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Daily news - 15th September 2023 |
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UK news
National Drugs Mission Funds Report 2021-2023
We are pleased to share the National Drugs Mission Funds Report and Executive Summary highlighting progress made by the groups funded under the Scottish Government’s National Drugs Mission funds. These funds support organisations which work with people affected by drug use across Scotland. In 2021, the Scottish Government contracted Corra Foundation to administer five funds aimed at stopping drug-related deaths in Scotland. Since then, over 200 projects have been granted funding and have commenced their work. These reports share the progress and impact made by funded organisations | Corra Foundation, UK
Alcohol-specific Deaths
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the number of alcohol-specific deaths in 2022 | They work for you, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that the labelling of alcohol products includes calorie information | They work for you, UK
When are vapes getting banned? Why disposable e-cigarettes face a UK ban and how long it could take
Disposable vapes are sold in bright colours, and come in sweet and fruity flavours like pink lemonade, gummy bear and watermelon, making them attractive to children | i news, UK
Warning issued over 'particularly dangerous' batch of heroin in Darlington
Durham Police issued the warning on Thursday 14 September following several deaths, which are believed to be linked to the drugs, though it is yet to be confirmed as postmortem examinations are yet to take place | ITV, UK
Hackney: Councillors trained to use overdose-reversing medicine
Politicians in part of London are being trained to help drug users who may have overdosed on opioids. At least 16 Hackney councillors have been trained in using Naloxone kits, which provide urgent first aid to drug users in the form of an injection | BBC, UK
Trapping filmmakers and rapper Abra Cadabra to take 'grim reality' of county lines drugs to parliament
Tottenham-raised drill rapper Abra Cadabra takes on his first acting role in unsettling British drama Trapping, which aims to show the harsh reality of young people involved in county lines drug dealing. Sky News caught up with the stars and filmmakers at the London premiere | Sky News, UK
Cannabis plants worth £2m seized in West Yorkshire Police raid
Around 4,000 plants were found during a raid at a former commercial premises on Hare Park Lane in Liversedge, West Yorkshire, on Wednesday | BBC, UK
Lincolnshire lorry Driver jailed for smuggling counterfeit cigarettes
A lorry driver who tried to smuggle more than eight million counterfeit cigarettes into the UK has been jailed | BBC, UK
EncroChat: Lancashire drug dealer caught in Amsterdam jailed
A drugs baron who fled to Spain and Mexico before being arrested in Amsterdam has been jailed. Christopher Ashurst, 36, supplied "huge amounts" of cocaine, heroin, ketamine and cannabis, Lancashire Police said | BBC, UK
International news
The firms hoping to take psychedelic drugs mainstream
This July in Bend, Oregon, Josh Goldstein facilitated one of the first magic mushroom sessions under the state's new regulatory framework for people to access their active ingredient - psilocybin | BBC, UK
Victims of Philippines’ war on drugs take fight for justice to the Hague
[Possible paywall] Families who lost loved ones to Duterte’s brutal campaign look to the International Criminal Court for answers | Telegraph, UK
California man arrested for allegedly riding horse while under the influence
Highway patrol shares social media post after officer detains rider ‘impaired by alcohol’ | Guardian, UK
Victorian government hired KPMG to consult on tobacco changes despite firm’s links to industry
Exclusive: Transparency advocates condemn arrangement as ‘appalling’ while health department refuses to say how much consultancy was paid | Guardian, UK
Four out of 10 primary schools have alcohol outlets within 300 metres of their gates
Four out of ten national schools and half of secondary schools have at least one outlet selling alcohol within 300 metres of their school gates, according to a new study | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Government to consider new legislation to tackle increase in drug-driving
‘Anomaly’ in the legislation that needs to be comprehensively addressed, says Tánaiste | Irish Times, Ireland
MAPS PBC Publishes Results of Successful Confirmatory Phase 3 Trial of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD
Results of the second, confirmatory Phase 3 trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder, MAPP2, have been published in Nature Medicine | MAPS, USA
Thousands sign up to experience magic mushrooms as Oregon’s novel psilocybin experiment takes off
Epic Healing Eugene — Oregon’s first licensed psilocybin service center — opened in June, marking the state’s unprecedented step in offering the mind-bending drug to the public. The center now has a waitlist of more than 3,000 names, including people with depression, PTSD or end-of-life dread | Associated Press, USA
Pregnant smokers who use e-cigarettes more likely to quit smoking later in pregnancy
The risks of smoking during pregnancy for both maternal and fetal health are well documented, but only about half of pregnant people quit smoking on their own. To learn more about how e-cigarette or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) influences smoking cessation later in pregnancy, University at Buffalo researchers compared abstinence rates in the two groups. They found that those using e-cigarettes before pregnancy were more likely to abstain from smoking later in pregnancy | News Medical, USA
Addressing social determinants of health in post-overdose outreach associated with reduction in overdoses
Post-overdose outreach programs have proliferated as Massachusetts communities seek to respond to the opioid overdose crisis, driven by fentanyl in the illicit drug supply and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic | Medical Xpress, USA
Use of injectable extended-release buprenorphine limited by cost and treatment retention, finds study
Injectable, extended-release buprenorphine can be an effective option for people seeking treatment for opioid use disorder, but cost and treatment retention are still barriers for patients unless there are significant changes, new research from Boston Medical Center has found | News Medical, USA
Refunds for Vacated WA Drug Possession Convictions Hit $10 Million
Since an online portal launched in late July, Washington State officials have approved more than $276,000 in reimbursements to people whose past convictions for simple drug possession were vacated, following a state Supreme Court decision that struck down the state’s felony drug law in 2021. That’s in addition to more than $9 million already paid out through municipalities | Filter Magazine, USA
In Milwaukee, a Recovery Community Event Highlights Harm Reduction
On August 31, I spent time with people on the frontlines of the overdose crisis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Taking the PurpleLine bus through the city’s North Side to Locust Street, I arrived at Samad’s House, a sober living facility for women that doubles as a harm reduction outreach service | Filter Magazine, USA
Peer-led group helps family members when supporting a loved one experiencing addiction
A new paper has found that the BreakThrough peer-led group is an effective support for a family member who has a loved one experiencing addiction | Turning Point, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
What factors predict youth mental health service use?
Mental health disorders are common in both children (18% in 7-16 year olds) and young people (22% in 17-24 year olds) (NHS Digital, 2022), a priority which is reflected within NHS England’s long term plan (NHS, 2019). This has only gotten worse since the COVID-19 pandemic, with a recent systematic review finding that suicidal thoughts and emergency department visits in children and young people have increased | Mental Elf blog, UK
The Cranstoun Response to the Home Affairs Select Committee Report on Drugs
A fortnight ago the Home Affairs Select Committee (HSAC) launched their long awaited report into drugs, recommending several evidence-led proposals which would reduce the harm drugs are causing across the UK, including amendments to Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MoDA) and Misuse of Drugs Regulations | Cranstoun, UK
Enter TrkB: Understanding the Study that Shook Psychedelic Science
The psychedelic science scene ignited earlier this year with a study published in February from the David Olson lab that showed the anti-depressant and neuroplasticity effects of psychedelics occurred not because of serotonin receptors on neurons, but within the neurons themselves. It was groundbreaking research that sent a shockwave to scientists everywhere; and less than four months after this monumental discovery, another remarkable discovery appeared. One that comes to a completely different conclusion on how psychedelics’ anti-depressant effects occur. A theory so revolutionary that the entire idea of serotonin takes backseat to something known as TrkB | Talking Drugs, UK
The rise and impact of new media
The media landscape is rapidly changing. With the continued rise of social media as a medium and information accessibility steadily increasing, the mainstream media is becoming less relevant... This changing approach is particularly powerful for subject matters which the mainstream media do not understand or find are too complex for simple messaging – namely controversial, morally complex topics like drug policy and cannabis | Volteface, UK
Vivitrol, Used to Fight Opioid Misuse, Has a Major Overdose Problem
A recent examination of Vivitrol’s clinical trial data uncovered many hidden overdoses. Its preferential use in the criminal justice system must stop | Scientific American, USA
The complex chemistry behind America’s spirit – how bourbon gets its distinctive taste and color
Few beverages have as rich a heritage and as complicated a chemistry as bourbon whiskey, often called “America’s spirit.” Known for its deep amber hue and robust flavors, bourbon has captured the hearts of enthusiasts across the country | Conversation, USA