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Daily news - 22nd November 2023

UK news

Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023 - wave 4 follow up to the 2017 survey

In 2023, most children aged 11 to 16 years reported that they had not had alcohol (95.1%), cigarettes (98.8%), cannabis and other drugs (99.1%), or used an e-cigarette or vaping device (96.3%) in the previous 7 days. In 2023, the majority of young people aged 17 to 22 years reported that they had not smoked cigarettes (87.3%) or used cannabis and other drugs (91.0%) in the previous 7 days. Young people with a probable mental disorder were more likely to have used a vaping or e-cigarette device in the previous 7 days (32.9%) than those unlikely to have a mental disorder (18.4%). They were also more likely to have used cannabis or other drugs in the previous 7 days than young people unlikely to have a mental disorder (19.5% compared with 3.6%) | NHS Digital, UK

Findings from the 2021-2022 HBSC study for England: Health behaviour in school-aged children: World Health Organisation collaborative cross-national study (PDF)

The HBSC questionnaire asks about many features of daily life for children and young people in England such as their diet, physical activity, sleep, smoking and alcohol use, as well as their experiences with their families, friends, and schools. This report is based on the data from 5377 young people in England. [See page 5 for information on drug use] | University of Kent, UK

Emergency department bloodborne virus opt-out testing: 12-month interim report 2023

An estimated 70,649 people were living with chronic HCV in England in 2022. This number has reduced by 45% since 2015 largely due to the roll out of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment through the NHS England Hepatitis C Elimination Programme. People who inject drugs (PWID) are the largest risk group for HCV and this population has been successfully targeted for testing and treatment, with routine testing in place in drug services | UKHSA, UK

This paper reports on the first qualitative study to interview people prescribed cannabis in the UK. Cannabis is a class B controlled substance under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs (MoD) Act, but a 2018 change to UK regulations provided for the prescription of cannabis for medical purposes. Relatively few people have been able to access a prescription, despite this policy change. This paper examines their experiences | IJDP, UK

"It's a big added stress on top of being so ill": Challenges for UK cannabis patients - video

A short animated film based on the real stories of UK medical cannabis patients. Developed from qualitative academic research by Dr Lindsey Metcalf McGrath & Dr Helen Beckett Wilson, LJMU | Medical Cannabis Project UK, UK

Mother speaks of challenge securing legal cannabis

A mother from Kent has spoken of the challenges she has faced procuring medicinal cannabis oil for her daughter, who has severe epilepsy | BBC, UK

Manx medicinal cannabis trial to continue while long-term policy set

Karsons pharmacy in Onchan was given the island's first licence to dispense private prescriptions under a year-long pilot scheme in December | BBC, UK

NHS stop smoking services - local delivery plan standard 2022/23 (quarter 4)

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents information on NHS Stop Smoking Services in Scotland and their progress towards their annual Local Delivery Plan (LDP) Standard. The LDP Standard for NHS Scotland in 2022/23 is to achieve at least 7,026 self-reported successful twelve-week quits through smoking cessation services in the 40% most deprived areas (60% in NHS Island Boards) | Public Health Scotland, UK

Alcoholism: Young People

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to tackle the impact of alcoholism on young people (a) nationally and (b) in Romford constituency | They work for you, UK

Hull hospital hands out vapes in anti-smoking drive

A hospital is handing out free vapes in an attempt to persuade staff and visitors to give up smoking. The "Swap and Stop" initiative was held outside Hull Royal Infirmary | BBC, UK

Cuts force 'lifeline' charity supporting female offenders to close

A lifeline service supporting female offenders to rebuild their lives after drug and alcohol use is to close after almost two decades in Glasgow due to budget cuts | STV News, UK

Alcohol awareness performances at high schools

A UK-based theatre group has come to Guernsey to perform a piece about alcohol awareness to Year 9 students across the island | BBC, UK

Mental health and social care with Amy O'Donnell and Kat Jackson - audio

In this episode, Zoe Swithenbank talks to Drs Amy O'Donnell and Kat Jackson about their recent study on how to improve care for people with coexisting heavy drinking and depression. The discuss the theoretical concept of Relational Autonomy and how it influenced their research | SSA, UK

Thousands Raised by Generous Donors Attending our Annual London Quiz 2023 Event

Thanks to the generosity of Forward supporters and donors, over £18,000 was fundraised at our recent quiz event to generate funds for frontline services | Forward Trust, UK

International news

Will tobacco price increases lead more people who smoke to vape? The results from a discrete choice experiment amongst U.S. adults

To understand the extent to which people who smoke, people who vape and nonsmokers would switch between smoking cigarettes and vaping in response to policies (price increases, restrictions on nicotine, places, and information on addictiveness and/or health risks) aimed at decreasing tobacco use by people who smoke and vaping by nonsmokers | BMC Public Health, UK

South Africa Poised to Break From Apartheid-Era Cannabis Prohibition

South Africa has taken a big step toward decriminalization, or limited legalization, of cannabis. The country won’t be opening up any dispensaries for people to buy the drug, but adults would be able to grow and use it without fearing arrest or jail. The move would undo criminalization that has its roots in the country’s apartheid era | Filter Magazine, USA

Is It Time to Abandon the Term “Smoker”?

Words matter, particularly when they’re entwined with issues of identity. Labels have the capacity to erase the multi-faceted nature of our identities by reducing us to a single characteristic—something that overwhelmingly happens, unfortunately, to members of marginalized communities | Filter Magazine, USA

Blogs, comment and opinion

Achieving consensus, coherence, clarity and consistency when talking about addiction

Scientific study serves to provide useful, generalizable and enduring knowledge. In addiction science that knowledge is often imprecise because of the complexity of the subject matter, but we should strive to make it as precise and accurate as possible | Addiction editorial, UK

Strip searching by the police: potential for abuse?

Unless the officer(s) can legitimately justify their actions to an independent panel, they should be instantly dismissed and compelled to sign the Sex Offenders Register, writes pediatrician Professor Andy Bush of Imperial College, London | BMJ editorial, UK

The Ban on Nitrous Oxide: A Misguided Step?

Under the government’s new Antisocial Behaviour Action Plan, nitrous oxide will now be categorised as a Class C drug, carrying a minimum sentence of two years for possession and 14 years for dealing. Chief among the government’s motivations for banning the drug is a desire to decrease the amount of antisocial behaviour in Britain’s worst affected areas and limiting what the former Home Secretary describes as the ‘disgraceful mess’ of Britain’s streets | Student Lawyer blog, UK

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