Home | Archive | Weekly | Reports
Daily news - 1st May 2024 |
 |
UK news
Heroin testing could 'save lives' after North Devon drug deaths
The kit allows users to test for nitazenes - synthetic opioids which could have been present in the batch. Jon Findlay, harm reduction lead for drug recovery charity Humankind, said the testing strips "will save lives" | BBC, UK
Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report
Drug-related harms remained high in Scotland. For harm indicators: suspected drug deaths: 11% increase / naloxone administration incidents: 14% decrease / emergency department attendances: 12% decrease / drug-related hospital admissions: 24% decrease. For service indicators: drug treatment referrals: 10% decrease / injecting equipment provision: transactions - stable, number of needles and syringes - 6% decrease. Patterns of polysubstance use remain the key driver of harms. The combinations most associated involve benzodiazepines (most commonly diazepam and bromazolam), cocaine and opioids. Cocaine played an increasing role in harms | Public Health Scotland, UK
Rapid evidence review: Integrated models of drug treatment in primary care
This report describes types of care and ways of working to merge drugs treatment and support with primary care to improve access, choice and support for people experiencing problems with their drug use (MAT standard 7) | Public Health Scotland, UK
Calls to strengthen drugs policy in rugby league
A coroner has asked rugby league's governing body to consider changing its drugs policy following a player's death | BBC, UK
Impact of the disruption in supply of varenicline since 2021 on smoking cessation in England: A population study
[Open access] Varenicline is one of the most effective smoking cessation treatments. Its supply in England was disrupted in July 2021 due to nitrosamine impurities found by its supplier, Pfizer. This study measured the impact of this disruption on smoking cessation in England | Addiction, UK
Ad banned for promoting unlicensed vapes devices in newspaper
Advert seen in the East Lothian Courier featured the headline: 'Let’s clear the smoke of confusion: Vaping saves smokers’ lives.' | STV News, UK
Breast Cancer: Alcoholic Drinks
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the link between women’s increasing consumption of alcohol and incidences of breast cancer | They work for you, UK
Electronic Cigarettes
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to (a) commission and (b) access scientific studies on the (i) physical and (ii) psychological impact of vaping (A) non nicotine and (B) nicotine products | They work for you, UK
Take Drugs Seriously with David Nutt
Bristol Beer Factory, Thursday 16th May. Doors are at 18:00 with entertainment starting at 19:00. The event finishes at 21:30. Drug policy in the UK causes more harm than good, and it has to change. But how do we push for change, and what are the most significant issues we need to address? Join drug researcher, neuropharmacologist, and chairman of Drug Science David Nutt to discuss what a new approach to drugs could mean for our city, families, and community | Head First Bristol, UK
How alcohol marketing regulations can protect people from harm
Thursday, May 9 · 11am - 12pm GMT+1. In our first AHA manifesto webinar, experts explore alcohol marketing and how regulations can help create a future free from alcohol harm | AHA, UK
International news
US moves to reclassify marijuana in historic shift
The US Drug Enforcement Administration plans to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift in US drug policy | BBC, UK
Let's talk e-cigarettes - podcast
Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Professor Jaqueline Avila from the Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA. Professor Avila describes their pilot study to assesses the harm-reduction potential of e-cigarettes and oral nicotine pouches among people who smoke with low socioeconomic status | University of Oxford, UK
Young children paid $500 to set shop alight in Victoria’s tobacco and vape wars
Gangs fighting to control state’s illicit tobacco and vape market are using children to commit arson, inquiry hears | Guardian, UK
Coming soon: European Drug Report 2024 to be released on 11 June
How is Europe's opioid market evolving? What substances are causing the most concern today? How are countries responding to cannabis use? Find out more when the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) launches its European Drug Report 2024: Trends and Developments in a live online press conference on 11 June | EMCDDA, Portugal
DrugNet Europe - April 2024
Latest monthly drug policy news round-up published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction | EMCDDA, Portugal
EMCDDA webinar: Drug consumption rooms in Europe — current practices and future scenarios
8 MAY 2024. The main aim of this webinar is to inform discussions on drug consumption rooms (DCRs), by reviewing current models and their characteristics. We will present three well-established examples from different European countries and discuss possible future scenarios with the speakers | EMCDDA, Portugal
The switch from cigarettes: how the battle to go smoke-free is being won
The only cigarette manufacturer to have clearly committed to leaving its traditional product behind has announced that by next year most of its revenue will come from production of smoke-free alternatives. PMI now has a new ambition to make cigarettes the source of no more than a third of its revenue by the end of the decade, writes Nick Powell | EU Reporter, Belgium
US drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country | APNews, USA
People who inject drugs are transitioning to smoking them
Researchers from the University of California San Diego have revealed new trends in drug consumption that shed light on how people are adapting to the evolving risks associated with unregulated drug use in the United States. The findings could help policymakers and public health officials better tailor interventions to meet the needs of vulnerable populations and reduce the public health burden of substance-related harm | Medical Xpress, USA
Medication-assisted treatment, along with group therapy, found to improve inhibitory control in heroin addiction
In line with their previous work, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai showed that individuals with heroin use disorder have lower activity in the anterior and dorsolateral PFC when performing an inhibitory control task compared with healthy controls | Medical Xpress, USA
Vaping poses unexpected risks to eye health, study finds
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine finds that the use of electronic cigarettes (E-cigarettes) is associated with non-intended and intended ocular surface exposures | News Medical, USA
California strikes deal for cheaper overdose-reversing medication
California struck up a new deal with Amneal Pharmaceuticals on April 29 to bolster the state's supply of the opioid overdose-reversing medication naloxone at a much lower price for schools, police departments and others trying to ease the toll of fentanyl | Medical Xpress, USA
Syringe Service Programs Are Spreading in Kentucky
Anew report indicates that syringe service programs (SSP) are spreading in Kentucky, and far more peolpe are using them. It’s welcome news in a state that has been hit hard by overdose deaths and other drug-related harms | Filter Magazine, USA
Singapore: Execution warrants issued despite pending legal proceedings
We are greatly concerned by the news that the Government of Singapore has issued at least four execution notices since 12 April 2024, all cases in relation to drug offending | Capital Punishment Justice Project, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
I spent 22 years as a problem drinker. Here are 10 things I’ve learned since I quit
Having turned my back on the partying, hangovers and self-destruction, I’ve slowly worked out what was behind them – and how to replace them with something better | Guardian, UK
Grey area drinking: what is it and does it add anything to the alcohol debate?
Every so often it seems a new term or label emerges used to describe our drinking. The latest one, which you may have come across in newspapers or lifestyle magazines, is 'grey area drinking'. But just what does it mean, and is it actually helpful? | Alcohol Change UK blog, UK
Pill testing 'essential' for saving lives
Despite the success of pill testing trials in Australia, there continues to be ideological opposition to a practice that could save lives | MJA Insight, Australia