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Daily news - 28th March 2024

We hope you have a good Easter holiday and will see you again on Tuesday.

UK news

Guidance: National Postmortem Toxicology Database: privacy notice

This privacy notice describes how we collect and use personal information about people who have died and have also had the presence of psychoactive drugs confirmed by a postmortem toxicological test commissioned by a coroner. It may be of interest to people at risk of drug-related death or the families of people who have died | OHID, UK

ACMD advice on acyl piperazine opioids, including 2-methyl-AP-237

This report has considered the harms and control of 2-methyl-AP-237 and other closely related acyl piperazine opioids | ACMD, UK

Dementia risk can be cut with drinking less alcohol and cutting risk of type 2 diabetes, new research suggests

40 per cent of dementia cases are potentially preventable, Dr Susan Mitchell, at Alzheimer’s Research UK | Independent, UK [See research here]

Cessation of smoking trial in the emergency department (CoSTED): protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial

[Open access] Attendees of emergency departments (EDs) have a higher than expected prevalence of smoking. ED attendance may be a good opportunity to prompt positive behaviour change, even for smokers not currently motivated to quit. This study aims to determine whether an opportunist smoking cessation intervention delivered in the ED can help daily smokers attending the ED quit smoking and is cost-effective | BMJ Open, UK

Use of ‘Elf Bar’ among youth and young adults who currently vape in England: cross-sectional associations with demographics, dependence indicators and reasons for use

[Open access] Elf Bar is currently the leading e-cigarette (vape) brand in Great Britain. This study examined youth and young adults’ use of Elf Bar, socio-demographic characteristics and dependence indicators and reasons for use over other brands | Addiction, UK

Families affected by drugs tell government officials that dealers should get tougher sentences

Families who have lost loved ones or have been affected by drugs are calling on the legal system to impose the maximum sentence for those who supply drugs | ITV, UK

Smoking and Vaping [Scottish Parliament]

The next item of business is a statement by Jenni Minto on working towards a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034 and tackling youth vaping | They work for you, UK

Crabs on cocaine and shrimps on speed: How raw sewage dumped in UK waters is damaging marine life

Professor Alex Ford, working alongside Dr Tom Miller of Brunel University, has been investigating the impact of one huge sewage pipe in Hampshire’s Langstone Harbour which carries the waste of some 400,000 Portsmouth residents | Independent, UK

Unmet Treatment Need: Survey of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Professionals

In her independent review of drugs, Dame Carol Black drew attention to out-of-treatment, problem drug and alcohol users. Our research has been funded to explore the obstacles to treatment faced by such people. We have already identified and interviewed out-of-treatment users in two case-study locations, and we are now keen to get the views of treatment providers nationally. We would be very grateful if you could fill out this short survey, the results of which will be fed back to policymakers in the Department of Health and Social Care | University of York, UK

Five arrested as police seize £2.3m cannabis haul

Police have seized a cannabis haul in the Scottish Borders with a potential street value of £2.3m | BBC, UK

Parc Prison: Three arrested for drug dealing offences

Police said a man, 40, from Birmingham, and a woman, 34, from Cardiff, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and money laundering | BBC, UK

International news

‘A perspective based on harm rather than deficits leads to very different policies and interventions’

Dr Shane O’Mahony is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Hertfordshire. His latest research examines perceptions of the social and economic factors that shape later experiences of drug-related harm among people who use drugs in the small Irish port city of Cork. Shane talks to the SSA’s Jess Duncan about ‘structural violence’ as a way to understand drug-related harms | SSA, UK

Son of Guinea-Bissau's ex-president jailed in US for trafficking drugs to fund coup

The son of Guinea-Bissau's ex-president has been sentenced to over six years in prison by a US court for leading an international heroin trafficking ring | BBC, UK

Watch: Cocaine haul found after high-speed boat chase off Colombia - video

Footage released by Colombian armed forces show them chasing a boat laden with tonnes of cocaine off the coast of San Andres island | BBC, UK

TikTok bans account of Australian influencer who promoted nicotine pouches in viral videos

Bodybuilder Stefan Kohut’s account shut after Guardian Australia report, but others continue to showcase the controversial products | Guardian, UK

Padraig O'Hora calls for ban on marketing of alcohol brands in sports

Mayo footballer Padraig O'Hora believes that companies which sell alcohol have found a loophole in advertising with 0.0 drinks | Irish Examiner, Ireland

Protecting Children from Alcohol Advertising Online - podcast

Online safety for children is a huge issue in our digital society and here at Alcohol Action Ireland we want to shine a light on how damaging digital advertising of harmful commodities, such as alcohol, can be | Alcohol Action Ireland, Ireland

Cops Demand Access to Psychedelic Assisted Treatment at the United Nations

At one of the most powerful side events at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs this year, policemen called out for psychedelic drugs to be used in treatment of the trauma they suffered | Drug Reporter, Hungary

Study uncovers the hidden dangers of secondhand vape exposure to children

In homes across America, an invisible threat may be lurking—one that could affect the health of our youngest and most vulnerable. Recent findings presented this month at the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners conference in Denver shed light on the often-overlooked danger of secondhand e-cigarette vapor, particularly its impact on children | Medical Xpress, USA

A genetic difference in THC metabolism may explain why some young adults have negative experiences with cannabis

Differences in how young adults metabolize THC, the main part of cannabis that makes people feel "high," can influence how they feel after taking the drug as well as their potential risk for developing cannabis use disorder, or CUD | Medical Xpress, USA

Couples with similar drinking habits may live longer

In a recent study published in The Gerontologist, Kira Birditt, research professor at the U-M Institute for Social Resarch's Survey Research Center, found that couples who are concordant in their drinking behavior (that is, both members drink alcohol) tend to live longer | Medical Xpress, USA

Spokane Eyes Involuntary Treatment for Anyone Revived With Naloxone

The City Council of Spokane, Washington, has proposed that being administered naloxone should be automatic grounds for mandatory treatment. If adopted, the request to the state legislature would specifically target people without housing | Filter Magazine, USA

A Long Walk With the Tobacco Users of Mumbai

I‘m taking a walk through central Mumbai with Rizwan, who switched from smoking tobacco to vaping, then turned vape seller. He’s far from alone in this, after India banned vapes in 2019. Vape converts have become advocates who then, under prohibition, supply to others what they say saved their own lives | Filter Magazine, USA

Drug Checking Symposium 2023 Report: October 5–7, 2023

Provides a comprehensive review of the Drug Checking Symposium 2023, emphasizing the importance of drug checking in promoting safety and awareness in the unregulated drug supply. Offers a comprehensive overview of collaborative strategies, advocacy and technical advancements. Serves as a crucial resource for professionals seeking to enhance their understanding and support mechanisms in drug checking, thereby playing a pivotal role in guiding and improving access to safer substance use practices | CCSA, Canada

[Open access] The prevalence of cannabis use disorders (CUDs) in people who use cannabis recreationally has been estimated at 22%, yet there is a dearth of literature exploring CUDs among people who use medicinal cannabis. We aimed to systematically review the prevalence of CUDs in people who use medicinal cannabis | DAD, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

Britain can avoid sleepwalking into a US-style synthetic opioids crisis. Here’s how

There are better ways of tackling addiction and overdoses than reverting to the tactics of a failed drugs war | Guardian comment, UK

From Urban Gangs to Online Marketplaces: The Modern Drug Trade

The modern drug trade, a network sprawling across both the physical and digital realms represents not just a shift in the means of distribution and consumption, but also highlights the adaptability of illegal drug markets. Mapping out both online and offline drug distribution networks requires understanding their structures, dynamics, and the interplay between different levels of operation. These networks are complex, often adapting to law enforcement strategies and technological advancements | Tony D'Agostino, UK

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