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Daily news - 27th February 2024 |
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UK news
Teens 'forced into sex and crime to pay off drug debt, says bereaved mum
Young people in Northern Ireland are being forced into sex and criminality to pay off drug debts, a BBC Spotlight investigation has been told | BBC, UK
Smokers to be hit with another tobacco tax rise in upcoming Budget
It is understood Chancellor Jeremy Hunt could further ramp up duties on tobacco products in the March Budget | i news, UK
Cannabis and Psychosis - Podcast
In this episode, we are joined by Stephanie Coronado-Montoya. Steph is a PhD candidate in psychiatry and addiction at University of Montreal. Steph discusses her thesis and a brand new harm reduction intervention that is specifically aimed at people with psychosis who use cannabis | Barod, UK
Synthetic Opioids: Nitazenes in Focus
Mar 1, 2024 10:00 AM in London. There is increasing concern about the availability and risk of harm from synthetic opioids, and nitazenes in particular, as emerging drugs of concern. This webinar will discuss the challenges they present across the UK and Ireland, and what this means for Northern Ireland | ASCERT, UK
A match made in Scotland: the relationship between alcohol & football
Wed, 20 Mar 2024 12:45 - 14:00 GMT. Dr Richard Purves will explore the relationship between alcohol and football in Scotland in our first Alcohol Occasional seminar of 2024 | SHAAP, UK
Low Dead Space Syringes: Analysis and Benefits for People Who Inject Drugs
Mar 21, 2024 11:00 AM in London. Harm reduction services for people who inject drugs are essential interventions. There are many tools for HIV and HCV prevention amongst people who use drugs. Low dead space syringes and needles (LDSS) is one such tool. This discussion will explore the uses and benefits of LDSS syringes for people who inject drugs | HRI et al, UK
Take part in the world’s first hepatitis stigma survey
We’re looking for people with experience of hepatitis C and hepatitis B who are willing to take part in a survey about stigma | Hepatitis C Trust, UK
How does the script assist ‘find a doctor’ feature work?
What is Find a Doctor and how it is set to impact the medical cannabis industry? Paul North spoke to Arjun Rajyagor at Script Assist to find out | Volteface, UK
Crackdown on drug dealing in night time economy
A police operation cracking down on the dealing of Class A drugs was part of a move to “dismantle” the “empires” of organised crime groups, the chief constable has said | BBC, UK
Trading standards seize almost 2,000 illegal vapes
Trading standards officers have seized almost 2,000 illegal single-use vapes from five businesses | BBC, UK
Police find £920k of cannabis in empty shop in Ayr
Police Scotland said it was a "very significant recovery" and inquiries into the matter were ongoing | BBC, UK
International news
Predictors of treatment outcome for individuals with alcohol use disorder with a goal of controlled drinking
[Open access] Research is lacking on predictors of outcome for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) with a goal of controlled drinking (CD). The aim of the study was to investigate one-year outcomes of an RCT, investigating Behavioral Self-Control Training (BSCT) and Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) and predictors of positive outcome for weekly alcohol consumption, CD and symptom reduction in AUD | Addiction Science and Clinical Practice, UK
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $36.9 Million in Behavioral Health Funding Opportunities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), today announced $36.9 million in notices of funding opportunities for grant programs supporting behavioral health services across the U.S. These grant programs support the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities to address the overdose and mental health crises, key pillars of the Biden-Harris Unity Agenda | SAMHSA, USA
Use of Tobacco Products and Suicide Attempts Among Elementary School–Aged Children
This cohort study of 8988 preadolescent children enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study found statistically significant associations between children’s use of tobacco products and suicide attempts. These associations were partially related to increased negative urgency and remained significant after accounting for various demographic, socioeconomic, familial, and clinical risk factors of suicide. [See commentary in blogs section below] | JAMA Network Open, USA
Vaping can increase susceptibility to infection by SARS-CoV-2
Vapers are susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that spreads COVID-19 and continues to infect people around the world, a University of California, Riverside, study has found | UC Riverside, USA
Cannabis use policies are on the rise yet treatment for cannabis use disorder treatment remains low
Treatment for cannabis use disorder (CUD) decreased since 2004, particularly in states with medical cannabis dispensary provisions, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Specialty treatment for the disorder did not meaningfully change among people with past-year CUD in states with recreational cannabis legislation | Medical Xpress, USA
U.S. opioid deaths are out of control. Can safe injection sites help?
A new study will evaluate OnPoint NYC's two overdose prevention sites and another future site | Science News, USA
Poison center calls for 'magic mushrooms' spiked after decriminalization, study finds
Calls to U.S. poison centers involving psilocybin, or "magic mushrooms," among adolescents and young adults rose sharply after several U.S. cities and states began decriminalizing the hallucinogen, University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have found. The researchers have published their findings in the Journal of Adolescent Health | Medical Xpress, USA
Inside a Busy Safe Consumption Site in Portugal
We decided to create this safe space because the Mouraria neighborhood in Lisbon has always been heavily marked by drug use in the streets. At the beginning of 2022, there were changes in the needs of the community of people who use drugs. They were incessantly looking for safe places to use drugs without being exposed to the gaze of neighbors, tourists and the police | Filter Magazine, USA
CT Lawmakers Revive Psilocybin Decrim Bill, Despite Governor’s “Concerns”
Connecticut lawmakers have revived an effort to decriminalize low-level possession of psilocybin, despite the governor’s office recently indicating that it has concerns about the psychedelics reform | Filter Magazine, USA
Cannabis-involvement in emergency department visits for self-harm following medical and non-medical cannabis legalization
Cannabis use may increase the risk of self-harm, but whether legalization of cannabis is associated with changes in self-harm is unknown. We examined changes in cannabis-involvement in emergency department (ED) visits for self-harm after the liberalization of medical and legalization of non-medical cannabis in Canada | Journal of Affective Disorders, USA
Health utility among people who regularly use opioids in Australia
[Open access] Studies of health utilities among people who use opioids have mostly been based on in-treatment populations. We aim to report utility-based quality of life by participants' socio-demographic, drug and treatment characteristics, and to examine the determinants of health utility among people who use opioids regularly | DAR, Australia
‘We were all stuffed.’ did the Australian COVID-19 lockdowns exacerbate role-specific stress and alcohol use among working mothers? A qualitative analysis
[Open access] During COVID-19 lockdowns, women and parents were more likely to increase their alcohol use. Working mothers in particular faced additional stressors and roles that may have influenced how they drank. In this study, we explored how the experiences of Australian lockdowns affected drinking practices among a sample of working mothers | DEPP, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Expert reaction to smoking/vaping and suicide attempts among children
A study published in JAMA Network Open looks at the use of tobacco products and suicide attempts among children. Here xeprets give their reaction | Science Media Centre, UK
Cocaine Use in London's Financial Centre
In the shadow of towering skyscrapers and amidst the frenetic pace of the City, London's financial sector battles a less visible but equally formidable challenge: cocaine use among its professionals. This issue, while not new, continues to be a topic of concern, given the implications it has for individual health, corporate integrity, and industry-wide compliance | Tony D'Agostino, UK
Young people are drinking less in real life. But film and TV paints a different picture
The new Mean Girls is a fresh take on a classic teen comedy, this time appealing to a new audience: Gen Z. So how does the film paint the new generation? As one that loves to drink | Conversation, Australia