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Daily news - 15th April 2024 |
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UK news
New polling shows majority of small retailers support the government’s smokefree generation policy
In advance of the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on Tuesday, ASH has published polling data showing that the majority of small tobacco retailers in England and Wales support the government’s proposals to raise the age of sale for tobacco | ASH, UK
Tobacco firms lobbying MPs to derail smoking phase-out, charity warns
Exclusive: Tactics include proposals to raise smoking age to avoid outright ban, and exemptions for cigars, says Cancer Research UK chief | Guardian, UK
Vapes containing hallucinogenic toad venom and ‘spice’ sold on social media
Vapes containing dangerous illegal substances – including synthetic cannabinoids and potent psychedelics based on toad venom – are being used by drug gangs to attract new customers, including young people, i has been told | i news, UK
Spice drug use 'all too common' in NI - PHA
The use of 'Spice', which mimics the effect of cannabis, is all too common in Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency (PHA) has warned | BBC, UK
Mother of student who died after inhaling laughing gas calls for drug to be made Class A
An inquest found that ‘part’ of Ellen Mercer death was linked to the substance, which has been made illegal in the UK | Independent, UK
'I quit drinking after feeling I was going to die - I've never been happier'
An Edinburgh mum who says her drinking habits left her feeling like she was going to die said more help and alternative support bases are needed for people struggling with alcohol | STV News, UK
Unmet Treatment Need: Survey of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Professionals - LAST CHANCE to complete
In her independent review of drugs, Dame Carol Black drew attention to out-of-treatment, problem drug and alcohol users. Our research has been funded to explore the obstacles to treatment faced by such people. We have already identified and interviewed out-of-treatment users in two case-study locations, and we are now keen to get the views of treatment providers nationally. We would be very grateful if you could fill out this short survey, the results of which will be fed back to policymakers in the Department of Health and Social Care | University of York, UK
Annual National Pen Y Fan Recovery Walk 2024
We are delighted to announce that the annual national recovery walk is back for 2024. The event will be taking place on Thursday 11th July at Pen Y Fan, within the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. Please complete this short online registration form before FRIDAY 28th June | Barod, UK
Drug boss ordered to hand over £3.5m
A former global drug ring boss who lived a "lavish" lifestyle has been ordered to pay £3.5m or face a further decade in jail | BBC, UK
Come Dine With Me winners part of cannabis import plot gang
A gang, including two winners of Channel 4's cooking show Come Dine With Me, have been convicted for taking part in a plot to import cannabis | BBC, UK
Four arrests in Yeovil after pharmacy prescription drugs theft
Police have arrested four people after sedatives and painkillers were stolen from a pharmacy | BBC, UK
Nearly £33m of drugs seized in double raid
Royal Navy warship HMS Lancaster has seized nearly £33m of illegal drugs in two raids in the Indian Ocean within 24 hours | BBC, UK
International news
Turkey seizes 608kg of cocaine as ‘drug corridor’ fears grow
Groups monitoring organised crime warn that Turkey is becoming entry point for drugs reaching Europe | Guardian, UK
“Everybody is impacted. Everybody's hurting”: Grief, loss and the emotional impacts of overdose on harm reduction workers
[Open access] The emotional impacts of witnessing and responding to overdose and overdose-related deaths have been largely overlooked during the drug toxicity overdose crisis in North America. Scarce research has analyzed these impacts on the health and well-being of harm reduction workers, and the broader determinants of harm reduction work. Our study investigates the experiences and impacts of witnessing and responding to frequent and escalating rates of overdose on harm reduction workers in Toronto, Canada | IJDP, USA
Pandemic drinking hit middle-aged women hardest, study finds
Middle-aged women experienced increases in alcohol-related health complications during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research led by a University of Pittsburgh physician-scientist and published in JAMA Health Forum | Medical Xpress, USA
Researchers shed light on the molecular causes of different functions of opioid receptors
Thousands of people around the world die every day from overdoses involving opioids such as fentanyl. Drugs that target opioid receptors sometimes have severe side effects. An international team of researchers has taken a closer look at the molecular mechanisms of these active substances | Medical Xpress, USA
Mexico, a leading producer of illicit fentanyl, can't get enough for medical use, study finds
A report released by the Mexican government Friday says the country is facing a dire shortage of fentanyl for medical use, even as Mexican cartels pump out tons of the illicit narcotic | Medical Xpress, USA
Can Methadone Vans Deliver the Goods?
A long white van, stocked with clear plastic cups and a machine that dispenses liquid methadone, was launched in New York City in December. Its purpose is to make methadone more accessible for people with opioid use disorder. Bronx-based VIP Community Services, with funding from the state’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), began doling out doses from what’s called a Mobile Medication Unit (MMU) | Filter Magazine, USA
Opioid-related deaths between 2019 and 2021 across 9 Canadian provinces and territories
[Open access] The drug toxicity crisis continues to accelerate across Canada, with rapid increases in opioid-related harms following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to describe trends in the burden of opioid-related deaths across Canada throughout the pandemic, comparing these trends by province or territory, age, and sex | CMAJ, Canada
InSight Crime Leads Analysis of Global Cocaine Market
This week, InSight Crime’s Co-Founder, Jeremy McDermott spoke to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle to highlight Europe’s growing role in the cocaine trade. InSight Crime’s global network of analysts allows the organization to offer leading analysis of illicit markets and criminal groups | Insight Crime, Colombia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Sober as I currently am, let’s raise a glass to having a drink
Having a little drink, a toast, a moment of togetherness, has much to recommend it | Guardian opinion, UK
Do you care if your employees are high at work? I don’t
Some companies operate a draconian policy on drugs and other intoxicants. Fine. But for me it’s performance that counts | Guardian, UK
The Hypocrisy of Arrested Honduran President’s Drug Policy
On March 8, Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022, was found guilty in the Southern District Court of New York for drug trafficking-related crimes. The US Justice Department of Justice accused Hernández of trafficking over 400 tons of cocaine through the country during his presidency; throughout the whole case he maintained he was innocent, and that he had not accepted millions in bribes from the Sinaloa cartel or protected smugglers from investigation or arrest | Talking Drugs, UK
Nitazenes found in 5 overdose deaths in Philly – here’s what they are and why they’re so deadly
The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office found that nitazenes, a synthetic opioid up to 40 times more powerful than fentanyl, were connected to at least five overdose deaths in Philadelphia in the past two years. The nitazene deaths are just a small part of a much bigger problem. A record 1,413 people died from overdoses on illicit drugs in the city in 2022, the latest year for which complete data is available. The vast majority involved other forms of opioids, including heroin, fentanyl and xylazine, also known as “tranq.” | Conversation, USA
Addiction & Recovery Capitalist – Hustlers Hawking Drugs, Hucksters Selling Recovery
William White over the course of decades has documented some of our most noble efforts to expand recovery across America and our lowest lows in how people with substance use issues have been taken advantage of for material gain | Recovery Review blog, USA