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Daily news - 16th July 2024 |
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UK news
“I would never go to the doctor and speak about steroids”: Anabolic androgenic steroids, stigma and harm
[Open access] This investigation explores the concept of stigma related to people who use anabolic-androgenic steroids when accessing healthcare services. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are used by subsections of the population and have been associated with various health harms. Responding to associated health risks, within the UK, harm reduction and healthcare service provisions have been established. Although these services provide essential support, various barriers, including stigma, exist which can limit engagement with them | DEPP, UK
HOPE will play a crucial role in reducing drug-related harm in Highland
The Highland Alcohol and Drugs Partnership is encouraging people to download an app which aims to help reduce drug-related harm in Highland. The Highland Overdose Prevention and Engagement (HOPE) app has been downloaded by over 1,300 people since it was launched three years ago | NHS Highland, UK
Inside Belfast's Deadly Benzos Boom
Decades of armed conflict have shaped Northern Ireland’s drug scene, which has seen an alarming recent increase in overdoses | VICE, UK
Humankind celebrates Disability Pride Month 2024
“Disability Pride is really about changing perceptions, ending stigma, and recognising that disability is a really natural part of human diversity.” Joseph Alderdice, Humankind Inclusion Manager | Humankind, UK
Mike Trace Opens UKESAD’s 20th Anniversary Conference
On July 1st and 2nd, 2024, the Chelsea Harbour Hotel in London was a hive of recovery-focused activity. Over 300 practitioners and professionals in addiction treatment gathered for the 20th Anniversary of the UKESAD Conference. This year's conference was especially significant as it marked two decades of collaboration, learning, and innovation in addiction treatment | Forward Trust, UK
Spiking to be made specific offence in King's Speech
The government is set to introduce a new law to make spiking a specific criminal offence in this week's King's Speech | BBC, UK
Police launch campaign to tackle drink and drug drivers
Seven people are arrested every day for drink-driving offences in Lancashire, new figures have shown | BBC, UK
Drug dealers jailed over county lines operation
Two men have been jailed for conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine to a North Yorkshire town | BBC, UK
International news
Drug Use and Current Alternatives to Coercive Sanctions in Ireland
This report maps the existing alternatives to coercive sanctions for people found in possession of controlled drugs for personal use in Ireland. The report was commissioned and published by Strategic Implementation Group 5 (SIG-5), a subcommittee within the National Drugs Strategy structures, and produced by the Centre for Justice Innovation | Centre for Justice Innovation, UK
Wiz Khalifa arrested in Romania for drug possession after smoking cannabis onstage
The “See You Again” rapper, 36, was seen smoking the substance in footage shared to social media after his performance and was later charged with “illegal possession of high-risk drugs” a press release from Romanian law enforcement later confirmed in a statement | Independent, UK
Webinar recording | The role of cities in promoting more just and effective drug policies
As interest in a new approach to deliver more just and effective drug policies grows, cities face significant challenges in finding room to design new drug policies and in their implementation...This webinar addresses the important role of cities in forming progressive drug policies and discusses how cities can collaborate and push for positive change in cooperation with international partners and institutions | C-EHRN, The Netherlands
The State of Alcohol Policy in the World: Discussing Key Findings of the WHO Global Alcohol Status Report 2024
Together host Maik Dünnbier and Maristela talk about the state of alcohol policy in the world. Recently, the World Health Organization released the Global Alcohol Status Report 2024 and Maristela and Maik discuss the key findings of the report and talk about what it all means for alcohol policy advocacy | Movendi, Sweden
Visualizing addiction: How new research could change the way we fight the opioid epidemic
New research from a Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience researcher could transform how we understand the way opioids affect the brain. Despite significant discussion surrounding the ongoing opioid crisis, current understanding of how opioids function in the brain is quite limited. This is primarily due to challenges in observing and measuring opioid effects in the brain in real-time | Medical Xpress, USA
In Sweden, Where Tobacco Deaths Fell Dramatically, Nicotine Isn’t the Enemy
About one in four Swedes use nicotine products, which is comparable to the rest of Europe. But Sweden sees 44 percent fewer tobacco-related deaths per capita, according to a recent report. The difference, say the authors of “No Smoke Less Harm,” is that Sweden has embraced snus and nicotine pouches, both of which are smoke-free products that are far less harmful than cigarettes | Filter Magazine, USA
How Iron Law of Prohibition Works in Prisons, Where Everything’s Prohibited
When I got off the chain bus at Washington State Penitentiary in 1995, the first thing that happened was someone I knew offered me a smoke. Later he brought two pouches of Top rolling tobacco and a bag of Keefe coffee, saying that should help until my belongings arrived | Filter Magazine, USA
Acute effects of cannabigerol on anxiety, stress, and mood: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, field trial
Cannabigerol (CBG) is a phytocannabinoid increasing in popularity, with preclinical research indicating it has anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. However, there are no published clinical trials to corroborate these findings in humans. The primary objective of this study was to examine acute effects of CBG on anxiety, stress, and mood. Secondary objectives were to examine whether CBG produces subjective drug effects or motor and cognitive impairments | Scientific Reports, USA
'Urgency of our efforts': Overdose death of UVic student has led to safety changes at Ontario schools
Ontario Education ministry tells universities and colleges to update overdose prevention policies after Sidney McIntyre-Starko's death | Vancouver Sun, Canada
New Study Highlights Concerns Over Alcohol Advertising During Australian Sports Broadcasts
A new study published in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia has revealed some troubling insights into the prevalence and impact of alcohol advertising during high-viewership sports broadcasts. The study found that while these advertisements are not overwhelmingly present, they have the potential to have a serious impact on “risky drinkers” | B&T, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Tackling drugs epidemic requires seeking ideas from those in the know
It’s no secret that Northern Ireland has a major problem with drug addiction.
And it’s also no secret that the struggle with how to deal with it continues | Belfast Telegraph opinion, UK
Avoidable deaths have increased in the UK: the damning data political parties aren’t discussing
One question that British voters may have asked themselves during the 2024 election campaign is whether they are any better off now than they were in 2010 when the Conservative-led coalition came to power. A recent poll reveals that most Britons (73%) think they are not | Conversation, UK
Topic From the Field: The “Rat Park” Experiment
Recently, I was asked if I had heard some comments about, “Almost everything you think you know about addiction being wrong…”, and what I thought about those comments... | Recovery Review blog, USA
Everyone deserves addiction treatment that works — including those in jail
The overdose crisis is claiming lives across the United States, but it reaches new depths of despair in the criminal justice system. Overdose is the leading cause of death among people returning to their communities after being in jail or prison. Providing addiction treatment in these settings could change that | NIDA blog, USA