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Daily news - 27th August 2024 |
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UK news
Men’s health: The lives of men in our communities
Men in the most deprived areas in England live nearly 10 years fewer than those in the least deprived. There are multiple factors that cause these poor health outcomes, ranging from socio-economic to behavioural, with higher rates of smoking and drinking to excess seen in men in particular. It is clear, working in partnership is the key to addressing men’s health – and councils are ideally placed to lead and foster that | Local Government, UK
Addictions competence framework and training curriculum: Raising training and practice standards in counselling and psychotherapy
The competence framework acknowledges the specific knowledge, skills and abilities required by counsellors who wish to work with clients with addictions. The framework can be used by counsellors already working with clients to map their existing competence and identify areas for further development. Counsellors and trainees interested in addictions counselling can also use the framework to assess their readiness for the role | BACP, UK
'Recovery Festival' to break down addiction stigma
A town is set to hold a major programme of events to help break down the stigma surrounding addiction. The Hartlepool Recovery Festival, organised by Start - Hartlepool’s substance misuse service - will run throughout September | BBC, UK
Alcoholis - summer 2024 edition (PDF)
We publish two important articles in this issue. Eileen Brobbin is conducting research on the role of transdermal alcohol sensors, particularly used in the criminal justice system but with other applications also. In a second article colleagues from Scotland give an update on the LEAP project on alcohol and drug rehabilitation, including residential elements, which is so important but also becoming so much more difficult to access | MCA, UK
How the drug strategy can support Labour’s growth agenda
Clare Taylor, Chief Operating Officer at Turning Point and Interim Chair of Collective Voice, the sector body representing third sector drug treatment providers, explores how the drug strategy can support Labour’s growth agenda | Turning Point, UK
Fact check: Scottish drug deaths claims
The latest statistics on the number of drug deaths in Scotland were released last week, leading to significant media coverage and comment. When the statistics were published, various claims were made on social media. Ferret Fact Service looked at four of them | The Ferret, UK
Terminal cancer recovery man addicted to morphine
Colin Whitney, 76, from Hay-on-Wye, Powys, was given as little as two weeks to live in May 2020 after a diagnosis of stage four cancer in his bone marrow | BBC, UK
Recovery Street Film Festival
Entries for the 2024 film festival are open until the 31st August 2024 at 11:59pm. We are inviting anyone who is directly or indirectly affected by drug or alcohol use (individuals, family members, friends, professionals) to make a film of one to three minutes in length and submit it for inclusion in the festival | Phoenix Futures, UK
Londoners warned not to scan mysterious QR codes linking to slick website selling cannabis
The codes have been seen on stickers attached to lampposts and other street furniture in Central London | My London, UK
Navy warship seizes cocaine in Caribbean
Crew from a Royal Navy warship have seized cocaine with a street value of more than £40m in an operation in the Caribbean | BBC, UK
Cannabis farm find 'one of the largest' - police
A cannabis farm in Redcar is one of the largest Cleveland Police have uncovered in the area, the force has said | BBC, UK
International news
Matthew Perry's death reveals Hollywood's ketamine 'wild west'
Climbing into his backyard jacuzzi that overlooked the Santa Monica Mountains, Matthew Perry uttered the seven words that would ultimately lead to his death: “Shoot me up with a big one.” | BBC, UK
Why are people in Ireland drinking less alcohol?
Bar manager Barry Reilly has noticed some significant changes in attitudes to alcohol in his time pulling pints in the town of Carlingford in County Louth | BBC, UK
Further regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products. Public consultation report (PDF)
The Minister for Health held a public consultation between November 2023 and January 2024 to inform further regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products. The consultation sought views on a range of topics, including regulating flavours, packaging and appearance, and Point of Sale display advertising for nicotine inhaling products | DoH, Ireland
Dedicated quitting service needed to tackle ‘youth vaping epidemic’, says charity
The Irish Heart Foundation said there is “a youth vaping epidemic” in Ireland and dedicated support was needed to help young people quit one of the most addictive substances on the planet | Irish Independent, Ireland
Mother on trial for for using alcohol and drugs while pregnant
A 39-year-old woman from Rijsbergen has appeared in court, charged with attempting to kill her baby by drinking alcohol and using drugs while pregnant | Dutch News, The Netherlands
Survey finds more than 3 in 4 Americans don't feel they could help someone suffering an opioid overdose
International Overdose Awareness Day is a worldwide campaign held each Aug. 31th that acknowledges the grief of family and friends left behind from those who have died from a drug overdose. This year's campaign theme "Together we can" highlights the power of the community standing together to help end overdose | Medical Xpress, USA
Frequent cannabis users miss more workdays, research shows
A new analysis of 46,499 employed adults in the United States, completed with data from the 2021–2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), found that recent and frequent cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) were associated with greater workplace absenteeism | Medical Xpress, USA
Could psychedelic-assisted therapy change addiction treatment?
After years of being seen as dangerous "party drugs," psychedelic substances are receiving renewed attention as therapies for addiction—but far more research is needed, according to a new special series of articles in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (JSAD), published at Rutgers University | Medical Xpress, USA
Researchers to test new approach for detecting cannabis in breath
With cannabis now outpacing alcohol as Americans' daily drug of choice, there is a critical need for a scientifically validated breath test to detect the recent use of the substance in drivers | Medical Xpress, USA
Growing Acceptance of Cannabis in Sports, Highlights NFL-Funded Study
New research funded by the National Football League (NFL) highlights the growing acceptability of therapeutic cannabis in sports. But it also underscores the obstacles to marijuana research caused by ongoing federal prohibition that have hamstrung efforts to better understand the benefits and risks of cannabinoids for athletes | Filter Magazine, USA
Health Canada introduces new measures to help prevent harms to youth from nicotine replacement therapies
There are growing concerns that the popularity of new and emerging Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) is leading to recreational use by people who do not smoke, especially youth under 18. The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, has announced that Health Canada is introducing new measures for NRTs through a Ministerial Order to reduce the appeal of, access to, and use of these products by young people for recreational purposes, ensuring access is restricted to adults who use these products to help them quit smoking | Government of Canada, Canada
International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD)
31st August 2024. International Overdose Awareness Day spreads the message that drug overdose is preventable. It is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind | Penington Institute, Australia
Emergence of deadly synthetic opioids prompts calls for pubs and clubs to stock anti-overdose medication
"They shouldn't be left to die because they made a mistake." These are the words of Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, a councillor in the US city of Honolulu, who successfully lobbied for legislation that requires bars and nightclubs to stock anti-overdose medication | abc.net.au, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
The people on the frontline battling Scotland's drug deaths crisis
As Edinburgh bustles with tourists dodging flyers for shows and clicking their cameras at Edinburgh Castle, just a few turns off of Princes Street, you’ll find Richie at St Cuthbert’s on Lothian Road | Herald, UK
I (regrettably) tried a nicotine pouch. It made me question what I think about addiction
They are becoming hugely popular. I felt instantly nauseous, but if others crave them, I can’t see a problem | Guardian, UK
Doctors Playing God: Life in Slovenia’s Drug Treatment System
I first enrolled in a methadone program in Slovenia in 1997, after about a year and a half of intense heroin use. I started injecting after losing my regular job as a TV producer, which closed operations. After being half-forced and half-convinced by doctors, I signed up to enter a detox and methadone programme in Ljubljana | Talking Drugs, UK
Australia is running low on oral morphine. What does that mean for pain relief in palliative care?
Australia currently finds itself in the unusual position of being both in an opioid epidemic and experiencing a shortage of these critical medicines. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has placed eight oral morphine products on its shortage list. It doesn’t expect supply for these products to be resolved until around October or November this year | Conversation, Australia