month interim report 2023
Over its first year, the NHS England funded opt-out bloodborne virus (BBV) testing in emergency departments (ED) programme was rolled out across 33 sites selected based on being in areas of very high diagnosed prevalence for HIV. In programme reported data, there were 857,117 HIV tests, 473,723 HCV tests and 366,722 HBV tests undertaken by participating EDs during the first year, with roll out and ‘go live’ dates for each BBV varying by site. The programme makes a substantial contribution to all BBV testing in England | UKHSA, UK
Decline in alcohol treatment referrals not yet understood, MSPs told
Public health officials say a decline in alcohol treatment referrals is not currently understood, as they faced questions from MSPs on their research into minimum unit pricing (MUP) | Press and Journal, UK
‘Let us spray’ as Cambridgeshire police extends use of life saving Naloxone to tackle drug overdoses
Naloxone, an emergency antidote for overdoses caused by heroin and other opiates or opioids such as methadone, morphine, and fentanyl, has been used by Cambridgeshire police to help seven overdose victims in Cambridge and four in Peterborough | Cambs News, UK
Why I started drinking alcohol again after two years sober
Abstaining for twenty-four months helped Madeleine Spencer reset her relationship with booze | Evening Standard, UK
Shoplifting: The stories behind the statistics
Police are under pressure to crack down on shoplifting, after the number of offences rose by 24% in England and Wales in 2022-23. So, who is committing these crimes and why? William McLennan went to court to hear some of the stories behind the statistics | BBC, UK
Dealer foiled in £7m plot to use 'fake Deliveroo' drug couriers across Norfolk network
A drug dealer behind a £7m stash planned to use couriers dressed as fake Deliveroo drivers to distribute cocaine and cannabis | ITV, UK
Drug gang jailed over £1.5m Skegness cocaine supply racket
Members of a drug gang which "infested" a seaside resort with up to £1.5m worth of cocaine have been jailed | BBC, UK
International news
Here's What You Need to Know About the Panama Papers Of The Drug World
A colossal hack of emails from the Colombian prosecutor's office has resulted in a treasure trove of revelations about modern day organised crime and cocaine trafficking | VICE, UK
Global state of harm reduction: 2023 update to key data
This page presents an update to key data in our flagship report, The Global State of Harm Reduction. The full report is published every two years, with updates to key data in between editions of the report. This update summarises some of the key developments in harm reduction and drug policy since the launch of the 8th edition in November 2022 | HRI, UK
90. Investing in Psychedelics with Dustin Robinson - podcast
In this episode, Prof Jo Neill and Dr Hannah Thurgur sit down with Dustin Robinson, the visionary founding partner of Mr. Cannabis Law and a co-founder of Mr. Psychedelics Law. These law firms possess the expertise needed to navigate the intricate and strictly regulated realms of cannabis and psychedelics, addressing a wide range of legal and business challenges within these unique industries | Drug Science, UK
Legalising cannabis will send ‘wrong signal’ to Australian public, peak medical body says
Australian Medical Association opposes Greens bill to legalise cannabis recreationally, citing health harms the drug poses | Guardian, UK
Glasgow planning UK's first drug consumption room
Glasgow is planning to have the UK's first drug consumption room up and running in the new year. It is a similar model to the one planned for Dublin where drug users bring their own drugs for injection in a safer environment | RTe, Ireland
HSE issues heroin warning after cluster of overdoses
The HSE has warned heroin users to be "extra cautious" following a number of overdoses in Dublin. The health service said it is monitoring the cases and awaiting "analytical confirmation on the situation", while asking people to avoid buying from new sources and new batches of heroin "as there is increased risk at this moment in time" | RTe, Ireland
Grassroots Support for Legalizing Marijuana Hits Record 70%
Seven in 10 Americans think marijuana use should be legal, the highest level yet after holding steady at 68% for three years | Gallup, USA
Is UK Government’s “Smoke-Free Generation” Bid Losing Its Way?
The government of the United Kingdom is pressing ahead with its plan to create a generation without legal access to tobacco and cigarettes. Its proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill was formally introduced in the King’s Speech to Parliament on November 7 | Filter Magazine, USA
Global study zeroes in on vaping's respiratory risks among exclusive e-cigarette users
The global cross-sectional VERITAS survey involving six different regions throughout the world has been designed by a team of international scientists to exclusively explore the impact of vaping on respiratory health | News Medical, USA
A (brief) surprise in study of alcohol, caffeine and sleep
The first known study to look at the combined real-world effects of alcohol and caffeine on nightly sleep quality and quantity came up with an unexpected finding—at first | Medical Xpress, USA
Recent Incarceration, Substance Use, Overdose, and Service Use Among People Who Use Drugs in Rural Communities
In this cross-sectional survey of 2935 PWUD in rural communities, 42% were recently incarcerated. Recent incarceration was associated with past-6-month overdose, substance use treatment, and not accessing treatment in the past 6 months but not treatment with MOUD or currently carrying naloxone. | JAMA Network Open, USA
Film Club: ‘A Toast to Raising Alcohol Taxes’
[Seems to be open access] What can be done to reduce the destructive effects of excessive drinking? A Times Opinion video proposes a simple but effective idea | New York Times, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
As ohio crosses the line for cannabis, europe keeps playing it safe
Ohio has become the largest US state to legalise cannabis as of 7th November 2023. This takes the total number of states with recreational markets up to 24. The legislation named ‘Issue 2’ legalises cannabis for recreational use for adults over the age of 21 and permits possession of up to 2.5 oz of flower or 15 grams of concentrates | Volteface, UK
Jamaican Cannabis Struggles to Integrate Traditional Growers
The regulation of cannabis in Jamaica is an important issue to get right given the countries’ historical and cultural link to the drug. With its arrival in the mid-19th Century from Indian indentured servants, cannabis quickly became aligned with social and political movements of the time, specifically emerging as a sacrament of the Rastafarian community. As part of the wider international effort to prohibit drugs worldwide, coupled with backing from white Jamaican elites targeting working-class habits, cannabis was listed as a prohibited substance internationally and domestically in 1913 | Talking Drugs, UK
Peter Doherty: Stranger in My Own Skin review – portrait of the artist keeps its distance
Doc following the Libertines star, made by his wife, is unsparing in showing his struggles with drug addiction but shies away from other personal stories | Guardian, UK
Protecting autonomy by denying it? Undermining autonomy by asserting it?
I started working as an addiction counselor in 1994 and I cannot recall any time since then that has been characterized by such polarization in the responses being proposed and implemented | Recovery Review blog, USA
Ketamine can rapidly reduce symptoms of PTSD and depression, new study finds
The drug ketamine can reduce the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and symptoms of depression in patients as early as a day after injection. That is the key finding of my team’s new meta-analysis, just published in the journal Annals of Pharmacotherapy | Conversation, USA
Is drug testing in the workplace effective or necessary?
Alcohol and other drug use is a major problem in Australian workplaces costing more than A$4 billion a year. Of this, $3.6 billion is due to absenteeism | Conversation, Australia