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Daily news - 22nd February 2024 |
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UK news
More drug than drink-driving arrests by some forces
An increasing number of people are getting behind the wheel after using cannabis and cocaine, according to one of Britain's top police officers. [See also 5 Questions On The Drug-Driving "Epidemic" - audio] | BBC, UK
iQuit - Stopping smoking when you're pregnant
A leaflet with advice on why and how to stop smoking during pregnancy | Public Health Scotland, UK
Drinkaware releases free guide to help pubs and bars boost sales of low and alcohol-free drinks
Drinkaware has partnered with Punch Pubs & Co, Star Pubs & Bars, Admiral Taverns and Club Soda to create an interactive guide to increase sales of low and alcohol-free drinks. The guide will be distributed to more than 5,200 venues across the UK | Drinkaware, UK
Oral Tobacco: Regulation
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to regulate the marketing and advertising of tobacco-free nicotine pouches | They work for you, UK
Electronic Cigarettes: Advertising
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of advertising vape products (a) in sports venues and (b) on sports kits on health outcomes | They work for you, UK
Drug Education Forum Spring 2024 Launch Event
Wed, 20 Mar 2024 15:30 - 17:00 GMT. The Drug Education Forum is a new national community of drug education professionals from across the UK who are committed to the provision of excellent, evidence-based, age-appropriate drug education to children and young people. The keynote speaker is Prof Harry Sumnall, a Professor in Substance Use in the School of Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University. The programme includes three short spotlights on different models of drug education and harm reduction from across the UK | Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, UK
International news
EU chief quietly kills ‘nanny-state’ policies with eye on election
From pesticides to alcohol labeling, Ursula von der Leyen is taking an axe to any potentially vote-losing policies | Politico, UK
How Oregon turned on its own trailblazing drug law: ‘not the utopia we were promised’
Three years ago, the state began a novel social experiment that put treatment over punishment – then came the backlash | Guardian, UK
Hunter Biden lawyers say prosecutors confused photo of sawdust for cocaine
President’s son claims use of picture shows prosecutors’ evidence against him shouldn’t be taken at face value | Guardian, UK
Czech Republic To Ban HHC Products Amid Child Hospitalizations
The Czech Republic has temporarily banned HHC products amid the hospitalization of dozens of children. The Czech Minister of Agriculture, Marek Výborný, has recently announced that the government has initiated the process of banning HHC products by adding them to the list of prohibited addictive substances. However, local news websites report that the precise start date of the ban remains unclear, pending notification by the European Commission | Forbes, USA
Germany Finally Legalizing Cannabis: Law To Pass This Week And Take Effect In April
In a first step toward a broader legalization of cannabis, and after long delays due to strong opposition from lawmakers in the ruling coalition, Germany is set to approve the decriminalizing of cannabis for recreational use by parliament on Friday, paving the way to take effect on April 1 (and not an April Fool’s Day joke) | Forbes, USA
More than 40% of Americans know someone who has died of a drug overdose
More than 40% of Americans know someone who has died of a drug overdose and about one-third of those individuals say their lives were disrupted by the death, according to a new RAND study | Medical Xpress, USA
Construction Industry Grapples With Its Top Killer: Drug Overdose
[Free registration required] Construction workers are more likely to die of overdose than workers in any other occupation, forcing the industry to rethink its approach to safety | NYTimes, USA
Heavy alcohol, drug use linked to increased risk of falls among people with HIV
The consequences of a fall can be devastating, particularly among people who are at higher risk of a fracture such as people with HIV. Alcohol consumption and drug use are important risk factors for falls or fractures, but there are no standard medical guidelines on the level of consumption or type of alcohol or other drug use (AOD) that increases one's risk for falls and fall-related injuries, particularly among populations with conditions that already affect balance | Medical Xpress, USA
At Hostile COP10, Threats to Tobacco Harm Reduction Postponed
The worst threats of the World Health Organization’s COP10 tobacco control conference to global harm reduction access were averted, for now. The WHO’s 10th Conference of the Parties to its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) finally took place in Panama from February 5-10 | Filter Magazine, USA
My Benzo Withdrawals Induced Delirium, I’ve Come to Understand
I’ve always enjoyed using benzodiazepines. These depressants—the best known are pharmaceutical brands like Xanax, Valium and Ativan—produce a distinct type of sedation, as well as physical benefits like relieving muscle spasms and reducing seizures. For me, they can switch off anxiety like no other drug | Filter Magazine, USA
Here’s cheers…are our alcohol and music habits out of tune?
La Trobe researchers identified that alcohol is referenced in around a quarter of popular songs and nearly a third of music videos according to an article published in Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research journal | La Trobe University, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Portman Group and YouGov Low and No Alcohol Consumer Trends Report: A New Era of Mindful Consumption
The Portman Group’s latest survey, conducted by YouGov in 2023, marks a pivotal shift towards low and no alcohol consumption across the UK. As the market for these alternatives expands, understanding consumer motivations, behaviours, and preferences becomes crucial for stakeholders across the spectrum | Portman Group blog, UK
New script assist app launches find a doctor
The Script Assist app has launched a brand new ‘Find a Doctor’ feature – revolutionising the patient journey by enabling patients to effortlessly select a specialist condition specific doctor in the private sector and start a seamless prescribing journey, all in the app | Volteface, UK
Blog: Alcohol-related liver disease on the island of Ireland – conversations on a silent epidemic
In this blog, IPH Public Health Development Officer, Dr Joanna Purdy, shares insights from a recent seminar on alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) on the island of Ireland | IPH, Ireland
Nearly 2 million Americans are using kratom yearly, but it is banned in multiple states: A pharmacologist explains the controversy
Kratom doesn’t contain just one active ingredient; rather, it is made up of many substances that induce effects in the body. This is very common for natural products, since the cells of the plant make a variety of chemicals for different purposes | Conversation, USA
Lagos: drugs, firearms and youth unemployment are creating a lethal cocktail in Nigeria’s commercial capital
My research identified various drivers of insecurity in Lagos. They included youth migration and unemployment; inequality and poverty; the visible network of organised youth criminal groups; proliferation of small arms and drugs; inadequate preparedness of the city government; police corruption; the high rate of out-of-school children; and poor urban planning | Conversation, Nigeria