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Daily news - 11th December 2024

UK news

Key findings published on evaluation of National Mission on Drug Deaths

As part of the Public Health Scotland (PHS) evaluation of the National Mission on Drug Deaths, the findings of a research project interviewing key individuals in the field have been published today. The findings show a degree of consensus that the Scottish Government’s National Mission on Drug Deaths has already delivered some positive impacts, particularly, in strengthening drug treatment systems. However, the interviews also highlighted unintended negative consequences and missed opportunities in the National Mission | Public Health Scotland, UK

Specialist courts proposed to break addictions of prolific offenders in England and Wales

Exclusive: Pilots of scheme to tackle drug-driven crimes have been encouraging, says head of sentencing review | Guardian, UK

Senedd backs disposable vape ban for 2025

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said the move was a "major step forward in tackling throwaway culture and the environmental impacts of single-use vapes" | BBC, UK

Fewer retailers stocking disposable vapes ahead of 2025 ban, maker says

Chill Brands said it was focusing on developing reusable vaping products as a result of the upcoming ban | Independent, UK

Train company launches low-alcohol beer to tackle spike in Christmas accidents

The beer will be stocked on services between London Euston and Scotland | Independent, UK

The effect of proportional pricing on alcohol purchasing in two online experiments

[Open access] Price-per-drink savings from larger packs or bottles of alcoholic drinks may prompt more sales and more drinking, so perhaps eliminating quantity-based savings will lead to less of both. Evidence for just such an effect was found among UK drinkers posed hypothetical shopping scenarios | Addiction, UK

Drugs: Rehabilitation

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will announce future funding for drug treatment services beyond 2025 | They work for you, UK

Alcoholism: Death

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce alcohol-specific deaths | They work for you, UK

'Golden opportunity lost' for medicinal cannabis

Paul Smith, founder of the House of Green, a medicinal cannabis business headquartered in Guernsey, said a lack of understanding by the government was among reasons for a lack of growth in the industry on the island | BBC, UK

Is Alcohol Deadlier Than Drugs? This Is The Most Dangerous Drug! Professor David Nutt - video

In this episode of Begin Again, Davina is joined by Professor David Nutt, a renowned drug researcher, psychiatrist, and former chief drug advisor to the UK government. Known for his bold stance on drug policy reform, Professor Nutt sheds light on the facts and fiction of drugs, the untapped potential of psychedelics, and reveals the factors shaping current drug policies | Begin Again, UK

Don't be a Harold: Support Drug Reform - video

“Don’t be a Harold” is a mockumentary that puts a spotlight on the unhelpful and damaging misconceptions that allow the UK’s failing drug laws to persist | Transform Drug Policy Foundation, UK

Drug smuggler jailed for airport cannabis haul

Ivan Dyer was stopped by customs officers at Newcastle International Airport at about 10:30 GMT on 10 November after travelling in from Thailand, China and Singapore, Newcastle Crown Court heard | BBC, UK

Twins killed drug user after being 'ripped off'

A "vulnerable" man was killed by twin brothers after they smashed their way into his flat and felt "ripped off" when they tried to buy drugs from him, a court has heard | BBC, UK

International news

UN Human Rights Standards Database

The following database compiles human rights standards from UN human rights bodies and mechanisms. It aims to provide experts, activists, and civil society in general with a tool to make the case for harm reduction and promote human-rights based approaches to drug policies | HRI, UK

'Huge demand': Portugal dreams of becoming medical cannabis hub

"We should be the new El Dorado of medical cannabis production," said agronomist Jose Martins as dozens of workers harvested marijuana in bright sunshine at a farm in southeastern Portugal | Medical Xpress, USA

[Open access] Research can inform policies on substance use/substance use disorders (SU/SUDs), yet there is limited experimental investigation into strategies for optimizing policymakers’ engagement with SU/SUD research. This study tested the use of narratives to boost policymakers’ research engagement | Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, USA

MRI study reveals brain volume changes in opioid users

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine found structural and functional alterations in specific brain regions of individuals with opioid use disorder. The study's results were published in Radiology | Medical Xpress, USA

Agent-Based Model of Combined Community- and Jail-Based Take-Home Naloxone Distribution

In this decision analytical modeling study, take-home naloxone distribution at jail release was estimated to reduce opioid-related overdose mortality. The presence of willing and capable bystanders at an opioid overdose event was a factor in program effectiveness | JAMA Network Open, USA

Rhode Island set to open first supervised consumption site for illicit drugs outside NYC

A Rhode Island nonprofit is set to open a state-sanctioned site for illicit drug use this week, making it just the second organization in the U.S. to officially offer supervised consumption and the first to do so outside New York City | STAT News, USA

Psychedelic therapy research calls for better reporting

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is gaining attention as a promising approach to treat patients with mental disorders for whom conventional treatments have been insufficient. A new collaborative study by researchers at the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) and University Medical Center Gröningen (UMCG) reveals important gaps in how the psychotherapeutic aspect of these treatments is reported, potentially hindering their effectiveness and safety | Medical Xpress, USA

“When did your recovery start?” Determining the personal significance of start dates in recovery journeys

A “sobriety date” is a common marker of recovery initiation for individuals in 12-step and other recovery groups and pathways. This study reveals surprising patterns about the influence of age, 12-step group involvement, and recurrence of substance use during one’s life on the use of “sobriety date” as a recovery start date | Recovery Research Institute, USA

“On the same page”? Impact of shared decision making between patients and providers on recovery

Improved retention in addiction treatment is associated with better treatment outcomes, including sustained abstinence. Communication between patients and clinicians is an important factor in treatment retention. This study examined substance use treatment patient preferences in clinical decision making and its association with treatment retention and substance use | Recovery Research Institute, USA

Brain scans show vulnerability to gaming addiction in teens

Researchers looked at data collected from 6,143 identified video game users ages 10–15 over four years. In the first year, researchers took brain scans using an fMRI as participants completed the task of pushing a button fast enough to receive a $5 reward. Researchers subsequently had the same participants answer Video Game Addiction Questionnaires over the next three years | Medical Xpress, USA

Synthetic cannabinoid AB-MDMSBA found in ‘benzodiazepine’ samples

Two light/tan powder samples presented to CanTEST expected to contain a novel benzodiazepine, were instead found to contain the novel synthetic cannabinoid, AB-MDSBA. No benzodiazepines were detected. The two samples were acquired separately from different sources | The Know, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

It’s time to end the policy vacuum on alcohol harm in England, if this government is serious about shifting its focus to prevention

The newly elected United Kingdom’s government has moved quickly to resurrect legislation, initiated by its predecessors, that is designed to tackle the epidemic of youth vaping and create a smoke-free generation, outlawing sales of all tobacco products to those born on or after 1st January 2009. This is a good start but if the UK’s dire health record over recent years is to be improved, it must be followed by measures to tackle other leading causes of premature death and disability | BMJ opinion, UK

Human rights and drug policies: Reflecting on a year of successes and frustrations - International Human Rights Day 2024

10th December 2024, marks International Human Rights Day, with this year’s theme being ‘Our rights. Our future. Right now’. As UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk explains, the aim of this day is to ‘inspire everyone to acknowledge the importance and relevance of human rights, change perceptions by countering negative stereotypes and misconceptions and mobilize action to reinvigorate a global movement for human rights’ | IDPC blog, UK

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