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Daily news - 3rd July 2024 |
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UK news
Coroner's 'grave concerns' over online drug sales
A coroner has expressed “grave concerns” over the ability to buy “powerful” drugs online following the death of a man in Leicestershire. Nigel Dixon, 64, died from an overdose of two medications in February 2023. The former army veteran bought one of the medications online in larger doses than would usually be prescribed by a GP | BBC, UK
Quarter of mental health cases linked to cannabis [Guernsey]
One in four admissions to Guernsey's adult mental health ward in 2023 were likely to be linked to cannabis use, a States report has found. This compares with 4% of cases in 2019, when medicinal cannabis prescriptions were introduced. The figures within the mental health strategy annual report, external are based on "clinical judgement" | BBC, UK
Recovery Street Film Festival 2024
We are inviting anyone who is directly or indirectly affected by drug or alcohol use (individuals, family members, friends, professionals) to make a film of one to three minutes in length and submit it for inclusion in the festival. The judges will be looking for the most original and imaginative approaches to telling stories of recovery, and films should show a link to our theme of the year, ‘Belonging’. Entries for the 2024 film festival will are open until the 31st August 2024 at 11:59pm | Phoenix Futures, UK
UK Recovery Walk 2024
Saturday 14 September, Crystal Palace Park, London. Join thousands of people in recovery, their families and friends for the biggest gathering of recovering people in Europe as we walk through the iconic Crystal Palace Park celebrating and advocating for recovery | FAVOR, UK
Trustees - Ophelia House, Women's residential
We are looking to appoint a new trustee to our Ophelia House at the Ley Community Subsidiary Board | Phoenix Futures, UK
Drugs gang jailed after cannabis raid on nightclub
Members of a drugs gang have been jailed after hundreds of cannabis plants were discovered inside an abandoned town centre nightclub | BBC, UK
Drug dealer who recruited children is jailed
Two youngsters had been enlisted by Liam Atkins to supply Class A drugs in Southend from October, Essex Police said. The force said Atkins was linked to the Pedro drugs line which operated from the West Midlands into rural Worcestershire | BBC, UK
International news
What is Kava?
Unlike most substances reviewed at Drug Science, kava is not simply a drug, but inclusive of wider cultural understandings including practice, therefore defying a narrow definition script | Drug Science, UK
Predictors of alcohol and other drug treatment completion among young people accessing residential and community-based treatment: A retrospective analysis of routinely collected service data
[Open access] Young people accessing alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment experience high rates of treatment disengagement, contributing to poorer outcomes. To improve outcomes, it is important to identify factors associated with treatment retention. This study measured the relationships between client characteristics, treatment characteristics, clinical severity measures and completion of treatment among young people | Addiction, UK
Drug use and current alternatives to coercive sanctions in Ireland. Mapping the existing alternatives to coercive sanctions for people found in possession of controlled drugs for personal use
The report identified and mapped nine current alternatives in Ireland to coercive sanctions for people who are found in possession of controlled drugs for personal use. These initiatives include the Garda Adult Caution Scheme, Diversionary measures, the Dublin Drug Treatment Courts and the Law Engagement and Assisted Recovery (LEAR) Programme | Centre for Justice Innovation, Ireland
New European Union Drugs Agency starts work with broader mandate
[Yesterday], the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) officially started work in Lisbon replacing the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). The development is the result of legislation entering into application, which revises the EMCDDA mandate and name and formally establishes the EUDA. With new tools and competencies, the EUDA will play a key role in strengthening the EU's response to emerging health and security challenges posed by illicit drugs | EUDA, Portugal
Supreme court to hear case challenging FDA's ban of flavored vapes
In a case that will test the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's authority to approve or reject new vaping products, the U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday it will weigh whether the agency was legally allowed to ban flavored e-cigarettes | Medical Xpress, USA
Medical boards often lenient on doctors overprescribing opioids, research finds
Researchers looked at over 100 cases of misconduct involving the overprescription of opioid drugs in an anonymized US state. The study investigated professional bodies composed predominantly of doctors tasked with assessing and disciplining physician misconduct | Medical Xpress, USA
Financial Incentives for Smoking Cessation Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Adults
A study published today by a University of Oklahoma researcher shows that financial incentives can make a big difference in helping smokers quit | JAMA Network Open, USA
Researchers find that gratitude is a useful emotional tool in reducing desire to smoke
Smoking continues to rank as the foremost preventable cause of premature death. In a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Harvard researchers report findings that evoking feelings of gratitude in people who smoke helps reduce their urge to smoke, and increases their likelihood of enrollment in a smoking cessation program | Medical Xpress, USA
Predictability of buprenorphine-naloxone treatment retention: A multi-site analysis combining electronic health records and machine learning
[Open access] Opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid dependence lead to significant morbidity and mortality, yet treatment retention, crucial for the effectiveness of medications like buprenorphine-naloxone, remains unpredictable. Our objective was to determine the predictability of 6-month retention in buprenorphine-naloxone treatment using electronic health record (EHR) data from diverse clinical settings and to identify key predictors | Addiction, USA
Does an intervention for concerned significant others increase treatment seeking for treatment resistant young adults?
Treatment engagement is particularly low among young adults. Community Reinforcement Approach and Family Training (CRAFT), a program designed to help concerned significant others (e.g., spouses) improve the chances of treatment entry is proven to be useful for adults, but little is known about whether it can work with this more challenging young adult population. This study examined this very question pitting the CRAFT intervention against an active control condition | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Does access to fun activities support addiction recovery?
Access to fun activities is known to protect against substance use among people at risk addiction. This study explored how access to fun activities might also be protective in early recovery | Recovery Research Institute, USA
National Harm Reduction Coalition to Work on Smoking Cessation
It felt like a big deal to see Anthony Salandy, of the National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC), speak at a recent event in Washington, DC, about reducing smoking-related harms | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Is Youth Drinking Decline a Global Phenomenon? We Need More Evidence Beyond the Global North
Heavy and other hazardous drinking practices have significantly decreased among youth in many Western countries. A growing number of studies have also provided possible drivers of such drinking behaviours. However, there is insufficient evidence on this beyond North America and Europe | IAS blog, Uk
Issy's story: "Alcohol had stolen precious years from my life and my parent's."
Actress, content creator, and Alcohol Change UK Ambassador, Issy Hawkins, talks about her struggles with alcohol from being in rehab at the age of 21 to navigating an alco-centric world alcohol-free | Alcohol Change UK blog, UK