Home | Archive | Weekly | Reports

Daily news - 5th October 2023

UK news

News Story: Prime Minister to create ‘smokefree generation’ by ending cigarette sales to those born on or after 1 January 2009

The government is set to introduce a historic new law to stop children who turn 14 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes in England, in a bid to create the first ‘smokefree generation’. | Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, UK

Policy paper: Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation

This publication sets out proposed action the government will take to protect future generations from the harms of smoking, by creating the first smokefree generation. It also sets out wider measures to support existing smokers to quit smoking, crack down on youth vaping and ensure the law is enforced | DHSC, UK

Health charities welcome Sunak’s plan to curb smoking in England

PM’s aim to gradually increase age at which people can buy cigarettes described as ‘incredibly positive step forward’ | Guardian, UK

Call for evidence outcome: Youth vaping call for evidence analysis

The call for evidence was open for 8 weeks and received 441 submissions to the online form. Of these submissions, the majority (324, or 74%) were from individual citizens. A total of 117 organisations responded | OHID, UK

Heroin warning after five people die in Gloucestershire

Public health officials are concerned that a suspected dangerous batch of heroin could be in circulation. In recent days, five people have died in Gloucestershire, three of whom are known to regularly use the drug | BBC, UK

Drugs contaminated with synthetic opioids: advice on staying safe

New synthetic opioids have arrived in the UK in the last two years, some are called "nitazenes". They have recently been found mixed with heroin, with some being sold as illicit oxycodone pills or even Xanax pills and powders. Nitazenes can be at least as strong as  fentanyl and can be hundreds of times more potent than heroin. They are known to have led to accidental overdoses and deaths of people in several areas across the UK | Change Grow Live, UK

Female drug users at risk of exploitation in mixed-sex treatment groups, study finds

Research reports vulnerable women targeted for grooming into sex work and calls for ‘gendered response’ | Guardian, UK

Performing solidarity? A scoping review of alcohol marketing to sexual and gender minorities

[Open access] Harmful alcohol use is more prevalent among sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) than their cisgender/heterosexual counterparts. The reasons for this are complex, incorporating alcohol’s normalization and availability in social settings, its importance to identity construction, and drinking to cope with stigma and discrimination. However, commercial determinants have been underexplored, particularly how alcohol is marketed to SGM communities | DEPP, UK

Substance misuse treatment for adults: statistics 2021 to 2022

Update. 'Numbers in treatment' section of the main report: amended a text reference to the overall number of people in treatment to 5%, instead of 2%. The associated data in the HTML and spreadsheet had previously been updated and remains correct | OHID, UK

Pregnant smokers in Lincolnshire get help to quit

The programme known as STAAR is an initiative run in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council | BBC, UK

New toothbrush tells you if you're still over the drink-drive limit from the night before

The 'world's first breathalyser toothbrush' has been described as a 'game-changing invention designed to freshen up the drink driving conversation and help Britons avoid taking to the roads over the limit the morning after a night of consuming alcohol' | This is Money, UK

Health guidance urges doctors to ask about patients about gambling

Doctors should ask people with a mental-health problem about their gambling habits to identify those who need help, draft health guidance says | BBC, UK

Reiterating our social enterprise identity and services

Turning Point, one of the country’s leading social enterprises, would like to reiterate that they have no affiliation to any political movements or other organisations with the same or similar-sounding name, which includes the student group Turning Point UK (TPUK) | Turning Point, UK

Police uncover 4,000 suspected cannabis plants in Bodmin

Police have swooped on a disused building in Bodmin containing 4,000 suspected cannabis plants worth an estimated £2m, police said | BBC, UK

International news

Vaping and de-nicotinisation: what UK can learn from New Zealand’s smoking crackdown

Plan to ban next generation from buying cigarettes has received praise from health experts - but opposition from convenience store owners | Guardian, UK

US sanctions Chinese firms in crackdown on fentanyl supply chain

The US has announced sanctions on 25 China-based firms and individuals allegedly involved in the production of chemicals used to make fentanyl | BBC, UK

A toxic mix: opioid victims’ $1bn hit from repeat pharma bankruptcy

Hedge funds seize control of Mallinckrodt in latest case exposing flaws of US mass tort playbook | FT, UK

New report The Social Impact of Cannabis Legalisation explores how cannabis reform can shape lives, livelihoods, and the law

We have published this report for members of the European cannabis industry, bringing local context to discussions that are often dominated by a North American centric framing. To amplify its message we have launched in partnership with key influencers Volteface (UK), Cannavigia (Switzerland), Prohibition Partners (UK & US) and Krautinvest (Germany) | First Wednesdays, UK

New report explores links between drug markets and gun violence in the EU

The links between drug markets and gun violence in the EU are explored in a new report from the EMCDDA and the Flemish Peace Institute. The analysis responds to a need for further research into the issue, at a time of rising drug-related violence in Europe | EMCDDA, Portugal

Uproar as “95 Percent Safer” Message Blamed for Youth Vaping

A prominent British physician has sparked controversy by blaming the country’s message that vapes are “95 percent safer” than cigarettes for youth vaping | Filter Magazine, USA

SAMHSA Announces Nearly $35M in Grant Awards for Comprehensive Behavioral Health Care and HIV Prevention and Care for Historically Underserved Populations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded nearly $35 million in grant funding this month to bring essential behavioral health services and HIV prevention and care to historically underserved populations | SAMHSA, USA

Prevention Month

October is Youth Substance Use Prevention Month and Substance Misuse Prevention Month. This year, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of “Talk. They Hear You.®” and looking ahead to SAMHSA’s 20th Prevention Day | SAMHSA, USA

Is climate change increasing substance abuse?

We knew that climate change and its effects—natural disasters, pandemics, pollution—are negatively impacting mental and physical health around the world. Now a new study published in Perspectives on Psychological Science sheds light on another health impact of climate change: increased substance abuse | Medical Xpress, USA

Analysis shows opioid prescription rates have decreased for US adolescents

A new analysis reveals that rates of opioid prescribing to US adolescents have decreased in recent years, primarily limited to non-surgery indications. Opioid prescription rates for surgery have remained stable | Medical Xpress, USA

Portland, Maine, to Decriminalize Psychedelic Plants and Fungi

The City Council in Portland, Maine, has voted to deprioritize the local enforcement of laws against psychedelic plants and fungi, adopting a resolution on October 2 that emphasizes treating the use and possession of all controlled substances as a public health matter | Filter Magazine, USA

Victoria's First Public Ketamine Clinic for Depression Treatment Is Here

The Royal Melbourne Hospital will treat 50 patients living with severe depression a year at its first public ketamine clinic | VICE, USA

We argue that there is a pressing need to acknowledge variation and diversity in the relationship between trauma and AOD-related problems, and the gendered and sexual dynamics shaping the expansion of the trauma paradigm. | IJDP, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

How can we provide integrated care for people with co-occurring addiction and severe mental health problems?

Approximately 30% to 50% of individuals facing severe mental illness also encounter concurrent alcohol or drug use (Weaver et al., 2001). Co-Occurring Serious Mental Health problems and Alcohol/Drug use exacerbates the challenges faced by these individuals, as it leads to poorer treatment outcomes, reduced treatment retention and increased morbidity | Mental Elf blog, UK

What to do about the tobacco companies still killing millions? Make them pay – and heavily

People close to me have died because of smoking, while firms reap huge profits. A new tobacco levy is the answer | Guardian opinion, UK

Rainbows in June: Selling alcohol to LGBTQ+ people

During the summer of 2022, I noticed rainbows appearing on bottles of alcohol to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride. Brands of spirits, wine and beer all seemed keen to flaunt their queer allegiance as soon as June arrived. Of course, this wasn’t the first time that had happened, and in previous years I hadn’t thought too much about it. Rainbows. Solidarity. Nice. But in 2022 my feelings towards those cheery little rainbows had changed. They made me uneasy, irritated, and then a little bit angry | IAS blog, UK

For Black History Month we are ‘Saluting our Sisters’ – but equality, diversity and inclusion must also be year-round goals

Simone James is our Director of Inclusion. Here, she explains how we’re marking Black History Month, and why equality, diversity and inclusion should form a golden thread throughout our work | Change Grow Live, UK

Why do Australians Love Bad Cocaine?

When it comes drug prohibition, Australia has witnessed some recent policy developments that have started to challenge the international consensus. Thanks to its federal system of governance, Australia has introduced progressive state-level measures that act as case-studies for potential national change. Already encouraging change has happened: decriminalisation was implemented in three Australian states, with MDMA and psilocybin rescheduled to enable its psychiatric use. These cases show that there is hope for a future of decriminalised, and possibly legalised, substances | Talking Drugs, UK

We’re talking about fentanyl and xylazine all wrong

Rather than stigmatizing people living with addiction, the most important thing we can do is encourage and support people in their journey to recovery | Philadelphia Inquirer opinion, USA

With Over 20 Million Adult U.S. Vapers, Now Is Time for Federal Agencies to Recognize Harm Reduction

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems (BRFSS) survey. The annual survey measures various lifestyle indicators among adults aged 18 and over including demographics (including age and race), dietary and physical activities, substance use, combustible cigarette, and vapor product use | Townhall opinion, USA

Extend Studio