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Daily news - 13th October 2023 |
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UK news
Press release: Government sets out next steps to create ‘smokefree generation’
The government has launched a public consultation on youth vaping as part of measures to clamp down on vapes being promoted to children | Department of Health and Social Care, Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Rebecca Pow MP, The Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, and The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, UK
Never start vaping, says 12-year-old girl with lung damage
A 12-year-old girl who suffered a lung collapse and spent four days in an induced coma has told the BBC that children should never start vaping. Sarah Griffin had asthma and was a heavy vaper when she was rushed to hospital with breathing problems a month ago | BBC, UK
UK food regulators slash recommended dose of CBD over health risks
Food Standards Agency drops advised daily limit from 70mg to 10mg in surprise reversal, citing risk to liver and thyroid issues | Guardian, UK
Does new treatment offer a 'silver bullet' for Scotland's opioid addicts?
A monthly injection used to help treat opioid addiction has been described as a "silver bullet" for many patients by a pharmacist working with those affected in Scotland. Buprenorphine, which is sold under the brand name Buvidal, is a monthly injection which helps alleviate some of the symptoms caused by opioid withdrawal | ITV, UK
The Kerslake Commission 2023: Turning the Tide on Rising Homelessness and Rough Sleeping
The Kerslake Commission was convened to learn the lessons from the ‘Everyone In’ initiative which supported people who were sleeping rough during the pandemic, and which led to a 37% drop in rough sleeping. The landscape is now vastly different, with the 2022 official figures showing a 26% increase in rough sleeping and the more recent statutory homelessness figures showing the number of households who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation is the highest since records began | Kerslake Commission, UK
Refugees, immigrant populations and substance use with Ebtesam Saleh - podcast
In this episode, Rob Calder talks to the SSA's Fred Yates Prize winner Ebtesam Saleh. They discuss her work researching substance use among refugees and immigrant populations as well as her career going from a pharmacist in Yemen to becoming an award-winning researcher | SSA, UK
Volunteer Survey 2023 shows enthusiasm from Humankind Volunteers
Throughout June, volunteers across our organisation completed the Annual Volunteer Survey. The survey provides the opportunity for feedback and suggestions for improvement around volunteering experiences and opportunities | Humankind, UK
NI drug supply market 'transformed' by social media - video
Developments in social media apps have transformed Northern Ireland's illegal drug supply market, a leading police officer has said | BBC, UK
Angler finds cocaine packages floating near Isle of Wight
A sea angler has described finding floating packages of cocaine off the Isle of Wight. Ron Rapp was on his fishing boat with his family near The Needles on Sunday when he spotted the three bundles | BBC, UK
Wisbech murder trial hears woman 'ran drug store' from her home
A murder trial has heard that a woman found dead with multiple stab wounds "effectively ran a drug store" from her home | BBC, UK
International news
The FCTC COP10 Agenda and supporting documents: implications for the future of tobacco harm reduction
The 10th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) takes place in Panama, November 20–25, 2023. Discussions and decisions at these meetings influence tobacco control policies at a national level. These decisions will be significant in determining the future of safer nicotine products (SNP), such as nicotine vapes (e-cigarettes), snus, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products (HTP). The availability of these products is crucial to realise the public health potential of tobacco harm reduction (THR) in global efforts to combat smoking-related death and disease | NSP, UK
A drug dealer linked to actor Michael K Williams’ accidental overdose death jailed for five years
The beloved actor from The Wire was found dead from an accidental overdose in a Williamsburg penthouse in 2021 | Independent, UK
Alcohol-related morbidity and mortality by fathers' parental leave: A quasi-experimental study in Sweden
Fathers' parental leave has been associated with decreased risks of alcohol-related hospitalizations and mortality. Whether this is attributable to the health protections of parental leave itself (through stress reduction or behavioral changes) or to selection into leave uptake remains unclear, given that fathers are more likely to use leave if they are in better health. Using the quasi-experimental variation of a reform incentivizing fathers' leave uptake (the 1995 Father's quota reform), this study aimed to assess whether fathers' parental leave influences alcohol-related morbidity and mortality | Addiction, UK
As menthol ban nears, big tobacco is adding synthetic version to cigarettes instead
Cigarette makers are using synthetic menthol substitutes in what appears to be an effort to skirt a looming federal menthol ban, researchers say | Medical Xpress, USA
FDA warns of dangers of compounded ketamine for psychiatric use
"Although compounded drugs can serve an important medical need for certain patients when an FDA-approved drug is not medically appropriate, they also present a risk to patients and should only be used under the care of a health care provider," the FDA said in a news release | Medical Xpress, USA
Does cannabis affect surgical outcomes? We need more data
Up to 22 million Americans 12 or older use cannabis. For pediatric surgeons, such statistics mean it's likely some of their patients have cannabis in their systems. Yet questions about a patient's marijuana use are not standard on pre-operative patient intake forms or any other preoperative documentation at children's hospitals. The resulting lack of data hampers research into the ways cannabis may affect pediatric patients' surgical outcomes—and orthopedic surgery is no exception | Medical Xpress, USA
Vapes Can Free Up Vast Health Care Resources, Economist Explains
Tobacco harm reduction directly saves lives. But by reducing smoking-related diseases, it also has the potential to free up precious health care resources for reallocation to other pressing concerns | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Making Sense of the EU’s New Drug Policy – Part 1
This summer, the European Union officially created the EU Drugs Agency. This new body will have a larger budget, more staff, and a more ambitious mandate than its predecessor, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). While this seems like a positive development on paper, a closer look reveals a concerning shift towards a more repressive and securitised approach to drug policy, similar to the shift occurring across Europe. As the far-right expands its influence across Europe, what sort of future will the EU create for drug policy within this shift? | Talking Drugs, UK
Cannabis in canada: debunking myths about the real impacts of legalization
Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, there was considerable debate about its potential effects. Some predicted it would trigger an economic “goldrush,” while others worried it would lead to public health “tragedies.” Researchers like myself have since investigated the real effects of legalization. As it turns out, certain trends were already underway before legalization and continued afterward. On the flip side, some changes did not happen as anticipated | Volteface, UK
Climate Disruptions Are Especially Dangerous for the Opioid Epidemic
Drug users must be considered in health and climate preparedness efforts | Scientific American opinion, USA