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Daily news - 8th July 2024

UK news

New law on child exploitation by drug dealers in Labour crime crackdown

The King’s speech, due on 17 July, is expected to outline measures including a new offence of child criminal exploitation, Labour sources confirmed, among a series of new laws and reforms across the policing and justice system | Guardian, UK

Speech: Statement from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

New Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP, delivers a statement setting out his mission for saving the NHS | DHSC, UK

Smoking a key lifestyle factor linked to cognitive decline among older adults

Smoking may be among the most important lifestyle factors affecting how quickly our cognitive skills decline as we age, suggests a new study led by UCL researchers | UCL, UK

Council funds detox unit despite rising costs

A drug detox service in Nottingham will continue to operate for another two years after the city council agreed to fund it again despite costs increasing | BBC, UK

Charities ‘must have a seat at the table’ – sector reacts to historic Labour landslide

NCVO chief executive Sarah Elliot said today that charities “must have a seat at the table” with the new government while NPC CEO Dan Corry said it was “vital that civil society has a strong voice in Whitehall” if Labour is going to be able to deliver on its missions | Civil Society, UK

'I had alcohol problems - now I'm addicted to gardening'

Gerry McCluskey was addicted to alcohol for years. It caused problems in family relationships, including with his children. He lost everything and found himself homeless. Now, less than a year later, he has replaced drinking with a new addiction - gardening | BBC, UK

Understanding Alcohol Harm: Julie - video

In this video, Julie describes how a family member's alcohol use impacted on her and the wider family. She talks about stress, financial pressures and impact on physical health and sleep | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK

Concerns raised around prison's drugs and violence

Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB) also said HMP Huntercombe's leaking healthcare facility was not fit for purpose, though it said the prison was a safe environment as a whole | BBC, UK

PSNI sniffer dogs patrol Belfast bus and train stations "to detect and deter drug misuse"

"Patrols such as these will take place spontaneously across Belfast Bus and Train stations" | Belfast Live, UK

Drug dog visits college to crack down on vapes

Devon and Cornwall Police said there had been an increase in young people buying illegal vapes containing drugs and often using them before attending school or college | BBC, UK

International news

Effectiveness of proactive video therapy for problematic alcohol use on treatment initiation, compliance, and alcohol intake: a randomised controlled trial in Denmark

[Open access] Psychosocial therapy delivered by therapists via an internet video link can be more engaging for problem drinkers than similar face-to-face therapy and at least as effective in reducing drinking. The results are seen as paving the way for greater access to treatment | Lancet, UK

Cannabis legalisation hampered by most German of substances: red tape

Activists say the rollout of laws permitting recreational use of the drug has been hampered by a ‘bureaucratic monster’ | Guardian, UK

Cannabis medications could be eligible for FDA approval under proposed DEA rules

For the first time, cannabis plant would drastically shift federal legal status from narcotic to regulated medication | Guardian, UK

US cities can now punish homelessness. Will it help or hurt a crisis?

"I still have 20 more minutes before I have to move," Anthony yelled from his green tent on a Hollywood sidewalk as he heard footsteps approaching | BBC, UK

WHO releases first-ever clinical treatment guideline for tobacco cessation in adults

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a comprehensive set of tobacco cessation interventions, including behavioural support delivered by health-care providers, digital cessation interventions and pharmacological treatments in a first guideline on tobacco cessation | WHO, Switzerland

Cooperation with Ecuador enhanced through new Working Arrangement

Through the agreement, the two parties have agreed to exchange expertise and data on new psychoactive substances (NPS) and establish and strengthen an Early Warning System on Drugs in Ecuador. They will also exchange best practices in health and social responses to drug issues, including prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and social integration | EUDA, Portugal

Will Europe Continue With ‘Harm Reduction’ Approach To Illicit Drugs After Political Shift To The Right?

At the official launch in Lisbon on Wednesday this week, the EUDA’s senior team were pressed on whether the shift to the right in Europe, following last month’s European elections, would damage its ability to deliver on a ‘harm reduction’ approach to illicit drugs. EUDA’s Executive Director Alexis Goosdeel acknowledged that this new political reality posed ‘risks’ | Business of Cannabis, USA

Randomized Controlled Trial on Imaginal Retraining for Problematic Alcohol Use: A Dismantling Study

[Open access] It would be wonderful if it worked. Can repeatedly imagining pushing away and rejecting alcoholic drinks help people who want to cut down? Despite trying eight variations of such an approach, in Germany none could be shown preferable to simply sitting on a waiting list for the intervention | Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, USA

Effectiveness of a self-help guide during a temporary alcohol abstinence challenge: a randomized controlled trial

[Open access] Challenging drinkers to do without for a month (as in the UK's 'Dry January') is a popular way to introduce the benefits of an alcohol-free life. Written guides could support more to complete the challenge and extend the gains over the following months, but no such effects were found in the Netherlands | Alcohol and Alcoholism, USA

Esketamine combined with a mindfulness-based intervention for individuals with alcohol problems

[Open access] At issue in this small English study was whether a form of the dissociative drug ketamine would promote engagement with mindfulness meditation among heavy-drinking students who wanted to cut down. It did, but without significantly affecting drinking and with only a transient impact on craving for alcohol | Journal of Psychopharmacology, USA

Engagement With a Mobile Chat-Based Intervention for Smoking Cessation

[Open access] In this secondary analysis of a cluster randomized clinical trial involving 624 cigarette smokers receiving chat-based smoking cessation support via mobile instant messaging for 3 months, 4 distinct engagement trajectories were identified. Higher level of engagement was associated with greater biochemically validated smoking abstinence at 3- and 6-month follow-ups | JAMA Network Open, USA

Preoperative vs Postoperative Opioid Prescriptions and Prolonged Opioid Refills Among US Youths

[Open access] In this cohort study, the percentage of youths or caregivers who filled initial and refill prescriptions declined; however, approximately 1 in 6 youths filled their opioid prescription before surgery, and 3.0% continued to fill prescriptions 91 to 180 days after surgery | JAMA Network Open, USA

Assessing the impact of jail-initiated medication for opioid use disorder: A multisite analysis of the SOMATICS collaborative

[Open access] Even with effective medications like methadone and long-acting naltrexone, offering prisoners pre-release and continuing treatment did not significantly affect return to opioid dependence in three US cities. Short-term, ‘take it or leave it’ post-release case management was generally insufficient to induce continued treatment | PLOS One, USA

VAADA and Harm Reduction Victoria Press Release | Victoria needs a potent synthetic opioids plan

Potent synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and nitazenes have contributed to the thousands of overdoses in other countries. In 2022, they contributed to approximately 80,000 fatal overdoses in the USA | VAADA, Australia

Stronger than fentanyl and heroin: Nitazenes are causing fear amongst Australian law enforcement and medical authorities

On the Tuesday after the Easter long weekend, Aboriginal peer worker Bec arrived at the Penrith needle and syringe exchange to see an unusual sight. A line-up around the corner of people waiting for the service to open. They were there to get take-home naloxone, a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose | abc.net.au, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

WithYou responds to the general election 2024

Simon Phillips, CEO of drug, alcohol and mental health charity WithYou, said: “Today, we give a warm welcome to our new Government and look forward to working with them to help more people get support for challenges with drugs, alcohol and mental health. “Whilst the increased investment in the drug and alcohol services in recent years has allowed us to be more innovative, support communities that are harder to reach and help more people, this additional and vital funding is coming to an end. There is still a lot more that needs to be done... | With You, UK

Action on drugs and alcohol: priorities for the next government

The General Election on 4th July 2024 is an opportunity for all political parties to commit to securing high quality drug and alcohol treatment for everyone who wants to access it. Our manifesto ‘asks’ set out how the next UK Government can achieve a step change in drug and alcohol treatment and change the lives of the people who use our services | Change Grow Live, UK