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Daily news - 4th June 2024 |
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UK news
DDN June 2024 - out now
Drug consumption rooms are about so much more than needles. As discussion among people involved in facilities around Europe showed (p6), we have a timely opportunity here – to integrate harm reduction with our work on new substances and new risk behaviours and get in place environments that work on so many levels | DDN, UK
New poll shows EVERY parliamentary constituency in Great Britain backs phasing out sale of tobacco
Support in Great Britain averaged 69%, and ranged between 57% and 74% for individual constituencies. Two thirds of 11-15 year olds also back the ban – the first generation to whom the sale of tobacco will be banned | ASH, UK
Charities call on next government to revive ban on smoking ‘as priority’
It comes as analysis reveals majority of Britons back plans to phase out sale of tobacco | Independent, UK
Perspectives of people experiencing homelessness with recent non-fatal street drug overdose on the Pharmacist and Homeless Outreach Engagement and Non-medical Independent prescribing Rx (PHOENIx) intervention
[Open access] An earlier report had established the feasibility of implementing and evaluating assertive outreach for some of Glasgow's most vulnerable drug users, combining pharmacy and homelessness practitioners to offer holistic support. This report explores the users' views of an intervention they found plugged gaps left by usual services. | PLOS One, UK
The Sober Diaries: Socialising without alcohol
After giving up alcohol in January, the way that I socialise has slowly started to change. I recently cancelled going to a party where I only knew the host. If I had been drinking, I would have gone. But that evening, I lacked the confidence to meet a group of new people without a glass of wine in my hand | BBC, UK
Adfam at 40 – Justina Murray: Supporting Families in Scotland
2024 marks a special year for Adfam as we celebrate our 40th year. Over the course of 2024 we are releasing a series of monthly articles, reflecting on Adfam’s forty years, where things have improved for families, and where we still have progress to make. Along the way we’ll be speaking to a range of key people that have been active in supporting families affected by substance misuse throughout those years. For our fourth Adfam at 40 article we speak with Justina Murray, Chief Executive of Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs | Adfam, UK
Turning Point celebrates 60 years of social enterprise with exhibition at Kensington Palace
We are delighted to announce the upcoming exhibition, ‘The Story of Turning Point in 60 Objects,’ as part of our 60th anniversary celebration. This retrospective event, set to take place from 3rd to 7th June at the newly opened Clore Learning Centre at Kensington Palace | Turning Point, UK
Drug user who admitted dealing in cocaine and ecstasy jailed
A drug user who admitted dealing in cocaine and ecstasy has been jailed for 31 months | BBC, UK
Former prison officer admits to drugs charges
A former prison officer at HMP Parc in Bridgend has admitted to a number of drugs-related charges, including misconduct while acting as a public officer, South Wales Police said | BBC, UK
International news
Has Africa’s response to drug and alcohol abuse been effective? - audio
In today’s episode, Mpho Lakaje speaks to a 36-year-old South African man who uses a drug called Nyaope or Whoonga. It’s a type of black tar heroin often mixed with other powdered substances that include cleaning chemicals | BBC, UK
Harm reduction programmes for people who inject drugs in Nigeria: Challenges in implementation and sustainability (PDF)
Nigeria has long been listed among subSaharan African countries with an increasing prevalence of injecting drug use. According to a 2018 national survey of drug use, there were an estimated 80, 000 PWID in Nigeria.This is reported to be one of the highest PWID populations in the sub-region | GDPO et al, UK
Effects of moderate alcohol consumption and hypobaric hypoxia: implications for passengers’ sleep, oxygen saturation and heart rate on long-haul flights
[Open access] Passengers on long-haul flights frequently consume alcohol. Inflight sleep exacerbates the fall in blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) caused by the decreased oxygen partial pressure in the cabin. We investigated the combined influence of alcohol and hypobaric hypoxia on sleep, SpO2 and heart rate | BMJ Thorax, UK
Trial begins for Hunter Biden on charge of lying about illegal drug use
Hunter Biden is charged with lying about his illegal drug use when buying a handgun in 2018, which would be a felony | Journal, Ireland
The State of Cannabis Reform in Europe | Interview with Tom Blickman at the UN
In this interview, filmed at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, we discussed current developments of cannabis policy reform in Europe with Tom Blickman from the Transnational Institute | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Matthew Perry and the ketamine boom: Expensive, dangerous and very 'en vogue'
When Los Angeles County medical examiners worked last year to determine how Matthew Perry died, they discovered something startling. The amount of ketamine in Perry's bloodstream was about the same as what would be used during general anesthesia, his autopsy showed | Medical Xpress, USA
New National Drug Control Strategy: Almost More Harm Reduction Access
In 2022, the White House released a National Drug Control Strategy that it widely touted as the “first-ever to champion harm reduction.” Led by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), its harm reduction priorities were expanding access to naloxone, drug-checking and syringe service programs (SSP). In its first Strategy update since then, ONDCP reports that access was successfully expanded, except to places where it didn’t already exist | Filter Magazine, USA
Study finds semaglutide associated with reduction in incidence and recurrence of alcohol-use disorder
A new study by researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine reveals that the popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic are linked to reduced incidence and recurrence of alcohol abuse or dependence | Medical Xpress, USA
Scientists Find a Cannabis Compound Inside Totally Different Plant
Scientists have discovered cannabidiol, a compound in cannabis known as CBD, in a common Brazilian plant, opening potential new avenues to produce the increasingly popular substance | Science Alert, USA
BRAVE move helps make main Guelph library a little safer
BRAVE sensors, geared toward overdose prevention efforts, now active in washroom stalls at Guelph Public Library's main branch | Guelph Today, Canada
New research shows kids are targeted with alcohol, gambling and junk food ads online
The report, #Digital Youth – How children and young people are targeted with harmful product marketing online, found that the ads drive engagement with harmful and addictive products | FARE, Australia
Clinical trial to assess world first methamphetamine withdrawal treatment
Australian researchers have been awarded $2.2 million to trial a stimulant medication for the treatment of withdrawal in people with methamphetamine use disorder | Cosmos, Australia
Effectiveness of a universal, school-based, online programme for the prevention of anxiety, depression, and substance misuse among adolescents in Australia: 72-month outcomes from a cluster-randomised controlled trial
[Open access] After its 6000-plus participants were followed up into early adulthood, a large-scale trial of extensive secondary-school lessons intended to prevent substance use and mental health problems concluded that "a universal prevention programme in adolescence is not sufficient to have lasting effects on mental health and substance use disorders in the long term" | Lancet, Australia
Monograph No 36: The Australian ‘drug budget’: Government drug policy expenditure 2021/22
This report provides an estimate of Australian governments’ proactive expenditure on illicit drugs for the financial year 2021/22. Four drug policy domains were included: prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and law enforcement. A top-down approach was employed to derive estimates, which was possible for prevention, treatment, and law enforcement. A bottom-up approach was employed to derive estimates for the domain of harm reduction | UNSW, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Analysing the evidence for cannabis legalisation
Prior to the legalisation of cannabis, many of the same talking points were used to produce fear around policy change. Whether these arguments were based on cultural, behavioural, or psychological concerns, over a decade later one would expect any of the concerns around cannabis legalisation to be visible in jurisdictions that have gone through with reform. This article will examine the data behind a variety of assertions to determine whether cannabis legalisation has played out as expected | Volteface, UK