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Daily news - 17th April 2024 |
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UK news
MPs vote for smoking ban despite Tories’ division over policy
Rishi Sunak suffers blow to his authority as 57 of his own MPs vote against his plan and over 100 abstain | Guardian, UK
Oral statement to Parliament: Tobacco & Vapes Bill Second Reading Opening Speech
As delivered by Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care | Department of Health and Social Care and The Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, UK
What is the UK smoking ban, how will it work and when will it start?
The restrictions will apply to the sale of cigarettes in the UK rather than the act of smoking itself. Under the new law, each year the legal age for cigarette sales - currently 18 - will increase by one year | BBC, UK
Drug-related hospital statistics: Scotland 2022 to 2023
This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents information on hospital activity relating to illicit drug use in Scotland during the period 1996/97 to 2022/23. The topics covered include: the number of hospital stays, the number and characteristics of patients, substances used and geographical variations. These data are published in a full report and dashboard | PHS, UK
WithYou responds to Public Health Scotland’s Drug-Related Hospital Statistics Report
Louise Stewart, Director of Service Delivery at WithYou, says: “Scotland has had the highest number of drug-related deaths in Europe for many years, with the majority linked to opiates. Today’s report shows that these substances are also responsible for the majority of drug-related hospital stays... | With You, UK
Warning over heroin use after near-fatal cases
Drug users who have recently used heroin should seek urgent medical advice, the Isle of Man Constabulary has said. It follows two incidents of “near-fatal overdoses” that were attended to by police and ambulance crews on Monday evening | BBC, UK
Neil Currey: Parents blame steroids for bodybuilder son's death
An inquest at Sheffield's Medico-Legal Centre on Tuesday, heard he died from a mix of methamphetamine and cocaine and that his body had struggled with his prolonged use of steroids | BBC, UK
Alcohol and Economic Crises
This briefing considers the impact on alcohol consumption and levels of harm during periods of economic difficulty (including during the COVID-19 pandemic) and includes recommendations for policy measures that might best protect public health in times of economic instability | IAS, UK
Nitazenes in non-opioid drugs: What does this mean for Bristol?
Join us on the 22nd of April as we discuss the prevalence of nitazenes within non-opioid drugs and what this means for Bristol. This webinar is aimed at people working within Bristol-based organisations who work with people who use drugs but is open to all | BDP, UK
Adfam National Forum - Kinship Care and Substance Use
Tuesday 23rd April 2024, 2-3pm. Adfam organises regular forum events for practitioners and any professional with an interest in supporting families affected by substance use or gambling. At our latest event we will be focusing on the needs of kinship care families affected by substance misuse. We are delighted to be joined by guest speaker Craig Knowles, Kinship Family Recovery Coordinator at Hetty's, a family support charity in Nottinghamshire. Craig will be speaking about the experiences of kinship families where substance use is an issue, and the work Hetty's do to support them | Adfam, UK
How alcohol marketing regulations can protect people from harm
Thursday, May 9 · 11am - 12pm GMT+1. In our first AHA manifesto webinar, experts explore alcohol marketing and how regulations can help create a future free from alcohol harm | AHA, UK
Recovery Street Film Festival 2024 theme
Have your say on our theme for 2024. Read the individual theme descriptions online and vote for your favourite! | RSFF, UK
Huntingdon man used online tutorials to grow cannabis farm
A man who taught himself how to grow cannabis by watching online tutorials has been sentenced | BBC, UK
Vapes and alcohol seized in underage sales crackdown
More than 590 illegal vapes have been seized after shops were caught selling to underage children | BBC, UK
International news
Decriminalising drug use and sex work to end the criminalisation of poverty and homelessness - Submission to the UNSRs on the right to adequate housing and on extreme poverty and human rights
The signing organisations (the International Drug Policy Consortium, Amnesty International, the Global Alliance against Traffic in Women, the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, and the Women and Harm Reduction International Network) welcome the initiative to prepare a report on the decriminalisation of poverty and homelessness, to be presented at the 56th session of the Human Rights Council in June-July 2024. We also welcome the background paper shared by consultation | IDPC, UK
Board of trustees announces that naomi burke-shyne is resigning as the executive director
The Board of Trustees of Harm Reduction International (HRI) today announces that Naomi Burke-Shyne is resigning as the Executive Director of HRI after a hugely successful five and a half years at the helm | HRI, UK
Alcohol: availability, affordability, related harm, and policy in Ireland. HRB overview series 13
The latest alcohol overview from the Health Research Board (HRB) reveals that despite a decline in pubs, Ireland still ranks 3rd highest in the world for the number of pubs per head, and three-in-four people live within walking distance of a premises licenced to sell alcohol. It also highlights that the decline in the number of pubs is matched by an increase in off licenses | HRB, Ireland
Drug abuse on public transport witnessed by 75% of drivers and staff, committee to hear
Siptu officials and union members at Dublin Bus, Irish Rail and Luas to appear before Oireachtas committee as part of campaign for establishment of dedicated transport policing unit | Irish Times, Ireland
Bavaria bans smoking cannabis at public festivals, Oktoberfest and beer gardens
The move comes after Germany legalised possession of small amounts of cannabis for recreational use all over the country at the beginning of April | Irish News, Ireland
Re-Criminalisation of Drug Use in Oregon
Drug use is now re-criminalised in Oregon – what are the lessons learnt for drug reformers? We interviewed Theshia Naido, Legal Director at the Drug Policy Alliance | Drug Reporter, Hungary
From opioid overdose to treatment initiation: Outcomes associated with peer support in emergency departments
People with a nonfatal opioid overdose who have access to a peer support program while in the emergency department are more likely to initiate treatment and less likely to have repeated overdoses, according to a Rutgers Health study | Medical Xpress, USA
UofL scientists gain $11.6 million to study effects of chemical exposures on heart
In recent months, the National Institutes of Health have awarded four grants totaling $11.6 million to researchers affiliated with UofL’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute to study factors affecting heart health. Through these projects, they hope to better understand how environmental exposures and tobacco products can affect the cardiovascular system, as well as how remodeling takes place in the heart after a heart attack | EurekAlert, USA
Health care providers should talk with adult smokers about relative risks of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes
Health care providers who are working with adult patients struggling to stop smoking should consider discussing e-cigarettes as a potential tool if they've already tried FDA-approved medications, say tobacco researchers with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center | Medical Xpress, USA
Vapes Seem to Have Become More Effective as Smoking Cessation Tools
People in the United States have become increasingly likely to find that nicotine vapes help them quit cigarettes, according to new research | Filter Magazine, USA
San Francisco Overdose Deaths Falling in Early 2024: Will It Last?
San Francisco recorded slowly decreasing overdose deaths over the first three months of 2024, according to new data. But how much optimism can we take from this? | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: what you need to know
The Prime Minister has set out plans to build a better and brighter future for our children. This includes the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which was announced in the King’s speech on 7 November 2023 and introduced to Parliament on 20 March 2024. The Bill is now due to have its second reading on 16 April 2024. Here’s what you need to know | DHSC blog, UK
This new bill could wipe out smoking – the only losers would be those who profit from it
By voting for the tobacco and vapes bill, MPs have a historic opportunity to prevent disease and reduce inequality | Guardian opinion, UK
Unravelling the Threads of Addiction: The Role of Epigenetics
Understanding why some people develop addiction while others don't is a complex question. Part of the answer involves our genes, but there's more to it than just genetics. Our environment plays a critical role too, interacting with our genes in ways that can affect our health. A field of science called Epigenetics helps us understand this interaction and its impact on addiction | Tony D'Agostino, UK