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Daily news - 2nd August 2024 |
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UK news
Bristol opens first regular drug checking service – but we can’t stop there
The UK’s first drug checking service will prove invaluable in protecting people from drug-related harms...“The illicit drug market is cowboy country,” says Harry Shapiro, director of information service DrugWise. “All sorts of things are mixed in.” | The Lead, UK
Potent synthetic opioids: preparing for a future threat
Updated - Added a new section ‘Drug testing to reduce harm’ and updated the section ‘Drug testing and screening for surveillance’. | OHID, UK
New data reveals continued concerns regarding youth vaping: ASH calls for urgent government action
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has released new findings from a comprehensive survey examining the vaping behaviour of 11-17 year olds in Britain. The data reveals that while the rate of youth vaping has stabilised, it remains a serious cause for concern, with close to a million children having tried vaping. The survey highlights key trends which emphasise the need for immediate government intervention | ASH, UK
Glasgow joins street drug-checking scheme
Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership has applied to pilot a hub for drug-checking services as part of its wider efforts to reduce drug-related harms | Health and Care Scotland, UK
Schoolchildren to be taught dangers of vaping
Twelve and 13 year olds in Plymouth are to be taught about the dangers of vaping as part of a campaign to stop children using them | BBC, UK
109. Prisons and Drugs with Prof Karen Duke and Prof Susanne MacGregor - audio
In this episode, we meet with Prof Susanne MacGregor and Prof Karen Duke to explore the issues surrounding drug use in prisons. They discuss the ways vulnerable inmates can be targeted by gangs, as well as how various aspects of the prison environment can increase the potential harms of psychoactive substances. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that could lead to a safer and more rehabilitative prison system | Drug Science, UK
Non-abstinent recovery: examining drinking reductions for public health with Prof Katie Witkiewitz - podcast
In this episode we talk to Prof Katie Witkiewitz about non-abstinent recovery and the role of drinking reductions in reducing alcohol-related harm. We discuss this from both a public health perspective, and the role of abstinence or drinking reduction goals in the context of treatment and recovery | Alcohol Problem Podcast, UK
Social Value Report 2024 (PDF)
As a social enterprise, Turning Point invests any surplus we make back into the business, and into initiatives which support people to improve their health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. Social value is the added value organisations bring to the economy, community life, the health of the local population, and the environment | Turning Point, UK
Sober Club Night: Nicky Blackmarket | Dazee
Saturday 31st August. A clubnight held at Basement 45. The event starts at 17:00 and finishes at 21:00 with last entry at 20:30. The event has been tagged in the uk garage, drum and bass, jungle and dub categories | Bristol Sober Spaces, UK
UK Recovery Walk
Saturday 14th September. London. Join thousands of people in recovery, their families and friends for the biggest gathering of recovering people in Europe as we walk through the iconic Crystal Palace Park celebrating and advocating for recovery | FAVOR, UK
International news
Cannabis vapes in Australia containing opioids spark calls for better access to anti-overdose drugs
Vaping synthetic opioids can cause overdose or unconsciousness within minutes and from just six puffs, Victorian medical expert says | Guardian, UK
‘A massive amount of drugs’: police in Sydney seize meth worth $828m allegedly hidden inside machinery
Federal police charge 31-year-old man after drugs allegedly found in shipping container from US at Port Botany | Guardian, UK
Tax on vapes and e-cigarettes to be introduced in October's budget
Work is under way to introduce a tax on vapes and e-cigarettes from next year, the Finance Minister has confirmed | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Solving the Dutch heroin crisis
It would take the Dutch more than three decades of pragmatic integrative public health policies led by local activists and municipalities to curb the deadly heroin epidemic and revitalize neighborhoods sometimes overrun by street users and dealers. Their methods put aside questions about the morality of drug use and focused instead on approaches that prioritized the social integration of people who use heroin into society rather than strict clinical recovery from addiction | ICWA, USA
E-Cigarette Characteristics and Cigarette Cessation Among Adults Who Use E-Cigarettes
In this cohort study of 1985 adults who smoked cigarettes and used e-cigarettes, use of e-cigarettes in 2019 to 2021 vs 2014-2015 to 2015-2016 and daily use of e-cigarettes vs nondaily use were associated with greater overall cigarette discontinuation rates | JAMA Network Open, USA
EVape helps improve consumer safety in the e-cigarette segment
Electronic cigarettes, or vapes, are commonly viewed as less harmful to people's health than tobacco cigarettes. And yet, they are not without health drawbacks. For many ingredients, it is unknown how they will behave when heated. Since the temperatures inside e-cigarettes vary widely, different products can be released during thermal decomposition. This makes it more difficult to gauge the potential risks of these tobacco alternatives | Medical Xpress, USA
Notes from the Field: Detection of Medetomidine Among Patients Evaluated in Emergency Departments for Suspected Opioid Overdoses — Missouri, Colorado, and Pennsylvania, September 2020–December 2023
Medetomidine, a veterinary anesthetic drug, is an emerging adulterant detected in illicit drugs, drug paraphernalia, and overdoses. During August 2022–July 2023, medetomidine was detected among five patients along with xylazine, fentanyl, and illicit opioids. No permanent sequelae were reported. All patients received naloxone; however, only two received naloxone kits at discharge, and only one was referred for addiction treatment | CDC, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Alcohol and its Impact on the Adolescent Brain
As many know, drinking alcohol in a licensed premise under the age of 18 is against the law in the UK, however those aged 16 or 17 and accompanied by an adult can drink but not buy beer, wine, or cider with a meal. However, with relatively high alcohol use among children and young people in the UK, is the flexibility of this law one of many factors contributing to heavy episodic drinking among this population? | IAS blog, UK