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Daily news - 28th February 2024 |
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UK news
Ministers consider new vaping tax at Budget next week
Currently, vaping products are subject to VAT - but unlike tobacco, they are not also subject to a dedicated levy | BBC, UK
Nearly 400,000 vape kits to be sent to smokers
Nearly 400,000 vape kits are set to be sent to smokers in England under the government’s swap-to-stop scheme, our sister title Healthcare Leader has exclusively revealed | Pharmacist, UK
Out in the open: Alcohol use and harm in LGBTQ+ communities
This report explores alcohol consumption, drinking behaviour, and experiences among gender and sexual minority individuals in the UK | Drinkaware, UK
Drug use: Calls for consumption room to 'prevent deaths'
There are fresh calls for a drug consumption room to be opened in Northern Ireland | BBC, UK
Health professional v Ethypharm - Poster about Naloxone
This case was in relation to a poster produced by Ethypharm that appeared on the side of a telephone booth. The Panel ruled breaches of the following Clauses of the 2021 Code because it considered that the poster, which included a website address as an integral part of the poster, advertised a prescription only medicine, naloxone, to the public. The Panel considered that the poster was not sufficiently balanced and, in addition, was likely to encourage members of the public to seek a specific formulation | PMCPA, USA
Efforts to reduce smoking in pregnancy in Norfolk praised
A scheme offering pregnant mothers incentives to quit smoking could be rolled out across Norfolk. Women who actively participated were offered £250 in shopping vouchers | BBC, UK
From harm to hope: first annual report 2022 to 2023
Updated: An update has been made to the table 'Reduce drug-related crime' on page 35, correcting the baseline figure for Neighbourhood crime from 2.96m incidents (Apr 19-Mar 20) to 1.96m incidents (Apr 19-Mar 20) and added a correction slip | Home Office, UK
Young Offenders: Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are existing screening practices in place in the youth secure estate to diagnose young offenders who may have Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder | They work for you, UK
Cannabis
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been prosecuted for possession of cannabis since 1 January 2020 | They work for you, UK
Faith, Families and Recovery Forum
Tue 5th March 2024. Hosted by Adfam and Alcohol Change UK. David Barry is a trustee of Quaker Action on Alcohol and Drugs (QAAD) and he’ll be speaking frankly about the years he lost to alcohol, and about the role that faith has played in his life and his recovery | Alcohol Change UK, UK
'Over-sized' vapes 16 times legal limit seized
Mark Keal, head of the county's trading standards, said some vapes contained up to 10,000 puffs - more than 16 times the legal limit | BBC, UK
Folkestone and Hythe: Vapes and illegal tobacco seized
Authorities in Kent seized illegal tobacco goods including vapes in a "day of disruption" in Folkestone and Hythe | BBC, UK
Edwalton: Drug dealer hid stash in baked beans tins
A drug dealer hid bags of cocaine inside baked beans tins which he had resealed | BBC, UK
International news
Rotterdam mayor calls for end to lax stance on middle-class drug use
Europe has been ‘negligent,’ as an acceptance of cocaine and cannabis leads to corruption, violence, and misery, says Aboutaleb | Guardian, UK
Six-year Dutch trial ends in life sentence for cocaine cartel leader
Ridouan Taghi among three gang members given life terms with 14 others given lesser sentences | Guardian, UK
New Zealand repeals world-first smoking ban passed by Jacinda Ardern
New Zealand is repealing the world’s first smoking ban passed under former prime minister Jacinda Arden’s government to pave the way for a smoke-free generation amid backlash from researchers and campaigners over its risk to Indigenous people | Independent, UK
‘Kids are doing this everywhere’: New Zealand wrestles with rise of primary school vaping
Principals, youth workers and parents are seeing the effects of vaping in the classroom, and at ever younger ages | Guardian, UK
Major manhunt after hundreds of drug addicts escape Vietnam rehab clinic
Mass breakout happened after a fight distracted guards in the night | Independent, UK
Drug cautions ‘clearly not working’ as cannabis possession charges top 17,000
A system that aims to reduce the number of people brought to court for possession of controlled drugs such as cannabis is “clearly not doing what it was meant to do” | Breaking News, Ireland
First-ever public database of nationwide opioid transactions
From 2006 to 2019, more than 100 metric tons of prescription opioid pain relievers—roughly the weight of a loaded Boeing 757-200 aircraft—were dispensed to individuals across Indiana. Widespread opioid use is leading to devastating socioeconomic and health challenges, but organizations and policymakers working to fix the problem have not had a clear picture of opioid manufacture and travel | Medical Xpress, USA
Study reveals parental smoking and childhood obesity link transcends socio-economic boundaries
A study into parental smoking and childhood obesity has challenged previous notions by revealing that the links between the two are not confined to a specific socio-economic group | EurekAlert, USA
Effect of a Co-Located Bridging Recovery Initiative on Hospital Length of Stay Among Patients With Opioid Use Disorder
Does referring inpatients with opioid use disorder (OUD) from a hospital addiction consultation service to a co-located outpatient bridge clinic have an effect on hospital length of stay (LOS) compared with usual care? | JAMA Network Open, USA
CBD shown to ease anxiety without the risks that can come with THC
Cannabis products high in the nonintoxicating compound CBD can quell anxiety better than THC-dominant products—and without the potential side effects, new CU Boulder research suggests | University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
New England Journal of Medicine Backs Vapes as Harm Reduction
Earlier in February, the New England Journal of Medicine published both a study highlighting the harm reduction efficacy of vapes and an accompanying editorial, stating that “US public health agencies and professional medical societies should reconsider their cautious positions on e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.” | Filter Magazine, USA
Many Drug Users Aren’t Protected by “Good Samaritan” Laws
Kansas, one of the last two states without a “Good Samaritan” law for drug overdose, is poised to enact one. House Bill 2487 advanced to the Senate on February 22, where it is reportedly expected to pass. On paper, this would leave Wyoming as the only state that doesn’t encourage people to call emergency medical services at the scene of an OD by promising them legal immunity. In practice, while all these laws vary hugely from one state to the next, none of them are really designed to protect the people who most need legal immunity | Filter Magazine, USA
Strong support for tightening restrictions on alcohol delivery services, survey shows
A survey of Canberrans found there is strong support for restrictions on alcohol delivery services like reduced opening hours or a safety pause | abc.net.au, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Hundreds of thousands of US infants every year pay the consequences of prenatal exposure to drugs, a growing crisis particularly in rural America
Nearly 1 in 12 newborns in the United States in 2020 – or about 300,000 infants – were exposed to alcohol, opioids, marijuana or cocaine before they were born. Exposure to these substances puts these newborns at a higher risk for premature birth, low birth weight and a variety of physical and mental disabilities | Conversation, USA
Governments must avoid policies that stigmatize those recovering from addiction
British Columbia is experiencing an unprecedented opioid crisis. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death in the province for those aged 10 to 59. B.C., and all of Canada, are trying hard to help those with substance abuse problems and addictions | Conversation, Canada