Home | Archive | Weekly | Reports
Daily news - 9th February 2024 |
 |
UK news
Illegal drugs: Progress mixed on Government harm reduction efforts, PAC report finds [Reducing the harm from illegal drugs]
Government’s efforts to reduce the harm from illegal drugs are seeing mixed progress. In a report published today, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), while welcoming achievements including drug worker recruitment and disruption to supply, finds less clear progress in reducing drug use and related harms. Particularly concerning is that drug use is rising fastest in younger people as the number of under-18s in treatment has fallen sharply | Public Accounts Committee, UK
Minimum alcohol unit price in Scotland to rise to 65p
The minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland is to be raised from 50p to 65p, it has been announced. Deputy First Minister Shona Robison announced the plan on Thursday in a statement to Holyrood | BBC, UK
What is minimum pricing for alcohol and how does it work?
Minimum unit pricing (MUP) is not a tax and does not generate income for the government. Instead it aims it to reduce the availability of cheap alcohol by setting a minimum price | BBC, UK
Social media adverts impact vaping behaviours among young people, study shows
Viewing e-cigarette adverts and content on social media - often endorsed by celebrities and social media influencers - is fueling the popularity of vaping among young users, according to a study from researchers at the University of York | University of York, UK
Mayor of London urged to roll out drug testing service across Capital
City Hall Conservatives said Sadiq Khan should follow the example set in Bristol last week, where the UK’s first regular drug testing service was introduced | City Matters, UK
Edinburgh drug consumption room study to be published after months of delays
Edinburgh council officials have been ordered to publish a study looking at opening a drug consumption room in the city following months of delays. A report setting out the findings of a feasibility study was not due to be released until next month - a year later than originally planned - but now councillors have voted to make it public by the end of this week | Edinburgh Live, UK
Need for addiction services 'greater than ever' as number of deaths rise by 40% in 10 years
For hundreds affected by substance misuse in the North West, recovery started with a walk | ITV, UK
‘We’re not bad mums’: inside the rehab centre giving women a chance to keep their children
Community Care visits Jasmine Mother’s Recovery – the ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ for women who’ve felt the system is stacked against them because of drug and alcohol addiction | Community Care, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Advertising
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to place further restrictions on the advertisement of alcohol | They work for you, UK
Misuse of Drugs - Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd
How does the Government ensure that effective health treatment is available to people who misuse drugs? | They work for you, UK
Electronic Cigarettes
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the research from University College London entitled Who would be affected by a ban on disposable vapes? A population study in Great Britain, published on 24 January 2024 | They work for you, UK
Snus: The dangers of football’s hidden drug problem
Hear Gary Lineker discussing trying snus for the first time and you wonder why any footballer in their right mind would take it | i news, UK
Achieving sustainable employment & better outcomes for people
Monday, 26 February · 12:00 PM Since 2019, Via’s award-winning IPS Into Work service has supported people with experience of drug or alcohol issues into sustainable employment across West London. This webinar will provide an engaging and informative overview of the recent external evaluation of the service, carried out by the University of Strathclyde | v-i-a, UK
Gambling advertising with Philip Newall - podcast
In this episode, Rob Calder talks to Dr Philip Newall about how the gambling industry frames the evidence on gambling advertising. Philip talks about researching the kinds of bets that are commonly advertised, explaining how they are often projected to be 'good' bets when the chances of winning are very small | SSA, UK
NCA makes two more arrests in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire over £2.3m Channel Tunnel cocaine seizure
The drugs were discovered in a car being driven through the Channel Tunnel terminal in Coquelles, France, on its way to the UK in September 2023 | NCA, UK
Norfolk: Martial arts champion jailed for drug offence
A martial arts champion known as "The Polish Bear" has been jailed. Przemyslaw Mysiala, 41, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, was found guilty in January of supplying cocaine and possessing criminal property | BBC, UK
Police seize £2m in Dewsbury cannabis farms raids
Cannabis worth an estimated £2m has been seized in a series of raids, West Yorkshire Police said | BBC, UK
International news
Addicted to substitute drugs: the unexpected turn in the opioid crisis for India
A lack of awareness and infrastructure gaps are spurring buprenorphine dependency in India’s north western state, writes Charu Bahri | BMJ, UK
‘We hold you sacred’: how a mobile drug unit is fighting the opioid crisis in the Cherokee Nation
Led by Native people, an Oklahoma program provides life-saving supplies and addiction care to remote tribal areas | Guardian, UK
Dealer Accused Of Giving Out 'Free Cocaine Samples' Attached to Business Cards
Police in Canada charged a man alleged to have handed casino goers business cards with small baggies of cocaine stapled to them | VICE, UK
UK to send specialist assistance to Turks and Caicos after surge in fatal shootings
It is the second time under two years the Caribbean archipelago is seeing escalating violence, attributed to warring drug gangs | Guardian, UK
Sixty-five groups unite to warn Government against liberalising Ireland's alcohol laws
Health, social, and community organisations have written to the Government to voice their opposition to plans to increase the number of venues serving alcohol and the opening hours of pubs, clubs, and nightclubs | Irish Examiner, Ireland
European Cannabis Initiative Partially Registered by European Commission
In a significant development, the European Commission has decided to partially register the 'European Cannabis Initiative,' marking a pivotal moment in cannabis policy advocacy across the continent | Cannabis Review, Ireland
Safeguarding Irish Communities Against Nitazenes
Feb 22, 2024 12:00 PM in London. In November 2023, Ireland experienced its first overdose outbreak in Dublin following the emergence of N-Pyrrolidino protonitazene. This was followed by a second outbreak in Cork in December. More recently, a second batch has been identified for sale in Dublin. Service providers have been advised to monitor local trends and prepare for future drug market changes as these substances are likely to bring new challenges for front-line service providers. As part of responses, the HSE National Social Inclusion Office will host an educational webinar for front-line service providers. The aim is to increase knowledge among front-line service providers on the emergence of synthetic opioids in Europe and locally, raise awareness of the types of products, and provide advice on the recommended guidance provided by the HSE | HSE, Ireland
Single programming document 2024–2026
This single programming document (SPD) covers the period 2024-2026. It is presented in line with guidelines for the SPD and the consolidated annual activity report of decentralised agencies that were adopted by the European Commission on 20 April 2020. Within this template, the substantive work is structured around the three main areas of work defined in the EMCDDA Strategy 2025 — still in place during the first 2 years of the new programming period — namely health, security and business drivers | EMCDDA, Portugal
Changing landscapes: current and future developments in the field of Drug Consumption Rooms in Europe
At the 3rd International Symposium on Drug Consumption Rooms [DCRs], held at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, international professionals from a wide field of expertise gathered to discuss the role of these services within a human rights approach to drugs and drug use. This policy brief summarizes the day’s discussions to inform policy-makers on key topics and current developments in the field | C-EHRN, The Netherlands
Higher-dose naloxone spray didn't save more lives, researchers find
A new, higher-dose nasal spray for reversing opioid overdoses did not save more lives than the previous standard dose, but it did cause more vomiting and other side effects, researchers wrote in a study published Thursday | Medical Xpress, USA
Insula in focus: How stress affects alcohol cravings
A randomized controlled study conducted by researchers at the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) in Mannheim has examined the effects of stress on neural reactivity to alcohol cues and addiction behavior. The study involved 98 individuals with alcohol problems | Medical Xpress, USA
Cops Are Seizing More Mushrooms, as Public Interest in Psychedelics Grows
Police have seized increasing quantities of psilocybin mushrooms in recent years, new research has found. This has happened amid growing public interest in psychedelic drugs, and as some cities and states have rolled back associated criminal penalties. The enforcement figures underline the reasons for decriminalization, while raising the questions of whether they indicate that more people are using psilocybin—and if so, why | Filter Magazine, USA
B.C. to remove nicotine pouches from convenience stores
Nicotine pouches will be moving from convenience store shelves to behind the pharmacy counter in B.C., Premier David Eby and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced Wednesday | CTV News, Canada
Blogs, comment and opinion
WithYou responds to Minimum Unit Pricing in Scotland
Our policy lead for Scotland, Graeme Callander, says: “We welcome this uprating, which will keep prices in line with inflation and ensure that minimum unit pricing continues to be an effective measure in tackling our nation’s complex relationship with alcohol... | WithYou, UK
Vapes for smoking cessation and the antiseptic properties of iodine and chlorhexidine
Tom Nolan reviews the latest research | BMJ opinion, UK
“Wake Up Call”: How Police Drug Seizures Cause Overdoses
A former senior policeman has urged officers across the world to stop conducting searches and executing raids for drugs, describing evidence that more people die from overdoses after seizures of illegal drugs nearby as a “wake up call” | Talking Drugs, UK
David Nutt: Psychedelic drugs can treat addictions — it's time we got over our moralistic fears
Many people are aware of the recent resurgence of interest in psychedelics, from new studies in depression to Prince Harry’s use to deal with his psychological problems. What is less well-known is that psychedelics are now being used to treat addiction, especially alcoholism. And that has a long history | Evening Standard, UK
How Britain lost its war on drugs
[Subscription required - Free trial available] As a general practitioner (gp) in a deprived inner-city neighbourhood of Birmingham, Judith Yates had a close-up view of the evolution of Britain’s illegal drugs market. In the 1980s some of her poorest patients became addicted to Afghan heroin as it flooded the market. In the 1990s they made crack pipes from Coca-Cola cans and asthma inhalers. Some recovered. Others went in and out of prison, where they often became addicted to other drugs. Several died | Economist, UK
The government must not bow to industry pressure on smoking and vaping
Big Tobacco will try its hardest to prevent the ban on disposable vapes and the reduction of the legal smoking age | New Statesman, UK
New drug laws are a step in the right direction for NSW, but upcoming Drug Summit should progress these recommendations
A new approach to addressing minor drug possession in New South Wales – due to take effect from 29 February – is a step in the right direction, according to the state’s alcohol and other drugs agencies. But much more needs to be done to support and achieve better outcomes for people who use drugs, they caution | Croakey Health Media blog, Australia