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Daily news - 12th December 2024

UK news

IPS for alcohol and drug dependence: data linkage outcomes

A report on the outcomes of the expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for adults in treatment for alcohol and drug dependence in England | OHID, UK

People who inject drugs: HIV and viral hepatitis monitoring

HIV prevalence among Unlinked Anonymous Monitoring (UAM) Survey participants has remained low and stable over the past decade and was 1% in 2023. Overall, the proportion of UAM Survey participants with hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies (a marker of ever HCV infection) has remained relatively stable over the past decade (from 49% in 2014 to 53% in 2023) and is higher among those aged 35 years and above | UKHSA, UK

Drugs and alcohol death stigma campaign awarded funding for next phase

A campaign looking to end the stigma that surrounds drugs and alcohol deaths has received new funding for the next phase of work. See Beyond – See the Lives – Scotland is led by the University of Stirling and has been awarded funding from the Scottish Government off the back of the national attention it has received since being launched more than 18 months ago | Herald, UK

Disentangling the temporal relationship between alcohol-related attitudes and heavy episodic drinking in adolescents within a randomized controlled trial

[Open access] Changes in alcohol-related attitudes were not a precursor to changes in heavy episodic drinking within the Steps Towards Alcohol Misuse Prevention Programme (STAMPP) Trial in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Rather, alcohol-related attitudes were more likely to reflect prior drinking status than predict future status. Heavy episodic drinking status appears to have a greater impact on future alcohol attitudes than attitudes do on future heavy episodic drinking | Addiction, UK

Group-based intervention reduced opioid use among people with long-term pain

Many people take opioids to relieve long-term pain not caused by cancer. But opioids can cause other health problems and be difficult to discontinue. Researchers found that, compared with usual care, a group-based intervention with one-to-one support for people on opioids helped them discontinue their medication and did not increase the impact of pain on everyday life | NIHR, UK

Toolkit: Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use

In order to help duty bearers and rights holders apply the Charter of Rights, the National Collaborative have created a Charter Toolkit | Allaince Scotland, UK

Single-use vape ban pushed back by two months

The date for a ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Northern Ireland been pushed back by two months. The new date ties in with planned new laws being developed separately by the Scottish, Welsh and UK governments | BBC, UK

Via – New Beginnings – Brent maintains Hep C micro-elimination!

We’re delighted to announce that Via – New Beginnings – Brent has successfully maintained its Hepatitis C micro-elimination status at the 6-month mark! This is Via’s second service to re-declare this status | Via, UK

Ebenezer Scrooge admitted to rehab in festive performance with a twist

The Charles Dickens classic has been reworked to highlight the challenges faced by people struggling with different forms of addiction | STV News, UK

More food funding for BDP!

BDP is happy to announce that we have received funding from Feeding Bristol to provide food parcels to our service users | BDP, UK

First NHS clinic aimed at stopping cannabis use is 'turning people away'

Head of the NHS Cannabis Clinic for Psychosis in London has 'no doubt' more clinics are needed | I Paper, UK

Innovation Fund to Reduce Demand for Illicit Substances (RDIS) Phase 3

23 April 2025 at 1:00 pm. NIHR is launching Phase 3 of the Innovation Fund to Reduce the Demand for Illicit Substances, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in partnership with the Joint Combatting Drugs Unit (JCDU). The funding opportunity aims to fund projects that address demand for recreational drugs and are thereby likely to lead to reduced drug use and dependency | NIHR, UK

'Bingo' drug line dismantled as dealer jailed

A drug dealer has been jailed for seven years after supplying cocaine, heroin and cannabis between London and Cambridge | BBC, UK

Drugs smuggled in drones and nappies - prison boss

The director of HMP Parc in Bridgend, which is run by private company G4S, was grilled by MPs on the Welsh affairs select committee following the deaths of 17 inmates | BBC, UK

International news

Legal marijuana one of North America’s ‘greatest mistakes’, Elton John says

Musician, who has been sober for 34 years, says marijuana is addictive and ‘leads to other drugs’ | Guardian, UK

Smoking giant BAT reports more profit from non-tobacco products like vapes

The London-listed company said it has about 40% market share in key countries such as the US and the UK for vaping | Independent, UK

Cork fire crews to carry drug that reverses effects of opioid overdose

Welcoming the news, Fianna Fáil Councillor Colm Kelleher, a long advocate for addiction services, told The Echo: “This is something I’ve been pushing for and firefighters have been calling for themselves for years." | Echo Live, Ireland

RecoverMe - My Recovery, My Journey

[New Campaign] Recovery is a process, a journey, and is about getting the support you need to keep living a life that feels authentically you. It’s about your mental health, managing your relationship with drugs and/or alcohol, and finding joy and connection in the face of life’s ups and downs. Your journey is unique, and you are not alone | SAMHSA, USA

[Open access] The CDC reported that the overdose of prescription or illicit opioids was responsible for the deaths of over 80,000 Americans in 2021. Social media is a valuable source of insight into problematic patterns of substance misuse. The way people converse with illicit drugs in online forums is highly variable, and slang terms are frequently used. Manually identifying names of specific drugs can be difficult in both time and labor | Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, USA

Door-to-door overdose harm reduction: an Illinois case study

[Open access] If they don’t come to you, go to them, was the philosophy of an innovative US overdose-reduction programme. Neighbourhoods with high rates of overdoses were identified and harm reduction staff were tasked with knocking on all the doors to offer naloxone, drug testing strips and information | Harm Reduction Journal, USA

Health Alert: Hospitals and behavioral health providers are reporting severe and worsening presentations of withdrawal among people who use drugs (PWUD) in Philadelphia 12/10/2024 (PDF)

Worsening and more severe presentations of withdrawal among PWUD are likely due to changes in Philadelphia’s illicit fentanyl supply. In May 2024, Medetomidine was first detected in Philadelphia’s illicit drug supply, and has now surpassed xylazine as the most common veterinary alpha-2-agonist adulterant in illicit fentanyl samples | Department of Health, City of Philadelphia, USA

Myanmar Opium Survey 2024 Cultivation, Production, and Implications (PDF)

The latest survey shows that opium production has slowed in Myanmar, but the country remains a leading source of illegally produced opium | UNODC, Thailand

New mobile app launched to help people track their methamphetamine use and reduce drug-related harms

Researchers at the National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED) have today launched the S-Check app to encourage people who use methamphetamine to seek help and treatment earlier. S-Check is a self-administered smartphone app for people to track their methamphetamine use, monitor the impact of the drug on their health and wellbeing, and get tips and support for any health issues | UNSW, Australia

Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024

Every year in Australia, millions of years of healthy life are lost because of injury, illness or premature deaths. This loss of healthy life is called the ‘burden of disease’. Information on burden of disease and injuries is important for monitoring population health and provides an evidence base to inform health policy and service planning | AIHW, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

Adfam at 40 – Craig Knowles

2024 marks a special year for Adfam as we celebrate our 40th year. Throughout 2024, we have been reflecting on the past 40 years, the progress that has been made in supporting families affected by substance misuse, as well as looking to the future. Through a series of articles over the course of the year, Adfam has spoken to a range of key individuals active in supporting families through substance misuse. For our latest edition of ‘Adfam at 40’, we speak with Craig Knowles, Kinship Family Recovery Worker from Hetty’s. Hetty’s is a grassroots charity that provides emotional help and support for families affected by a loved one’s alcohol or drug use living in Nottinghamshire | Adfam, UK

An introduction to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

FASD is a life changing disorder. It stands for Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and it’s a surprisingly common condition. It is caused by drinking alcohol in pregnancy. Studies suggest FASD affects at least 3.6% of the UK population (McCarthy et al, 2021, McQuire et al 2019). This means that 1 child in every classroom is likely to be affected by FASD | IAS blog, UK

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