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Daily news - 13th June 2024

UK news

Crime here is hurting, whatever the statistics say

On a terraced street in Middlesbrough, a teenager in a mask takes out a a long kitchen knife from his trousers and says he’s prepared to use it. “It’s brutal round here, you have to be prepared, if you don’t stab them, they will stab you.” He is part of a group of young drug dealers, and I have no reason to doubt him. One of them says he was 14 when he started. Why? Money - they talk openly about how much they can make from selling heroin and crack cocaine | BBC, UK

Greater Glasgow has most cases of suspected drug deaths as Scotland sees 8% surge in 2024 so far

A whopping 1,219 deaths across Scotland were believed to be drug-related by officers from March 2023 until March 2024, 114 people more than the previous year | Glasgow Times, UK

Harm perceptions across vaping product features: An on-line cross-sectional survey of adults who smoke and/or vape in the United Kingdom

[Open access] Vaping products are diverse with a wide variety of features, and popular products change rapidly. This study examined the features and types of vaping products that people who smoke and/or vape perceive contribute to the health harms of vaping | Addiction, UK

States may raise prices to tackle 'drinking culture'

The States of Guernsey could raise alcohol prices to tackle the Bailiwick's drinking culture, according to a new report | BBC, UK

Disposable vapes could be banned in Jersey in 2025

The ban would come as part of the move to change the Single Use Plastics Law to include disposable vapes | BBC, UK

Warning over drug packets made to look like sweets

Parents are being warned to be vigilant after drugs concealed in pouches resembling sweet packets were seized in Dorset | BBC, UK

Street Drugs Discussions: CBD

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 12:00 - 14:00 BST. Curious about cannabidiol (CBD)? Join us in this webinar for a discussion where we'll explore: The nature and uses of CBD / Harms and Benefits / Law and / The modern wellness industry / Future directions and policy challenges | Drug Science, UK

Ambulance clinicians’ preparedness for handling alcohol-related call-outs

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 12:45 - 14:00 BST. Alcohol places a significant burden on UK ambulance services, with at least one-in-six ambulance call-outs in Scotland being alcohol-related. Ambulance staff in England have reported feeling inadequately prepared for alcohol-related call-outs in surveys, however no previous research has explored their views in-depth. We aimed to understand the perspectives of ambulance clinicians in Scotland on how they learn to handle the diverse needs of patients in alcohol-related call-outs | SHAAP, UK

Face to Face Session - Naloxone , Safer Injecting & Synthetic Opioids

Thu, 4 Jul 2024 11:00 - 17:00 BST and other dates. 31 Wardour Street London W1D 6PT. Learn how to use naloxone, inject safely, and stay informed about synthetic opioids in our face to face session | Turning Point Central London, UK

International news

‘Human rights don’t always prevent punitive approaches’

The SSA’s Natalie Davies talks to Dr Kate Seear about critiques of rights-based approaches to drugs policy | SSA, UK

A latent class analysis of international change and continuity in adolescent health and wellbeing: A repeat cross-sectional study

[Open access] Since the early 2000s, there have been marked trends in adolescent health and wellbeing indicators across Europe, North America and Australia. In particular, there have been substantial declines in youth drinking. We know little about how these trends are underpinned by co-occurring indicators within individuals. This paper aims to analyse change over time in how indicators cluster within individuals and differences in these patterns between five countries with different trends in youth drinking | PLOS One, UK

‘The cocaine superhighway’: how death and destruction mark drug’s path from South America to Europe

A once-peaceful country that does not produce the drug is now a war zone as gangs vie for control to meet European demand | Guardian, UK

Rare birds at risk as narco-gangs move into forests to evade capture – report

Cocaine traffickers have put two-thirds of Central America’s key habitats for threatened birds under threat, study finds | Guardian, UK

I was struggling with sex in my first queer relationship. Then we started taking mushrooms

Sex on mushrooms has heightened my sensitivity and helped me be more present and relaxed | Guardian, UK

Magic mushrooms helped a Navajo woman deal with trauma. Now she wants to help others

Marlena Robbins believes psilocybin could help treat mental health and addiction issues among Native Americans | Guardian, UK

British duo arrested after $6m of cocaine seized at Ghana airport

Two British citizens have been arrested after being accused of attempting to smuggle $6.48m (£5m) worth of cocaine from Ghana to London | BBC, UK

Just four industries cause 2.7 million deaths in the European Region every year

New WHO report highlights how big industry fuels chronic diseases, obstructs health policy and targets vulnerable people | WHO, Denmark

Severe Illness Potentially Associated with Consuming Diamond ShruumzTM Brand Chocolate Bars, Cones, and Gummies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), America’s Poison Centers , and state and local partners are investigating reports of severe acute illnesses potentially associated with consuming Diamond ShruumzTM brand chocolate bars, cones, and gummies marketed as containing a proprietary blend of mushroom | CDC, USA