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Daily news - 2nd December 2024 |
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UK news
'Synthetic opioid was a death sentence for our dad'
Siblings Alex and Keeley regularly visit their dad's grave in a peaceful Essex cemetery to remove weeds and lay new flowers. Their father is one of 179 people in England recorded as having died from nitazenes in the past year, with the highest number of deaths occurring in the East of England | BBC, UK
Impact of ‘street’ benzodiazepines on drug-related deaths in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
‘Street’ benzodiazepines (BZD) are structurally and pharmacologically related to BZDs licensed for human use. In this study we investigated how street BZDs contribute to overall BZD use and death prevalences in England, Wales and Northern Ireland | DAR, UK
A Message from The Princess of Wales for Addiction Awareness Week 2024
In support of Addiction Addiction Awareness Week 2024 (30th November - 7th December), we are delighted to share a new message by Royal Patron of The Forward Trust, HRH The Princess of Wales | Forward Trust, UK
‘Prison didn’t touch the sides’: Tony Adams on addiction, losing the man who saved him and helping others
The former Arsenal and England captain believes he has finally ‘grown up’, with ‘no tentacles’ from his troubled past | Guardian, UK
New Ambassador for The Forward Trust, Lily Allen
Lily said: “I am thrilled to be joining Forward Trust as an Ambassador. It’s Taking Action on Addiction campaign to reduce the stigma of addiction so more people can get the help they need is profoundly important and I am looking forward to supporting it’s incredible work.” | Forward Trust, UK
Who is the drug user activist?: recounting the conceptualisation of drug user activism in the United Kingdom
The British model of harm reduction has been referenced as a pioneering approach to substance use in Europe. While many have described the development of UK drug policy through different governments, few studies have focused on the role that drug user activists played in the UK drug policy reform movement. We examine the different conceptualisations of UK drug user activists in literature, including published academic journals and grey literature (news articles, podcasts, websites and unpublished dissertations) | Harm Reduction Journal, UK
Making a difference in Middlesborough
Recovery Solutions deliver an integrated substance use service in Middlesbrough, the local authority area with the highest proportion of deprived neighbourhoods in England. Andrea Clark, a Blue Light caseworker, describes how she applies Alcohol Change UK’s Blue Light Approach to make a difference in the town | Alcohol Change, UK
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Health Services
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve (a) prevention, (b) diagnosis and (c) support for people affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder | They work for you, UK
Drag race contestant will star at alcohol-free Christmas party
Following a successful party last year Ten Bar and Bold AF Events are putting on another Christmas Party with No Regrets on 5 December 2024. Organised with the city’s No Regrets responsible drinking campaign, this year the event will feature sober drag star Charra Tea who was recently a contestant on the BBC show RuPaul’s Drag Race UK | Forward Leeds, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of Government-funded research into the impact of calorie labelling on alcohol products, given that such information has been provided on other drinks for many years | They work for you, UK
‘By 8pm it is time to head home’: whatever happened to the big night out?
This week, the chief executive of a major bar group suggested 3pm is the new 9pm. Why have we stopped drinking and dancing the night away on a Friday and Saturday night? | Guardian, UK
Bid to stop smoking at junior football matches
Spectators at youth football matches in Herefordshire are being asked not to smoke while watching games | BBC, UK
Campaign warns of drink and drug-driving dangers
The force is joining a national campaign between 1 December 2024 and 1 January 2025 aimed at reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured in crashes | BBC, UK
'Drunk' shopkeeper has alcohol licence revoked
Lancashire Police found Kumrakulasingham Thevathas to be intoxicated and “incoherent”, when they attended his Sasda 24/7 premises in Whalley Road, Accrington on the night of 29 September | BBC, UK
International news
My friend was a popular, promising artist - how did he end up on the streets of Portland, addicted and dangerous?
When I first met Evan B Harris he was fizzing with talent and kindness. So I was shocked to hear he had become homeless and out of control. What happened to him is a story playing out in cities across America | Guardian, UK
Justin Trudeau promises Trump that Canada will increase border surveillance
Canadian PM dines with Trump, who vowed tariffs unless country stops migrants and drugs from entering US | Guardian, UK
Bolivia’s former top anti-drug official to be extradited to US for drug trafficking
Maximiliano Dávila Pérez, arrested in Bolivia in 2022, was accused of using his position to help transport cocaine | Guardian, UK
Empowering public health advocates to navigate alcohol policy challenges: alcohol policy playbook
From the European arm of the World Health Organization, the Alcohol Policy Playbook provides evidence and recommended strategies to policymakers aiming to make public health-informed decisions about alcohol | WHO, Switzerland
Impact of drugs on local communities
This survey assesses the impact of drug use and drug trafficking on communities across the EU. It focuses particularly on how serious the use of illicit drugs and drug trafficking are perceived to be at the local level, the prevalence of related issues, and potential regulatory measures. Approximately 40% of respondents view the use of illicit drugs as a serious problem, while 41% consider drug trafficking to be a major concern | EU, Belgium
A Failed Attack Against the Pro-Harm Reduction Drug Strategy of Budapest
The City Council of Budapest rejected a proposal from the government party, Fidesz, to abolish the city’s progressive drug strategy and to create a new, repressive strategy | Drug Reporter, Hungary
DrugNet November 2024
Latest monthly round-up of European drug policy news published by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) | EUDA, Portugal
Denmark’s Medical Cannabis Trial Program Set To Become Permanent
The Danish government has reached an agreement with opposition parties to make Denmark’s medical cannabis trial program as permanent | Forbes, USA
Do health warning labels on alcohol packaging attract visual attention? A systematic review
[Open access] To be affected by warnings on alcoholic drink packaging, first consumers have to look at them, but this review of studies tracking eye movements “clearly show[s] that consumers pay very little attention” to the labels | Public Health, USA
Nurse-Led Evidence-Based Diabetes Prevention Study
[Open access] Nigeria is badly affected by substance use problems and increasingly by diabetes. The two are linked, argues this study, and the elevated diabetes risk among substance users in treatment can be reduced by specially trained lifestyle educators who are themselves in treatment | Journal of Addictions Nursing, USA
Medicated nasal spray will slash opioid-related hospital admissions
SA researchers say access to a free medicated nasal spray which temporarily reverses the effects of opioid toxicity while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, will save lives and reduce opioid-related hospital admissions | University of South Australia, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Collective Voice responds to latest stats on alcohol and drug treatment
On Thursday, the government published the latest statistics on the number of people engaged in treatment for issues related to use of alcohol or other drugs. The overall number of people in treatment (310,863) increased by 7% since last year, which is the largest rise since 2008-09, and represents the highest number of adults in treatment since 2009-10 | Collective Voice blog, UK
Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales: 2023 registrations: NHS APA Statement
The ONS published its annual report on drug poisoning in England and Wales on the 23rd of October 2024, which revealed that there were 5,448 drug-related deaths in 2023 (93.0 per million people). This is 11% higher than the 2022 statistics (4,907 deaths, 84.4 per million people). Of the 5,448 registered drug poisoning deaths in 2023, 3,618 were identified as being caused by drug misuse | NHS APA, UK
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan: How Big Alcohol lobbying diluted a historic public health breakthrough
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, and the following BECA report in the European Parliament were initially groundbreaking initiatives on European alcohol policy. For the first time, a clear encompassing mandate had been given to prioritise health policy and to adopt EU legislation to prevent alcohol consumption as a key cancer risk factor | Alcohol Action Ireland blog, Ireland
Finally, A Fall In American Overdoses
But it's probably not because there is less fentanyl. It's more likely Narcan, a change of recipe, and less addicts left | CrashOut by Ioan Grillo, USA