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Daily news - 16th January 2024

UK news

Non-opiate and cannabis drug use in minority ethnic groups

This study explores non-opiate and cannabis drug use among minority ethnic groups in England and their support and treatment needs | NatCen, UK

New report reveals key features of no and low alcohol drinks market

‘No- and low-alcohol drinks in Great Britain: Monitoring report’ was produced as part of an NIHR-funded project which explores whether making non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks more available and popular in Great Britain can improve people’s health. The report draws on our analyses of commercial market research data along with our own survey data to provide a detailed description of the no/lo drinks market in Britain, who drinks these products and how that is changing over time. It also offers insights into key topics including pricing, market concentration and differences between the off-trade and on-trade sectors | SARG, UK

Support for a Public Health Levy on alcohol sales

Scottish Labour is calling for the implementation of a Public Health Levy on alcohol sales to ensure income generated by Minimum Unit Pricing can fund vital, life-saving treatment. Currently, additional revenue from MUP is lining the pockets of alcohol retailers | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK

Disposable vapes: Sheffield City Council calls for government ban

The council's leader Tom Hunt has sent a letter to Health Secretary Victoria Atkins this week over concerns about youth vaping. In the letter, Mr Hunt said disposable vapes should no longer be available to protect children and the environment | BBC, UK

Going Beyond: Homeless Link's practice podcast - series 4

Released in January 2024, Series 4 discusses approaches to supporting people experiencing homelessness who are using drugs and/or alcohol. The episodes cover the prevalence of use, harm reduction techniques, women’s use of substances, drug use in supported accommodation and barriers to engagement with treatment services | Homeless Link, UK

Sober after years of alcoholism, I was about to drink again. Elton John saved me

My addiction had almost destroyed me – and now I was on the brink of a relapse. Then I remembered how the star had turned his own life around | Guardian, UK

DULF Solidarity Demo

TODAY. Tuesday, January 16 · 3 - 5pm GMT. In Vancouver, the DULF Solidarity crew are holding a rally on Tuesday, January 16th at midday, Vancouver time - the day of Jeremy & Eris’ first scheduled court date. They have requested that other groups organise solidarity events to amplify their message | Release, UK

Cumbria: Nine on trial in 'truly massive' drug supply plot

Nine men were involved in a "truly massive" multimillion-pound cocaine supply plot, a jury has heard | BBC, UK

Festive drink and drug-drive arrests fall in Greater Manchester

Police said they arrested 507 drivers from 1 December to New Year's Day, a drop from the previous year of 536 | BBC, UK

International news

Olympics brings on its first beer brand as a global sponsor — Budweiser's AB InBev

The International Olympic Committee has signed the first beer brand in the 40-year history of a sponsorship program that earns billions of dollars for the organization and international sports | Independent, UK

Police scour coast for clues as cocaine bricks keep washing up on NSW beaches

About 213kg of suspected cocaine has been recovered from beaches including Newcastle, Avoca and Central Coast | Guardian, UK

Deaths among people who were homeless at time of death in Ireland, 2020

Based on national data from closed coronial files, the report shows that 121 people who were homeless died in 2020 – equivalent to 10 deaths per month, and an increase on the 2019 figure of 92. The analysis shows that those who died while homeless were much younger than the Irish average at the time of their death, with a median age of 36.5 for women and 42 for men. Almost all who died had a history of substance use or dependency, and there was a high prevalence of mental health and medical conditions | HRB, Ireland

Ireland’s first supervised injection centre to open later this year - audio

Eddie Mullins, CEO of Merchant's Quay speaks about the opening of Ireland’s first Medically Supervised Injection Facility by the end of September 2024 | RTe, Ireland

Launch: EU Drug Markets – heroin (EMCDDA-Europol Webinar)

24 JAN 2024. This webinar provides an overview of the EU heroin market, from production and trafficking, to distribution and use. Attention will be given to the recent developments in Afghanistan and their possible repercussions on the EU drug market. Finally, key findings will be presented and recommendations for action at EU and Member State level will be provided | EMCDDA, Portugal

FDA review supports reclassifying marijuana as less risky drug

Scientists from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration conclude in newly released documents that marijuana has less potential for abuse than other drugs with the same restrictions and it should be reclassified as a less dangerous drug | Medical Xpress, USA

The impact of cannabis on non-medical opioid use among individuals receiving pharmacotherapies for opioid use disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

There was no significant association between cannabis use and non-medical opioid use among patients receiving pharmacotherapies for opioid use disorder (OUD). These findings neither confirm concerns about cannabis increasing non-medical opioid use during MOUD, nor do they endorse its efficacy in decreasing non-medical opioid use with MOUD. This indicates a need for individualized approaches for cannabis use and challenges the requirement of cannabis abstinence to maintain OUD pharmacotherapies | American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, USA

Substance use disorders on the rise for survivors of specific cancers

The prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) seems to be elevated among survivors of certain types of cancer, according to a study published online Jan. 11 in JAMA Oncology | Medical Xpress, USA

Survey finds link between drug/cannabis use during pregnancy and certain childhood cancers

While the risks of drug use, smoking and drinking during pregnancy are widely accepted, a new survey of parents has identified clear associations between certain types of childhood cancers and gestational substance use, notably cannabis | Medical Xpress, USA

A surgeon general report once cleared the air about smoking. Is it time for one on vaping?

Sixty years ago, the U.S. surgeon general released a report that settled a longstanding public debate about the dangers of cigarettes and led to huge changes in smoking in America | Medical Xpress, USA

ANU chemists make Australian-first discovery of three new recreational drugs

Three new recreational drugs that have never been reported in Australia before have been identified by chemists at Australia’s only fixed-site drug checking service, CanTEST, located in Canberra | ANU, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

Nitazenes—heralding a second wave for the UK drug-related death crisis?

The UK is in the midst of a drug-related crisis. Likely contributory factors include: disinvestment in drug treatment, harm reduction, and public services; changing patterns of socioeconomic deprivation; increasing poly-drug use; and an ageing cohort of people who use heroin. The UK crisis has not reached the scale of that in the US where 106,699 overdose deaths were reported in 2021. The latest wave of the crisis in the US has been driven primarily by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, which were implicated in 88% of these deaths | Lancet comment, UK