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Daily news - 24th November 2023 |
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UK news
E-cigarette use or vaping: reminder to remain vigilant for suspected adverse reactions and safety concerns and report them to the Yellow Card scheme
Healthcare professionals should be vigilant for suspected adverse reactions and safety concerns associated with e-cigarettes and e-liquids, commonly known as vapes. Please report adverse reactions to the Yellow Card scheme and promote vigilance among patients | MHRA, UK
Change Grow Live’s calls to action for the next government
As a general election lurks on the horizon, marketing and communications manager Russell Booth shares Change Grow Live’s asks of the next UK government | DDN, UK
Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Women
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women (a) have been assessed to need and (b) are receiving (i) drug and (ii) alcohol recovery services | They work for you, UK
My data: an animated film, co-produced with people who use drugs - video
This video was co-produced with people on their drug use recovery journey to explore the perceptions of administrative data use for research and to share this information with the wider community | University of Dundee, UK
Language bank: talking about inequalities in alcohol use and harm
The purpose of this language bank is to support the delivery of IAS’s 2023-26 strategy, which has a focus on inequalities. Language is important, and terminology can be empowering as well as potentially harmful | IAS, UK
Northern Monk discontinues two beers after complaints
Leeds-based brewer Northern Monk has discontinued two of its seasonal products after complaints against the beers were upheld by the Portman Group | Morning Advertiser, UK
Leeds Festival sees rise in drug arrests
More people were arrested for drug offences at Leeds Festival in 2023 as part of a police crackdown following the death of a teenager | BBC, UK
Rapper Nines charged with drug offences after Heathrow Airport arrest
Rapper Nines has been charged with drug offences after being arrested at Heathrow Airport | BBC, UK
Synthetic opioids: Largest ever UK seizure made by police
A series of raids in Waltham Forest and Enfield, north London, culminated in 11 people being charged with conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs | BBC, UK
Bath: Police find 'sophisticated' cannabis factory after tip-off
Officers had been searching for a missing person when a member of the public said they had seen people going in and out of a building in the city | BBC, UK
International news
The Israelis and Palestinians Doing Ayahuasca Together
Some peace activists and researchers believe the powerful psychedelic can help build mutual reconciliation between the two communities | VICE, UK
Put morality aside — drug liberalization works, says ex-New Zealand PM
Politicians should put moral or political concerns aside and consider a radical rethink of their drug laws — including decriminalization — to protect public health, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark told POLITICO | Politico, UK
Launch of the WHO -European Union Evidence into Action Alcohol Project: meeting report, Copenhagen, Denmark, 6 December 2022
Public awareness of the cancer risk posed by alcohol consumption, even at low levels, is generally low. In 2016 about 80 000 people died of alcohol-attributable cancer in the European Union (EU). As part of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the EU aims to reduce harms due to alcohol consumption by means of collaboration, coordination and support from the WHO Regional Office for Europe through the joint WHO/EU Evidence into Action Alcohol Project (EVID-ACTION) | WHO, Denmark
Understanding barriers to mental health care among formerly incarcerated people
Incarceration places people at high risk for substance use disorders and mental health concerns and vice versa. Yet, formerly incarcerated people face profound barriers in access to treatment. This study seeks to understand these experiences from the perspective of formerly incarcerated individuals themselves | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Can dopamine receptors tell us who is more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder?
The effect of using risky substances, such as alcohol, on the brain’s so-called “reward system” has received considerable attention, both scientifically and in the wider public discourse, particularly in terms of what it signifies for the risk of developing a substance use disorder. This study measured receptor availability for dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is abundant throughout a part of the reward system called the ventral striatum, in people without a history of alcohol use disorder, and tested whether it predicted risk for harmful alcohol use many years later | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Episode 41: New Front, Old War - podcast
Toxic drug deaths continue to break records in BC. We need an immediate expansion on all harm reduction initiatives. More than anything, we need a real safe supply | Crackdown, Canada
Pill testing to go ahead on-site at Spilt Milk festival in Canberra
Pill Testing Australia confirmed on social media that the free drug-checking service would be available at Canberra's Spilt Milk festival on Saturday | abc.net.au, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Drug decriminalisation: grounding policy in evidence
The Global Commission on Drug Policy's latest report, published ahead of World AIDS Day on Dec 1, describes decriminalisation of drug use as an essential precursor to ending HIV and viral hepatitis as public health threats. Since its formation in 2011 by political, economic, and cultural leaders, the Commission has advocated for decriminalisation as part of a rights-based approach to drug policy, rooted in scientific evidence and principles of public health, to minimise the harms arising from drug use | Lancet editorial, UK
Nitazenes' Rise in the UK
The United Kingdom is facing a grim reality as drug fatality rates have soared. The years 2017 to 2021 stand out as particular markers, where the nation witnessed significant surges in drug-related deaths | Tony D'Agostino, UK
Response to uk government consultation on updating labelling guidance for no and low-alcohol alternatives (PDF)
AFS welcomes the opportunity to respond to the UK Government’s consultation on updating labelling guidance for no and low-alcohol alternatives | AFS, UK