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Daily news - 9th April 2024

UK news

Drug treatment boss throws down gauntlet to authorities in bid to open life-saving overdose prevention service

Exclusive: Exasperated charity ‘standing up for local residents’ with self-funded plan to reduce drug harms and stop discarded needles littering streets | Independent, UK

Official Statistics: Liver disease profile, April 2024 update

New mortality data for the calendar year 2022 and hospital admission data for the financial year ending 2023 has been added to the liver disease profile, trend data has also been made available. The England rate of premature deaths from alcoholic liver disease in 2022 was 11.6 per 100,000 population aged under 75 (5,776 deaths) | OHID, UK

[Open access] This paper aimed to (i) update a previous typology of British alcohol drinking occasions using a more recent and expanded dataset and revised modelling procedure, and (ii) estimate the average consumption level, prevalence of heavy drinking, and distribution of all alcohol consumption and heavy drinking within and across occasion types | IJDP, UK

A quarter of inmates on drugs at prison - report

A third of a prison's inmates said it was "easy to access illicit substances" and a quarter of them are active drug users, a report has found | BBC, UK

Wellingborough prison's first inspection finds widespread drug use

The first government inspection of a new prison has found illegal drugs are widely available and inmates are not suitably supported by staff | BBC, UK

Bid for first drug checking service in Dundee

Scottish charity Hillcrest Futures has submitted a bid to establish a drug checking service in Dundee, aimed at addressing potential contamination of illegal drugs and reducing associated harms | Hillcrest, UK

Recovery Street Film Festival 2024 theme

Have your say on our theme for 2024. Read the individual theme descriptions and vote for your favourite! | RSFF, UK

Turning Point teams-up with Double Impact and Framework to launch Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership

Lincolnshire County Council has appointed a partnership of Turning Point, Double Impact and Framework to deliver its Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Service | DDN, UK

Medicinal Uses of Psychedelics

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:00 - 12:00 BST. The Drugs Research Network for Scotland (DRNS) is holding an in-person event to discuss medicinal uses of psychedelic substances | DRNS, UK

The Alcohol 'Problem' Podcast

In this episode we discuss alcohol treatment with two highly experienced practitioners, Dr Luke Mitcheson and Dr Mike Kelleher. We cover key components of effective treatment, mental health and other important issues such as the importance of the individual in leading their recovery | Alcohol Problem Podcast, UK

County lines: Selby author's children's books warn of drug gang dangers

A North Yorkshire author has been using storytelling in schools to warn children about the dangers of being groomed by county lines drug gangs | BBC, UK

Tree Planting in Memory of Maggie Telfer OBE

Last week, we planted a tree in Brunswick Square just outside our offices in memory of Maggie Telfer OBE. Maggie was one of the founding members of our organisation and was the CEO for 36 years until her untimely passing at the start of 2023 | BDP, UK

‘Our margins are threadbare’: UK’s craft beer scene says it’s on the brink

Small brewers are being squeezed, with a flurry of insolvencies hitting the sector despite strong sales | Guardian, UK

Slot machine operator being investigated over cancer patient’s activity

Staff at Merkur’s Stockport branch reportedly looked away as customer lost £2,000 over two days of play | Guardian, UK

Belfast Port: Man charged after £1.25m cannabis seizure

A man has been charged in connection with the seizure of a "major haul" of herbal cannabis at Belfast Port | BBC, UK

Police discover cannabis factory in abandoned Nottingham cinema

More than 280 plants were found following a warrant at the former Majestic Cinema in Woodborough Road, Mapperley, on Wednesday 1 April | BBC, UK

Norfolk Trading Standards makes tackling illegal vapes a priority

Norfolk County Council revealed its Trading Standards team had seen an increase in age-restricted products being sold to children | BBC, UK

International news

The devil walking on Earth – part 1 - audio

Annie Kelly reports on the story of Sosa Henkoma, who was exploited by drug gangs as a child and now mentors young people at risk of gang violence | Guardian, UK

EMCDDA webinar: The role of Artificial Intelligence in evidence-based research - video

In view of the fast-moving developments in the field of AI, we discuss opportunities and challenges of using AI for evidence-based research | EMCDDA, Portugal

Opioids kill, especially if you're alone: Study

The opioids methadone and morphine are the most common cause of fatal drug poisoning in Denmark. A study from the Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University has investigated the circumstances behind morphine-, heroin-, and methadone-related deaths in the period 2013 to 2020 in the four police districts covered by the department—North Jutland, East Jutland, Central and West Jutland and Southeast Jutland. One of the conclusions is that it is more dangerous to use opioids when you are alone | Medical Xpress, USA

Prenatal cannabis use disorder linked to increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring

A new study presented at the European Psychiatric Association Congress 2024 reveals a significant association between prenatal cannabis use disorder (CUD) and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring | News Medical, USA

Blogs, comment and opinion

Supporting Young People to Make Safer Choices About Drugs - Blog

The DSM Foundation came into being in 2014 following a tragedy: the death of Daniel Spargo-Mabbs after he took an accidental overdose of MDMA (ecstasy). He was just 16 years old. His parents, showing enormous resilience and courage, decided to try and stop the same fate befalling other young people (and their families) and so set up the drugs education charity that bears their son’s name | DSM blog, UK

Germany decriminalised cannabis: why the UK should consider doing the same

The German government has approved new legislation which decriminalises cannabis. This policy allows over-18s to possess a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis for personal use and grow up to three plants at home. From July 2024, German residents will also be able to join not-for-profit cannabis social clubs or growers associations where plants are cultivated en masse for the benefit of members | Conversation, UK

I couldn’t imagine doing festivals without drinking. Pulling it off filled me with relief

Festivals and alcohol had always seemed synonymous to me. But a downward spiral prompted me to attempt one sober. It was a revelation, albeit not an easy one | Guardian, UK

Your child has been prescribed opioids: 7 ways to use them more safely

Imagine your teen has just had surgery. After a few days in hospital, it is time to go home, but their pain is still quite significant. The medical team suggests using acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) first, but knowing that it might not be enough, they prescribe oxycodone as well | Conversation Canada

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