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Daily news - 5th December 2024 |
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UK news
Liver disease profile, December 2024 update
Among the indicators investigated it was found that the number of premature deaths from alcoholic liver disease rose by 3.6% in 2023 to 5,984 compared to 5,776 in 2022. Also, the England rate of premature deaths from alcoholic liver disease between 2001 to 2023 has increased by almost 60% | OHID, UK
The effect of proportional pricing on alcohol purchasing in two online experiments
[Open access] Buying smaller-sized alcohol products can reduce alcohol consumption, but larger products have better value for money, which presents a barrier to switching. We tested whether proportional pricing prompts drinkers to buy smaller alcohol products and reduce alcohol purchasing | Addiction, UK
Collective Voice responds to the Government’s 10-year health plan consultation
This week, Collective Voice has responded to the consultation on the Government’s 10-year health plan. You can read our full submission here, but we thought it would be helpful to outline the key points we made in response to each question | Collective Voice, UK
Man 'dismissed by hospital because of drug use'
A man who died after a hospital failed to carry out "important" medical checks was "discriminated against" because of his history of Spice use, his sister has said | BBC, UK
Alcoholism and Drugs: Rehabilitation
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding he will provide for drug and alcohol treatment through (a) the Public Health grant and (b) other funding steams beyond March 2025; and if he will continue funding for the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery grant | They work for you, UK
Smoking: Health Services
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that local stop smoking services offer the option of a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-approved non-pharmaceutical method to help smokers quit | They work for you, UK
How much you should worry about breathing in second-hand smoke
Breathing in second-hand smoke over long periods of time can raise people's risk of cancer and heart disease, but the impact of a few minutes' exposure is less clear | i news, UK
118. Psychotherapy with Andrew Feldmár - podcast
In this episode of the Drug Science Podcast, we hear from Andrew Feldmár, a psychotherapist with over 52 years of experience. He discusses his journey into psychotherapy, his departure from mainstream psychiatric and therapeutic practices rooted in the concept of mental illness, and his experiences with LSD. Feldmár also critiques various techniques used in contemporary psychedelic research and offers a fresh perspective based on what he has learnt in his years of experience | Drug Science, UK
Remembering a harm reduction star | Featuring Jeffrey Zamora and Anne Molloy - video
Kevin Molloy, our beloved colleague who ran the Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme from 2018 until he passed away in 2021, helped shape and mentor a new generation of tobacco harm reduction practitioners. Joining us today are Jeffrey Zamora, a film maker and THRSP Scholar, as well as Kevin's wife Anne Molloy, and Jon Derricott, Kevin's long-standing friend, to highlight Jeffrey's new film "Love Kevin" | GFN, UK
Five arrests over 'contaminated' drugs death
Five people have been arrested after a man died and 20 others became ill after taking what is believed to be a contaminated batch of the drug spice | BBC, UK
Officer asked doorman to give friend's drugs back
An off-duty police sergeant tried to trick a doorman into handing back a packet of cocaine he had confiscated from the officer's friend, a misconduct panel heard | BBC, UK
International news
Crypto ‘Laundromat’ Tied to Russian Financial Sector and Cocaine Trade - Police
An international money-laundering ring run out of Moscow and Dubai has been moving billions in cryptocurrency and hard cash for criminal operations, ranging from Russian ransomware attacks to street-level drug deals in the U.K., Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Wednesday | OCCRP, UK
Russian criminals helped UK drug gangs launder lockdown cash
A multi-billion-dollar money laundering operation that formed when UK gangs were struggling to offload cash during lockdown has been uncovered by the National Crime Agency | BBC, UK
Addictology Issue 2/2024
The second issue of Addictology 2024 features seven open access insightful articles that explore a wide range of topics related to substance use and its broader implications. One of the key highlights of this issue is the presentation of the results from The Power of Collaboration (POC), a joint project between ISSUP and the GWN. This initiative focuses on three critical areas in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD) among women | ISSUP, UK
A World of harm: How U.S. Taxpayers Fund the Global War on Drugs Over Evidence-Based Health Responses
This report demonstrates how U.S. assistance has supported and expanded destructive and deadly anti-drug responses in low- and middle-income countries around the world. It also presents new follow-the-money data analysis on U.S. international drug control spending by various government departments and budgets | HRI, UK
Australian woman who claims she was love scam victim jailed for smuggling drugs into Japan
Donna Nelson sentenced to six years in prison after court finds her guilty of bringing methamphetamine into country | Guardian, UK
Teenage girl who collapsed outside concert at 3Arena died from ecstasy overdose, inquest hears
Aoibhe Martin Quinn, aged 17, from Willow Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, collapsed outside the concert venue on North Wall Quay, where she was treated by emergency services | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Opioids in Europe: Preparing for a third wave
European approaches to drug policy include a role for law enforcement, but they have historically opted more than the USA for medical and harm reduction strategies than punitive measures. For example, Europe was quicker to adopt opioid agonist therapy (using methadone, buprenorphine, and—less frequently—heroin/diamorphine itself to treat opioid use disorders). However, concerning signs are emerging of a new wave of synthetic opioid deaths. The curbing of Afghan heroin supply may bring dramatic changes to European drug markets | Brookings, USA
Reaching people who use drugs with sexual and reproductive healthcare through syringe services programs: potential promise and missed opportunities
[Open access] People who use drugs are at elevated sexual and reproductive health risk but experience barriers to services. Syringe services programs (SSP) are an important venue to provide integrated health services. Few studies have examined SSP use within intersecting gender, racial, and ethnic groups, including by injection drug use (IDU), and differences in sexual and reproductive health among these groups | Harm Reduction Journal, USA
Study finds perceptions of parent cannabis use shape teen attitudes
Teens who think their parents use cannabis are more likely to hold favorable attitudes toward the drug and to consider trying it themselves, according to a new Washington State University study | Medical Xpress, USA
Hunter Got a Pardon. Will Drug War Victims?
The issue isn’t who Biden’s helped—it’s who he hasn’t | Mother Jones, USA
Difference in Vapers’ Respiratory Symptoms Vs. Non-Vapers Is Minimal
Vaping does not produce clinically important respiratory symptoms, indicates a new international study. Significantly, it’s among the first large-scale studies to look at people who vape but do not have histories of smoking—histories which have led to smoking-related harms being attributed to vaping in past research | Filter Magazine, USA
NSW drug summit an opportunity for new government strategy to address risks of drug harm, experts say
Every time Jessica's teenage son was admitted to the emergency room, all attempts she made to secure him residential drug dependence treatment were rebuffed | abc.net.au, Australia
Evidence hub for the NSW Drug Summit 2024
The Drug Policy Modelling Program evidence hub for the NSW Drug Summit 2024 provides short, evidence-based summaries on the important and topical drug policy issues facing NSW. The information provided is based on our own research and current scientific evidence | UNSW, Australia
Free vape samples coincide with vaping increase
New figures revealed young adults bump up vaping statistics and Māori remain the highest overall population in New Zealand | RNZ, New Zealand
Blogs, comment and opinion
Welcome rise of numbers in drug & alcohol treatment
Last week (28 November 2024), the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities published the adult substance misuse treatment statistics for 2023/24. In this blog post, I summarise the main trends in treatment numbers | Russell Webster, UK
“Outta sight, outta mind?”. What do the public and professional stakeholders think about alcohol policy?
Alcohol policies are important for reducing the negative effects of alcohol. The World Health Organisation recommends that countries take steps to control how alcohol is priced, advertised and sold | IAS blog, UK
Comparing the U.S. and UK Drug Crises: Insights from Opioid Intervention Efforts
The HEALing Communities study in the U.S. focused on implementing a range of evidence-based strategies to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Although the study didn’t achieve anticipated reductions, its insights offer valuable lessons as the UK faces a rise in fatalities linked to potent synthetic opioids like nitazenes. This U.S. experience highlights the challenges of responding to rapidly evolving drug markets and underscores the need for adaptable, multi-faceted approaches | Tony D'Agostino, UK
Hello Buprenorphine, Step Into My Practice — It's time for the medical field to reduce OUD stigma and embrace this essential medication
After years of alarming increases in opioid overdose deaths, the U.S. finally saw a 1-year decline from 84,000 to 81,000 in 2023. While the marginal drop is encouraging, we cannot rest on this achievement or count on it to continue. Too many people are still dying, and much more needs to be done. The question is what? | MedPage Today opinion, USA
Is Vaping a Public Health Crisis, Or a Public Health Solution?
Who thinks vaping is cool? Comedian Nick Kroll calls the habit “embarrassing,” and in his act mimes a user sheepishly exhaling a comically-large plume of smoke. The process resembles sucking on a “little robot dick,” he adds | Ben Westhoff, USA
‘It’s the worst feeling’ – young New Zealanders regret their vaping addictions but feel unsupported to quit
Vaping rates among young people continue to be a major public health concern, both in Aotearoa New Zealand and elsewhere. New vape legislation currently before the health select committee proposes a ban on disposable vapes and restrictions on retailers (except specialist vape shops) which would no longer be able to display vaping products | Conversation, New Zealand