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Daily news - 25th April 2024 |
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UK news
Research finds concerning trends in adolescent substance use in the UK
Alcohol is the most commonly used substance, while vaping is now more common than cigarette smoking among young people, according to a new WHO/Europe report coordinated by researchers at the University of Glasgow | University of Glasgow, UK
England child alcohol use tops global chart, finds WHO report
A third of 11-year-olds and more than half of 13-year-olds in England have drunk alcohol - putting it top out of 44 countries examined in a report by global health experts | BBC, UK
Scotland worst in world for boys smoking cannabis - report
Fifteen-year-old boys in Scotland have the highest rate for smoking cannabis according to a new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The study found that nearly a quarter (23%) of boys aged 15 in Scotland surveyed said they had tried the Class B drug at some point | BBC, UK
Liverpool conference to debate record drug deaths
Professionals have an awful lot of work to do to stem the tide of drug related deaths, a conference in Liverpool will hear this week | LJMU, UK
Life-saving Naloxone nasal spray issued to frontline police officers
More than 250 frontline police officers have volunteered to carry a life-saving nasal spray which reverses the effects of opioid overdose | North Yorkshire Police, UK
Alcohol-related deaths - Early Day Motions - UK Parliament
Motion text: That this House is alarmed at the rocketing rise of alcohol harm; notes that the Office for National Statistics' figures released on 22 April revealed a new record of over 10,000 alcohol-specific deaths in the UK in 2022, representing an increase of a third since 2019; further notes the warning of Professor Sir Ian Gilmore that, with the NHS already under severe pressure, the UK cannot continue on the current trajectory; and calls on the Government to bring forward a comprehensive alcohol strategy, building upon the 2018 Alcohol Charter and the 2020 Commission on Alcohol Harm report | UK Parliament, UK
Drug and alcohol treatment services for women - Early Day Motions - UK Parliament
Motion text: That this House acknowledges that women’s substance use often results from trauma and abuse; notes that women’s access to trauma-informed, safe spaces has been limited, as cuts and contract competition have driven service provision to concentrate on its majority male user-base; welcomes the Centre for Justice Innovation’s guide to commissioning drug and alcohol treatment services for women, in helping to ensure services are responsive to women’s experiences; and urges the Government to support and promote the development of a range of bespoke, responsive and sustainable resources enabling more women to access drug and alcohol treatment support | UK Parliament, UK
Should we legalise all drugs and the psychedelic renaissance with Mattha Busby - video
Freelance journalist, author and podcast host, Mattha Busby, joins Drugs Unwrapped to discuss whether we should legalise all drugs and the constant developments within the psychedelic world | Barod, UK
ASH announces Hazel Cheeseman as new chief executive
From 1 October 2024, Hazel Cheeseman will take up the role of chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). Hazel was appointed by the Trustees following an open and competitive recruitment process, in advance of the planned retirement of Deborah Arnott, who has led the charity for 21 years | ASH, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Health
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2024 to Question 16199 on Alcoholic Drinks: Health, whether the post of (a) Head of Alcohol Policy and (b) Senior Policy Manager for Alcohol is (i) occupied and (ii) combined with other policy areas | They work for you, UK
Addiction and Drug-related Deaths
I beg to move: That this Assembly notes with concern NISRA's 2024 report on 'Drug-related and drug misuse deaths', which found a significant increase in the number of deaths attributed to drugs and alcohol; further notes the intrinsic connection between social deprivation, poverty, isolation, mental health and addiction issues;... | They work for you, UK
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care: Creating a smoke-free generation and tackling youth vaping - in the Senedd
Item 4 this afternoon is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care: creating a smoke-free generation and ta ckling youth vaping. I call on the Cabinet Secretary, Eluned Morgan | They work for you, UK
Electronic Cigarettes
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to develop vaping cessation programmes | They work for you, UK
Kent PCC candidates address county lines drug dealing
The three candidates standing to be Kent's next police and crime commissioner (PCC) have spoken about how they would tackle county lines in the area | BBC, UK
Dutch drug importer jailed for bringing cocaine into Harwich
A Dutch national caught with £3.2m worth of cocaine in his car boot has been jailed for ten-and-a-half years | BBC, UK
Twelve arrested after drugs raids across Hull
Humberside Police said officers raided 11 properties on Tuesday as part of a pre-planned operation to tackle organised crime | BBC, UK
Drug driver jailed over student's hit-and-run death
Oliver Pryde was on his way home from watching England play Italy in the final of Euro 2020 when he was run down by 33-year-old Adam Smith in Huddersfield | BBC, UK
International news
Travellers are drinking legal opioid “potions” in Thailand
Kratom was legalised in Thailand in 2021, and the TikToker Tom Birchy is selling "potions" containing the drug. But is it dangerous? | The Face, UK
Diddy’s alleged ‘drug mule’ pleads not guilty to cocaine possession in Miami arraignment
The former Syracuse University basketball star was arrested in March | Independent, UK
Synthetic opioids: warning issued in NSW after nitazenes cause cluster of overdoses
NSW Health investigating after powerful drugs detected in samples related to overdoses in Nepean Blue Mountains local health district | Guardian, UK
New EMCDDA resource on drug consumption rooms: a local response to local problems and needs
The EMCDDA has released today a new miniguide on drug consumption rooms (DCR) as part of its Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide. The resource is the first miniguide in a bundle of reports dedicated to drug-related interventions. It provides an overview of key issues related to these facilities, including service delivery, guidance and existing evidence and latest developments in Europe. It also considers implications for policy and practice | EMCDDA, Portugal
It's easier now to treat opioid addiction with medication—but use has changed little, study finds
For years, even as opioid overdose deaths dramatically increased, doctors and other prescribers in the United States needed special permission from the federal government if they wanted to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication that helps patients overcome opioid addiction and prevents fatal overdoses | Medical Xpress, USA
Heroin may contain nitazenes (potent synthetic opioids)
Sharp increase in opioid overdoses in the Penrith area in the last month. A nitazene was found in drug samples from the region | NSW Government, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Alcohol-specific deaths 2022: Supporting those who have lost their loved ones
This article has been written by bereavement counsellor and trainer Peter Cartwright, following publication of the ONS 2022 alcohol-specific deaths, showing another record high of 10,048 deaths due to alcohol in 2022 | Adfam blog, UK
Any plan to make smoking obsolete is the right step
The United Kingdom is correct to attempt to end the single largest preventable cause of illness and death, as was New Zealand before its government changed its mind | Nature editorial, UK
The Rise and Fall of UK Cannabis Social Clubs
Plumes of smoke waft through the air as teenagers and 50-somethings sit puffing on joints. Much of the cannabis being consumed here is from an array of high-strength strains – candy kush, strawberry banana and vanilla ammo – on sale at the UK cannabis social club in Teesside, England | Talking Drugs, UK