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Daily news - 22nd August 2024 |
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UK news
UK's first drugs consumption room to open in October
The UK's first official consumption room for illegal drugs including heroin and cocaine will open in Glasgow on 21 October. The Safer Drugs Consumption Facility on Hunter Street in the city's east end will accommodate up to 30 service users at a time | BBC, UK
Drug Testing on Arrest (DToA): programme data
A summary of the activity of the Drug Testing on Arrest (DToA) programme since its launch in March 2022. Updated summary and data tables up to March 2024 | Home Office, UK
Largest ever trial of ketamine to treat alcohol abuse to launch across eight NHS sites
The phase III clinical trial will explore the use of low-dose ketamine combined with psychological support as a therapy for people with alcohol use disorder | Pharmaceutical Journal, UK
New season at the Sainsbury Centre asks Why Do We Take Drugs?
In September 2024, the Sainsbury Centre will address its next big question through a six-month season of interlinked exhibitions and programmes exploring Why Do We Take Drugs? | UEA, UK
Glasgow mum recovering from addiction calls for better rehab access as drug deaths surge
Ami Laurie battled with drugs and alcohol addiction for more than two decades, but has now turned her life around thanks to three spells of rehab and a solid support network | Glasgow Times, UK
Police issue drugs warning ahead of Creamfields festival
Anyone caught trying to smuggle drugs into the Creamfields Festival in Cheshire will be prosecuted, police have warned | BBC, UK
International news
Comparative oral monotherapy of psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, ayahuasca, and escitalopram for depressive symptoms: systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis
[Open access] To evaluate the comparative effectiveness and acceptability of oral monotherapy using psychedelics and escitalopram in patients with depressive symptoms, considering the potential for overestimated effectiveness due to unsuccessful blinding | BMJ, UK
Morocco lets thousands of cannabis farmers off the hook - video
The country pardoned more than 4,800 of them to encourage farmers to grow the plant legally “to improve their revenue and living conditions.” | Channel 4 News, UK
$5m of meth disguised as watermelons seized at border
A week before the bust, border agents found another meth shipment hidden in a truck filled with celery | Independent, UK
Irish public continue to fall out of love with alcohol as consumption falls to its lowest level since 1987
Trend towards lower consumption which began in the early part of the millennium is continuing, revised figures from the drinks industry show | Irish Times, Ireland
No amount of smoking is safe during any stage of pregnancy, study finds
Smoking even one or two cigarettes a day before or during pregnancy can lead to serious health problems for newborns, according to a new analysis of more than 12 million families | Euronews, Belgium
The Taliban’s Afghan Drug Ban Hasn’t Slowed Europe’s Heroin Trade
In April 2022, less than a year after it took power in Kabul, the Taliban announced it would prohibit the cultivation, production, trafficking, trade and consumption of all narcotics in Afghanistan. At the time, many observers were skeptical of both the group’s sincerity, due to the revenues it had long generated from the drugs industry, and its ability to enforce the ban | WPR, USA
Fatal opioid overdoses lower U.S. life expectancy by nearly a year
Data analysis sheds light on the scope of opioid-related deaths during the COVID pandemic, including sharply rising totals among young minorities | John Hopkins University, USA
Induction to Methadone 80 mg in the First Week of Treatment of Patients Who Use Fentanyl: A Case Series From an Outpatient Opioid Treatment Program
[Open access] Current guidelines for methadone titration may unnecessarily delay reaching effective doses for patients using fentanyl, resulting in an increased risk of ongoing fentanyl use, dissatisfaction with treatment, and early dropout. Development and evaluation of rapid methadone induction protocols may improve treatment for patients using fentanyl | Journal of Addiction Medicine, USA
Providence, RI, Overdose Prevention Center Set to Open This Fall
Claire Macon in Providence, Rhode Island, has one of the rarest job titles in the United States: overdose prevention center manager. “We plan to have the overdose prevention center open in the fall,” she told Filter | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
UK Vape Legislation State of Play – Part 1, The Tobacco and Vaping Bill
Following the recent UK general election, many will be unsure of what happens next with regulation of vaping and other reduced risk nicotine products. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, introduced by Rishi Sunak’s government but ditched in the “wash up” at the end of the last parliament, was included in the King’s Speech so will be reintroduced in the new government’s first year | Daily Pouch, UK
Cocaine may be ubiquitous in Britain – but it’s hardly cool: in fact it’s becoming cringe
Gen X and millennials are still embracing the drug, with all its drink-more, work-more, pre-2008-crash associations. But this mentality is no longer in vogue | Guardian opinion, UK