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Daily news - 16th October 2023 |
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UK news
An evaluation of naloxone transit for opioid overdose using drones: A case study using real-world coroner data
[Open access] Opioids are now the most cited class in fatal overdoses. However, the antidote for opioid overdose—naloxone—is not always readily available. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility of naloxone transit via drone to provide rapid access at the point of care. ... This study provides proof-of-concept that, in the Teesside area of the UK, drones are more likely than ambulance to get naloxone to the site of an opioid overdose in 7 min | Addiction, UK
Deprivation causes extra 33,000 UK cancer cases each year, analysis finds
Lung cancer is the leading cause of the extra cases linked to deprivation, largely because smoking is much more common in more deprived areas. People in routine and manual occupations in England are about 2.5 times more likely to smoke than people in managerial and professional occupations, CRUK said. There are nearly twice as many cancer cases caused by smoking in the poorest areas than in the wealthiest in England | Guardian, UK
Deliveroo given green light to delivery alcohol in Scotland first
The new concept – called Deliveroo Editions – was granted an off sales licence on Friday | STV, UK
Does a local Alcohol Health Champion programme have a measurable impact on health and crime outcomes? A natural experiment evaluation of Communities in Charge of Alcohol (CICA) based on triangulation of methods
[Open access] Local councils in Greater Manchester, UK, developed the Communities in Charge of Alcohol (CICA) intervention, in which volunteers were trained to give alcohol-related advice to the public and taught how to influence policies to restrict when, where and how alcohol is sold. As part of a larger study, the aim of the current project is to measure the impact of CICA on health and crime outcomes at the lower super output (LSOA) geographical aggregation | Addiction, UK
Three ways one simple survey is improving our PSHE provision
Aimee Stevens sets out how NHS research is powering her school’s PSHE teaching with data, influencing its curriculum and giving its students a voice | SchoolsWeek, UK
'Don't stick head in the sand about illegal drugs' - video
Spreading a harm reduction message about illegal drugs is important to allow people to make informed choices, an academic has said. Prof Anne Campbell, from Queen's University's Drug and Alcohol Research Network, said there should be similar awareness messages for cocaine as there are for alcohol and smoking | BBC, UK
Met Police: Communities traumatised by stop and search
A senior Metropolitan Police officer says stop and search, when done poorly, has traumatised communities in London. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said the force recognised it needed a "reset" | BBC, UK
Overdoses double at prison where inmates say it’s ‘easy’ to get drugs
More than 100 overdoses at HMP Forest Bank in Salford, where drugs ‘fuel debt and violence’ | Independent, UK
Lanarkshire support project volunteers go extra mile to raise awareness of recovery from addiction
A group of Lanarkshire men have shone the light on the road to recovery from addiction by walking the West Highland Way | Daily Record, UK
Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2022-23
This is the annual statistics release for statutory homelessness assessments and activities in England between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 | Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, UK
Podcast 88. Psychonauts with Mike Jay
In this episode, Mike Jay explores the contents of his latest book titled “Psychonaut,” which offers a thought-provoking and unique account of the scientists, writers, artists, and philosophers who engaged in drug exploration to uncover the enigmatic realms of the mind. The podcast delves into the historical perspective of psychedelics, shedding light on the evolving societal perceptions of these substances. Moreover, it seeks to rediscover a forgotten intellectual legacy of drug experimentation that contributed to the development of psychology, the exploration of the unconscious, and the rise of modernism | Drug Science, UK
Staffordshire schoolboy's petition to ban flavoured vapes
Walter, who attends St Dominic's Priory School in Stone, believes children are being targeted due to flavours such as Haribo and Cola. There has been a rise in the proportion of 11 to 17-year-olds trying vapes, despite it being illegal to sell them to under 18s | BBC, UK
Open House and Service launch for our first drug and alcohol treatment centre in Sheffield
17th October 10am - 8pm and 18th October 10am - 8pm. Eleven Recovery are hosting a 2-day open house and launch event to celebrate the opening of our first residential drug and alcohol treatment centre in Sheffield. Come along, meet the team and get a feel for what we’re all about | Eleven Recovery, UK
More than 2,500 illegal vapes seized at shop
They were found in a storeroom in Ipswich by Suffolk Trading Standards after a test purchase | BBC, UK
Birmingham drugs gang who hid gun under child's bed jailed
Members of a drugs gang who amassed firearms including a sub-machine gun and stored ammunition in a child's bedroom have been jailed | BBC, UK
International news
Irish police seize €3.9m worth of cannabis in Dublin
The drugs were discovered during the search of a vehicle on Wednesday in the Drumcondra area of Dublin and the search of an industrial premises in Dublin’s Fairview area on Thursday | BBC, UK
Hong Kong: 11kg of suspected cocaine found in motorised wheelchair
The haul, worth an estimated $1.5m (£1.26m), was found when a 51-year-old man was going through customs clearance on Saturday | BBC, UK
Killing Death Row: 1. The Hunt for Lethal Drugs - audio
Could the US death penalty ever die out? A surreal story about a man in Acton, London who supplied the USA with lethal drugs tips Livvy Haydock into the macabre world of Death Row | BBC, UK
First medical cannabis factory on island of Ireland to open next year
A former fireworks factory in the North is being converted into the island’s first medical cannabis production facility | Journal, Ireland
Drug overdose risk with benzodiazepine treatment in young adults: Comparative analysis in privately and publicly insured individuals
[Open access] Benzodiazepines (BZDs) carry a risk for drug overdose and are prescribed alone or simultaneously with selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for the treatment of anxiety and depression in young adults. We aimed to measure risks of drug overdose following BZD treatment initiation, and simultaneous BZD and SSRI initiation, compared with SSRI treatment alone in young adults with depression or anxiety | Addiction, USA
Opioid limits didn't change surgery patients' experience, study shows
Worries that surgery patients would have a tougher recovery if their doctors had to abide by a five-day limit on opioid pain medication prescriptions didn't play out as expected, a new study finds | Medical Xpress, USA
Retail outlets for legal marijuana may be associated with alcohol co-use among high school students: Study
Given the increasing trend toward legalizing marijuana in many states, there is growing concern that underage youth may find the drug easier to access. In fact, a recent study reported in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs suggests that in areas with local retail availability of legalized marijuana, high school students are more likely to use marijuana and alcohol together, as well as alcohol alone | Medical Xpress, USA
FDA bans sales of popular Vuse menthol, fruit flavored e-cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday banned the sale of Vuse Alto menthol and fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes as part of its larger crackdown on vaping products marketed at young people | The Hill, USA
Media Never Changed Its 1970s PCP Propaganda, Just Repurposed It
In 1927, a family in Mexico City ate cannabis leaves by accident. The father had just been killed, and with no money to buy food, the mother and four children turned to some plants they’d found growing. When neighbors saw them a few hours later, they were laughing | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
How to start reducing your risk of breast cancer
Whelan Barzey, Communications Officer at Breast Cancer UK, writes about the link between breast cancer and alcohol | Drinkaware blog, UK
How to convince referees and respond to reviews
The publisher Wiley has lots of useful resources for researchers, educators, and professionals, including a blog by Richard Threlfall on how to convince referees of the merits of your work and improve your chances of getting your paper accepted. Read the blog below, reprinted with permission from Wiley | SSA blog, UK
Counterpoint: The evidence shows that safer supply drug programs work
Our research found that people receiving safer supply experienced fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits. This can't be ignored | National Post, USA