Home | Archive | Weekly | Reports

Daily news - 2nd April 2024

UK news

Research and analysis: Uncontrolled novel benzodiazepines: 2024 update

This self-commissioned review follows an ACMD report published in 2020, which recommended 3 benzodiazepines for control under Class C of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Since then, the ACMD monitoring group has become aware of the detection and non-medical use of a further group of novel benzodiazepines in the UK and Europe. Evidence was therefore sought from stakeholders concerning 18 different compounds detected in international markets to establish their prevalence in the UK. Prompted by concerns of the abuse potential of these substances, the ACMD have conducted a review to assess the available evidence on prevalence and harms of these compounds, to identify those that warrant further legislative control | ACMD, UK

Official Statistics: Drug and alcohol treatment for victims and suspects of homicide

A Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) report looking at the use of substance misuse treatment services by victims and suspects of homicide in England. The findings will contribute to the evidence base for homicide prevention policy and will help us to better understand the relationship between homicide and substance misuse treatment | OHID and Home Office, UK

Nearly a quarter of teachers use alcohol to cope with stresses of the job, survey suggests

A teaching union calls for suicide prevention training for all school leaders as teachers reveal what they are doing to get through the day | Sky News, UK

Tobacco position statement

The UK, Scottish and Welsh governments and the Northern Ireland Executive have recently announced new measures to protect children and young people from the harm caused by smoking and vaping (Department of Health and Social Care, 2023). In addition, in 2023 the Scottish Government launched its ‘Tobacco and vaping framework: roadmap to 2034’ | Public Health Scotland, UK

£8M secured to improve population health at local level in the UK

A major research project led by the University of Bath has been funded to investigate the under-researched issue of how the commercial sector influences public health at the local level and what can be done to harness positive impacts and address the negative impacts. It brings together researchers, NGOs, public health professionals, local people and local government for the first time to do this | University of Bath, UK

CBD products don’t ease pain and are potentially harmful – new study finds

There is no evidence that CBD products reduce chronic pain, and taking them is a waste of money and potentially harmful to health, new research finds | University of Bath, UK

Seizures linked to 'dangerous batch' of ketamine in Liverpool

Three people have suffered seizures after taking a "dangerous batch" of ketamine being sold in a city's bars, police have said | BBC, UK

How mum got her life back from grip of addiction

Tracy Dixon did not have an easy start in life. Her parents were alcoholics and there was violence and trauma when she was growing up. Tracy started drinking when she was 12 years old and would drink to excess, even at that early age. By the time she was 17, she was a heroin addict | BBC, UK

Bid for first Scottish drug-checking project in Grampian

A bid is being made to establish Scotland's first checking service for possible contamination of illegal drugs in Aberdeen, aimed at saving lives | BBC, UK

London Joint Working Group launches peer-based Hackney Harm Reduction Hub

The London Joint Working Group on Substance Use and Hepatitis C (LJWG) is proud to have launched a new peer-based Hackney Harm Reduction Hub, working with our partners from Hackney Council and The Hepatitis C Trust and with people with living or lived experience of substance use | LJWG, UK

How to talk to your kids about vaping - audio

[From 08.59 minutes in] Strategic Lead for Tobacco Control from the Public Health Agency, Colette Rogers, tells Lynette about how parents can be empowered to discuss the dangers of vaping with their children | BBC, UK

Prisoners' Release: Drugs

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps HM Prison and Probation Service take to ensure prisoners released on end of custody supervised licence can continue to access drug addiction treatment programs when they are released from prison | They work for you, UK

Smoking

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) vapes, (b) vapes with flavoured e-liquids and (c) vapes with fruit, dessert and sweet flavoured e-liquids at successful tobacco smoking cessation | They work for you, UK

ScotRail (Alcohol Ban)

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on when it will make a decision on the continued ban on the consumption of alcohol at all times on trains, in light of ScotRail’s confirmation in evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee that the consultation findings have been passed to Transport Scotland | They work for you, UK

Prisons: Drugs and Mobile Phones

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the smuggling of (a) drugs and (b) communication devices into prisons | They work for you, UK

Ex-MoneySuperMarket director Sean Thweny's drug misuse death

A former director of the price comparison website MoneySuperMarket died at his home in Spain after taking cocaine and ketamine, an inquest has heard | BBC, UK

100 Years of the Maudsley Hospital with Dr James Rucker - podcast

On the 100th Episode of the Drug Science podcast, Prof David Nutt meets with Dr James Rucker to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Maudsley Hospital. James shares his experiences as one of the first patients in a psychedelic study hosted by David Nutt before explaining his own personal journey into psychedelic research | Drug Science, UK

Richard Billingham’s photographs of his family caused controversy when they were first published three decades ago. What do they say now?

Newly reissued, Richard Billingham’s pictures of his alcoholic father Ray have lost none of their power to provoke strong emotions | FT, UK

Volunteer [Forward Trust]

Volunteers make a big impact at Forward. By volunteering with us, you’ll gain real work experience while helping people to move beyond addiction, offending and related issues. We’ll help you to develop key skills, meet new people and learn about addiction, criminal justice and homelessness | Forward Trust, UK

Vacancies & Volunteering [Release]

Release has a proud history of offering volunteer and internship opportunities where we work with you in developing your ideas and skills. So, if you think you would like to explore the availability of volunteering or interning with us then contact the relevant person below. Remember we do not 'shoe horn' you into a role; we work with you to develop yourself | Release, UK

Saved from a life as a county lines drug dealer

County lines are large drug networks that cross borders across England. A project led by a former addict and drug dealer hopes to turn people away from the illegal trade and stop the wreckage being caused to communities | BBC, UK

Drug ‘kingpin’ flaunts lavish car and watch while on run from police

Three men who flooded UK streets with millions of pounds worth of cocaine have been jailed. Jonathan Cassidy, Nasar Ahmed and Jamie Cassidy had been held in custody since 2020 when they were arrested after law enforcement agencies compromised the encrypted phone system they used to send messages called EncroChat | Independent, UK

Dentist chair selfie sends Cheshire drug trafficker to jail

The head of a drug trafficking ring was identified after sending a selfie at the dentist to his partner in crime | BBC, UK

Scarface cinema room helped identify Liverpool drug dealer

A drug-dealer who tried to buy sub-machine guns was identified partly due to his Scarface-themed home cinema | BBC, UK

 

 

International news

Cannabis partially decriminalised in Germany

Germany has, as of 1 April, partly decriminalised marijuana use. But police unions are warning of real-world harm. The law-change may have come on April Fool's Day but for them it is no joke | BBC, UK

Success or failure? Canada's drug decriminalisation test faces scrutiny

Last year, British Columbia (BC) became the first province in Canada to decriminalise the use of hard drugs as part of its efforts to tackle a deadly opioids crisis. But the policy is facing pushback, leaving its future uncertain | BBC, UK

Rockford, Illinois stabbing suspect blamed 'laced' marijuana, authorities say

The suspect in a violent killing spree in Rockford, Illinois, partly blames the incident on marijuana he says was "laced" with an unknown drug, authorities say | BBC, UK

New Australian laws banning vaping ads ‘toothless’ without social media enforcement, experts say

Researchers find self-regulation by companies like Meta or TikTok ‘doesn’t work’ | Guardian, UK

Woman dead and two others in hospital after suspected drug overdoses on the Gold Coast

Woman, 43, died after paramedics were called to a Surfers Paradise hotel on Friday night | Guardian, UK

Queensland opposition leader casts doubt over future of state’s new pill testing regime

David Crisafulli criticises pill testing trial in sign opposition may roll back harm minimisation polices if elected in October | Guardian, UK

Cocaine bricks: Illicit drug packages wash up on Sydney beaches

Five plastic-wrapped packages believed to contain cocaine have washed up on beaches in Sydney, deepening a long-running drug mystery | BBC, UK

Charity develops recovery programme in Cork to combat surge in cocaine addiction

Coolmine has also established several new clinics in some of Cork’s largest county towns, and a new family service for parents struggling with addiction issues | Irish Examiner, Ireland

Inside the fentanyl trade powering the world’s deadliest drug crisis

What started as prescription painkiller is now the cause of a public health emergency in the US and it could soon creep into Ireland. But where does it come from? Stephen Gibbs and Keiran Southern investigate | Irish Examiner, Ireland

One in four workers smoke in Belgium

The study, conducted among 256,750 workers, found the highest prevalence among workers aged 35 to 44, with 28.3% smoking. However, it highlighted a downward trend in smoking with age: 23.2% among 45-55 and 20.5% in over 55s | Brussels Times, Belgium

Alcohol Raises Heart Disease Risk, Particularly Among Women

Young to middle-aged women who reported drinking eight or more alcoholic beverages per week—more than one per day, on average—were significantly more likely to develop coronary heart disease compared with those who drank less, finds a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session. The risk was highest among both men and women who reported heavy episodic drinking, or “binge” drinking, and the link between alcohol and heart disease appears to be especially strong among women, according to the findings | American College Cardiology, USA

Reducing late-night alcohol sales curbed all violent crimes by 23% annually in a Baltimore neighborhood: Study

Simply reducing the hours during which alcohol may be purchased can significantly reduce violent crime, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and the Alcohol Research Group of Emeryville, Calif. The findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday, April 1 | Medical Xpress, USA

Outcomes After Initiation of Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder at Hospital Discharge

In this cohort study of 9834 alcohol-related hospitalizations, discharge initiation of medications for alcohol use disorder was associated with an absolute risk reduction of 18% in the composite outcome of return to hospital or death within 30 days compared with no initiation | JAMA Network Open, USA

Why Portland failed where Portugal succeeded in decriminalizing drugs

America’s first experiment in treating hard drugs as a public health problem, rather than one for the police, looks like it’s about to end | Politico, USA

Only One in 10 People in the US Still Supports Marijuana Prohibition

Nine in 10 people surveyed in the United States say marijuana should be legal for adult use or medical purposes, a new Pew Research Center poll finds. And most agree that legalization bolsters local economies and makes the criminal-legal system fairer | Filter Magazine, USA

 

Blogs, comment and opinion

I stopped drinking three months ago – it’s not as simple as the internet makes it look

nfluencer sobriety is a world where alcohol addiction is history, but it’s all too neat | Guardian opinion, UK

Readers reply: why are Britain’s rules around advertising alcohol and tobacco so different?

Why is alcohol advertised openly in the UK, without pictures on the packaging highlighting the medical effects, for example, when tobacco is treated so differently? | Guardian, UK

With Germany legalising cannabis, Europe is reaching a tipping point. Britain, take note

Regulating cannabis use is no longer radical but an increasingly normalised strategy. The ‘tough on drugs’ approach is archaic | Guardian opinion, UK

Patients keep asking if they should take cannabis for their cancer. The answer is still no

Cannabis is not a treatment, let alone a cure for cancer. It is not a substitute for chemotherapy and can cause significant side effects | Guardian opinion, UK

Can Blockchain Help Drive Drug Policy Reform?

In the evolving landscape of disruptive technology, one innovation has emerged as an unexpected but promising tool for social justice: blockchain. Beyond its association with cryptocurrencies, blockchain has been behind numerous use cases in health, education, and democratic governance. From enhancing voting processes to establishing digital identities for undocumented populations, governments, civil society, and the private sector have been exploring its potential for public good | Talking Drugs, UK

The amazing story of the man who created the latest narco-state in the Americas, and how the United States helped him every step of the way − until now

When Juan Orlando Hernández was convicted by a federal jury in Manhattan in early March 2024, it marked a spectacular fall from grace: from being courted in the U.S. as a friendly head of state to facing the rest of his life behind bars, convicted of cocaine importation and weapons offenses | Conversation, USA

Recovery Representation – The First Lady of Recovery Advocacy Stamp Reveal, April 5th, 2024

More than 1,800 commemorative stamps have been issued since the first in 1893. Out of the roughly 50,000 submissions for inclusion in the program, the US Postal Service Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee last year selected 80 subjects to highlight in the stamp program using a stringent selection criterion | Recovery Review blog, USA