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Daily news - 5th March 2024

UK news

Drink and Drugs News - March 2024 - out now

The vice chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners says that addiction involves many complex problems and ‘the solutions won’t come from medicine alone’. She was speaking at the RCGP’s joint conference with Addiction Professionals... Prof Dame Carol Black tells us that we need to make our case for why a boost in funding has not had the desired impact on drug-related deaths. We have the evidence to fight for more funding – synthetic opioids are flooding the market, prison aftercare is under-resourced and inadequate, alcohol strategy is in its infancy, mental health and addiction services are not working in harmony as they should be, vital specialisms are draining away when they’re more needed that ever, the workforce is demoralised… to say there’s a lot to do is an understatement| DDN, UK

Cancer warning after big rise in people smoking pipes, shisha and cigars in UK

Greatest increase in non-cigarette tobacco in past decade was among young adults, researchers say | Guardian, UK

Four in five billboard ads in England and Wales in poorer areas

Exclusive: campaigners say outdoor ads pushing fast food, alcohol and more risk deepening health inequalities | Guardian, UK

Illegal drug use and organised crime

A Westminster Hall debate has been scheduled for 4.00pm on 6 March on illegal drug use and organised crime. The debate will be opened by Gregory Campbell MP. A briefing pack has been prepared for the debate | UK Parliament, UK

Our Pregabalin nightmare: Users of anti-anxiety drug reveal how it 'destroyed' their lives and side effects left them 'losing their minds' - as prescription medicine is linked to 3,400 deaths in five years

Professor Hamilton said: 'Pregabalin is something that has been around for decades but prescriptions have been kicked up since the early 2000s. That is when health professionals became concerned about it | Mail Online, UK

Senior councillors write to the prime minister to call for tobacco legislation

A senior group of councillors from across the political spectrum wrote to the prime minister on March 1, 2024, to urge him to publish the ‘Tobacco and Vapes Bill’ at the earliest opportunity | Dental Nursing, UK

Council to take used vapes with rubbish collections

After several bin lorry fires, a new service has been launched to collect residents’ used batteries and disposable vapes, a council said | BBC, UK

How can we improve the patient journey in the UK?

Monday, March 11 · 6 - 7pm GMT. The medical cannabis patient journey in the UK can be challenging. Join for a discussion on how barriers can best be addressed today | Volteface, UK

Thousands arrested in Devon and Cornwall drink and drug-drive crackdown

More than 3,000 drink and drug-drivers were arrested last year across Devon and Cornwall, police bosses say | BBC, UK

International news

[Open access] Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can provide objective and timely information on the use of new psychoactive substances (NPS), originally designed as legal alternatives of internationally controlled drugs. NPS have rapidly emerged on the global drug market, posing a challenge to drug policy and constituting a risk to public health. In this study, a WBE approach was applied to monitor the use of more than 300 NPS, together with fentanyl and its main metabolite norfentanyl, in influent wastewater collected from 12 European cities during March-June 2021 | Water Research, UK

Police seize 1.3 tons of cocaine hidden in frozen fish

Police have seized over 1.3 tons of cocaine hidden inside frozen fish due to be distributed across Europe, detaining seven men of different nationalities as part of a sting known as Operation Squid’ | Independent, UK

Trapped in treatment. Applying a public sector equality and human rights duty approach to the human rights and equality issues identified by service users of drug treatment services in the North-East Inner City (NEIC)

In 2022 ICON successfully secured funding from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) to carry out a project entitled ‘Applying a Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty Approach to the Human Rights and Equality Issues identified by Service Users of Drug Treatment Services in the North East Inner City (NEIC). The project aimed to apply a public sector equality and human rights approach to issues identified by service users of drug treatment projects in the NEIC... | CAN, SURIA, ICON, Ireland

New campaign to educate the general public on cannabis use and legislation

The government is to launch an educational campaign on the responsible use of cannabis | Independent, Malta

Depression & anxiety symptoms linked to vaping nicotine and THC in teens and young adults

A survey of more than 2,500 teens and young adults led by the American Heart Association found that vaping nicotine and THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana, was associated with self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety | American Heart Association, USA

Ketamine Clinics Diverge From APA Recommendations

The proliferation of ketamine clinics in the U.S. has veered far off course from the recommendations of the nation's premier psychiatric association when it comes to using the anesthetic to treat mood disorders, experts say | MedPage Today, USA

DNA aptamer drug sensors can instantly detect cocaine, heroin and fentanyl—even when combined with other drugs

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new generation of high-performance DNA aptamers and highly accurate drug sensors for cocaine and other opioids. The sensors are drug-specific and can detect trace amounts of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine—even when these drugs are mixed with other drugs or with cutting agents and adulterants such as caffeine, sugar, or procaine | Medical Xpress, USA

Why It Matters That Tobacco Harm Reduction Brightens Smiles

People who switch from cigarettes to smoke-free nicotine options have whiter smiles than those who continue to smoke, a study has found. Its implications are far more than just aesthetic | Filter Magazine, USA

Proceed with caution–the meteoric rise of 0% alcohol drinks

New research from Flinders University has revealed that parents are feeling conflicted, confused and concerned when it comes to zero-alcohol beer, wine and spirts and adolescents | Flinders University, Australia

Movendi International Calls on IOC to End Sponsorship Deal with Big Alcohol and Rather Prioritize Child Rights

Dear Mr. Bach, We all want to see our children healthy and happy. People care deeply about thriving children who grow up in safe and healthy environments to live up to their fullest potential. “Building a better world through sport” is the IOC vision, where sport is meant to serve humankind... | Movendi, Australia

Vaping triples among young Australian

There is growing concern young Australians are taking up e-cigarettes, with experts saying school students are motivated to vape by seeing their peers use the devices in “school bathrooms or playgrounds” | MJA Insight, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

Why do countries with high alcohol taxes still have high rates of alcohol harm?

There are a great many reasons for why alcohol tax rates vary so much across different European countries, and between product types within-country. This includes: historically varying levels of the production of different types of alcohol, protection of particular industries (e.g. wine industry in France), national income, political considerations, the reliance of governments on duty revenue, and public and political understanding of alcohol harm | IAS blog, UK

Rescheduling Marijuana Would Be a Huge Threat to Public Health

Kevin Sabet of Smart Approaches to Marijuana says policy makers need to learn from their mistakes with hemp when considering marijuana rescheduling | Bloomberg Law, USA

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