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Daily news - 31st October 2023 |
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UK news
Lifesaving overdose-reversal scheme
Access to potentially life-saving naloxone kits, which reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, is being expanded to community pharmacies across Scotland. All community pharmacies will now hold at least two naloxone kits - either a nasal spray or injectable | Scottish Government, UK
Policy briefing: alcohol
The briefing sets out the range of evidence-based actions that could be taken to prevent and reduce harm from alcohol, building on the progress that has been made through minimum unit pricing. We expect these actions, taken together, could reverse current trends in terms of harm from alcohol, and would reduce the burden that alcohol-related conditions place on our health and social care services | Public Health Scotland, UK
Almost Half of Brits Impacted by Addiction, Yet Stigma Continues to Silence The Nation
New research by The Forward Trust reveals that 45% of UK adults aged 18-75 have either experienced addiction or dependency to alcohol, drugs, medication, gambling or sex, themselves, or know someone close to them that has. Despite this being equivalent to 22 million UK adults aged 18-75, the stigma that surrounds the condition is stopping or making it difficult for half of those experiencing their own or other people’s addictions from speaking out, with negative judgement (46%) and shame (39%) ruled as top concerns | Forward Trust, UK
Cannabis used by brain tumour patients, says Cardiff doctor
Patients with the most aggressive brain tumours have routinely asked whether cannabis can help, a cancer specialist has said | BBC, UK
Mike Roberts – Medical Cannabis Patient Story
The UK Patient Conference is being held in central London and online, Friday 3 November 2023. It brings together patients, industry, healthcare professionals, charities and members of the public to discuss current issues in the medical cannabis space. Everyone is welcome. In the lead up to the event, we are shining a spotlight on some of the stories of patients who have had their lives transformed by having access to cannabis-based medicines | Drug Science, UK
Middlesbrough: Warning after drug-laced vapes found in schools
Parents are being sent warning letters after vapes confiscated at some schools later tested positive for drugs | BBC, UK
The Price of Alcohol: Explained - video
Reducing the affordability of alcohol is one of the most powerful tools at the UK government’s disposal to tackle alcohol harm. At the same time, capping the price of a pint is a frequent political tool deployed to appeal to the public. So what is the real relationship between cost and consumption, and how does this impact the nation’s health and the economy? | IAS, UK
International news
Dialogue with European Parliament on preparations for new agency mandate
Representatives of the European Parliament are visiting the EMCDDA this week to discuss how the agency will adapt to its new mandate in 2024. New legislation published on 30 June grants the EMCDDA stronger powers to tackle current and future drug problems. The EMCDDA will become the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) on 2 July 2024, the day on which the new regulation enters into application | EMCDDA, Portugal
Texas lab unlocks keys to alcohol withdrawal headache
About 283 million people worldwide suffer from alcohol use disorder, a debilitating health challenge for which limited therapeutic options are available. The cost to society is estimated at greater than $2 trillion annually | Medical Xpress, USA
Heightened fear of rejection linked to severe alcohol use disorder, study reveals
A recent study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research has shed light on a critical psychological aspect of individuals dealing with severe alcohol use disorder (SAUD) that has been previously overlooked – their heightened fear of rejection. The study delved into rejection sensitivity, a phenomenon characterized by an anxious expectation of rejection, biased perception of rejection signals, and exaggerated reactions to the | PsyPost, USA
Ketamine Therapy Providers Say They’re Running Out of the Drug
Ketamine therapy is booming but clinics who treat people with depression and suicidal ideation say they’re being cut off from their supply | VICE, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
A Bright Success in Overturning Death Penalty in Malaysia
One of the longer, if not the longest, case of a death row sentence landed on Dobby’s lap. Chong Yun Fak, a Malaysian local was arrested on 23 July 1987 for trafficking 47g of heroin into Singapore. He received a death sentence in March 1992, and had been placed in solitary confinement in death row since then | Talking Drugs, UK
DULF Co-Founders Arrested in Another Attack on Safe Supply
The Vancouver Police arrested Eris Nyx and Jeremy Kalicum, the co-founders of the Canadian Drug User Liberation Front (DULF), on Wednesday 25 October, for allegedly trafficking cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. DULF’s offices were raided, along with two homes of people associated with the organisation. While Nyx and Kalicum were released in the same evening of their arrest, they await further investigation in January | Talking Drugs, UK
Matthew Perry was much more than an addict. Don’t let his death overshadow that
My late husband Rob was a heroin addict, but that does not define who he was. And nor should it for the Friends actor | Guardian opinion, UK