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Daily news - 8th May 2024 |
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UK news
Drink and Drugs News - May 2024
This month we have strong and interesting articles on women’s services and housing/resettlement and it’s really heartening to hear of the great work going on across the country – with added inspiration from Australia on a thriving therapeutic community. Our contributions are evidence of a dynamic workforce making ‘hard to reach’ an irrelevant term | DDN, UK
Health risks of using cannabis are higher in adolescents than in adults – new study finds
Adolescents appear to be more vulnerable to cannabis use disorder than adults, and it's not because they smoke more or stronger weed | University of Bath, UK
The need for responsible alcohol delivery
The ways we shop for alcohol have changed, with more of us choosing to have alcohol delivered to our homes, our workplaces and elsewhere, instead of, and/or as well as, acquiring alcohol via the traditional means of physical shops, bars and pubs. This trend increased noticeably during the COVID-19 pandemic and has shown few signs of slowing down. Alcohol can now be ordered, online or via telephone, for delivery in as little as 15 minutes and at competitive prices. There had been some research into alcohol delivery in the US and Australia, but no-one had yet investigated the issue in the UK | Alcohol Change UK, UK
What does alcohol do to the body and brain? - video
This week James visits a pub in Liverpool where he's joined by a trio of alcohol researchers who’ll watch carefully as he drinks two pints of lager | BBC Sounds, UK
5 WAYS to introduce DayHab for sustained recovery in Leeds
5 WAYS is launching a DayHab programme. The only one of its kind in the city, the DayHab will provide a structured programme of support for people who want to maintain their sobriety | Forward Leeds, UK
Annual National Pen Y Fan Recovery Walk 2024
We are delighted to announce that the annual national recovery walk is back for 2024. The event will be taking place on Thursday 11th July at Pen Y Fan, within the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. Please complete this short online registration form before FRIDAY 28th June | Barod, UK
Staying Safe with Prof Adam Winstock
Thu, 16 May 2024 18:00 - 20:00 BST. Join us for an evening at Imperial College London exploring the world of harm reduction and drug use with Prof Adam Winstock. We will discuss the future of creating safer and more supportive drug policies at universities that can not only improve student well-being but also provide an opportunity for safer drug use education | Drug Science, UK
Drivers charged after NCA investigation finds £2 million worth of cannabis hidden in lorries
Two lorry drivers have been charged with drugs offences after 104 kilos of cannabis was seized in two separate seizures in England as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into a suspected crime network based in Northern Ireland | NCA, UK
International news
Fentanyl test strips could help prevent overdose among at-risk emergency patients
[Open access] Mixed with heroin the highly potent opioid fentanyl poses a serious risk of fatal overdose. A Chicago emergency department tried handing patients at risk of opioid overdose kits which included strips to test for fentanyl. Some who found the substance disposed of the suspect drugs, possibly preventing overdose | AEM, USA
More stigmatizing language found in clinical notes for older, female, or patients of color with opioid use disorder
New research presented May 4 at the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting reveals that patients who are older, female, or of color and have an opioid use disorder are more likely to experience stigma and bias from a health care professional when seeking treatment | Medical Xpress, USA
Economists imagine an alternate universe where the opioid crisis peaked in '06, and then explain why it didn't
The U.S. opioid epidemic is a story of failed policy initiatives, missed opportunities, and more than 600,000 deaths. It's also a story with no end in sight, and for that, two economists say, we can blame relationships | Medical Xpress, USA
Almost all counterfeit oxycontin pills contain fentanyl, finds study
Lab tests of counterfeit oxycodone (Oxycontin) pills seized by police in Rhode Island in 2022 found 99.3% also contained dangerous fentanyl | Medical Xpress, USA
60% of Women with Disabilities View Cannabis as a 'Harmless' Drug
A growing number of states and territories in the United States have legalized medical and recreational cannabis use. As such, recreational cannabis has been associated with a lower perception of risk of harm in the general U.S. population. However, in women of childbearing age, evidence has shown that cannabis use may increase the risk of adverse reproductive and perinatal health outcomes. Furthermore, research on the perception of risk from using cannabis among vulnerable populations such as those with disabilities is lacking | Florida Atlantic University, USA
Risk of Adverse Neonatal Outcomes After Combined Prenatal Cannabis and Nicotine Exposure
In this population-based cohort study of more than 3.1 million pregnant individuals, combined use of cannabis and nicotine products in pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity compared with use of either substance alone, including infant and neonatal death, infants small for gestational age, and preterm delivery | JAMA Network Open, USA
Some psychedelic drug users are stuck with unwelcome highs
A.J. took two small hits off a cannabis vape pen, a common ritual with his morning coffee. Moments after exhaling, a transfigured, kaleidoscopic version of the world emerged before his eyes | Medical Xpress, USA
Penington Institute releases early snapshot of Australia’s latest overdose data
With new data revealing Australia’s overdose death rate is continuing to rise, our overdose snapshot shows we have no time to waste in taking action on overdose in our communities. Penington Institute’s new report, ‘Overdose Early Warning Snapshot’, is an early look at the data that will form the basis of our annual overdose report, set to be released this August. Preliminary analysis of overdose death data in 2022 shows that overdose deaths have continued to increase since our latest report | Penington Institute, Australia
Meth houses: Time for more testing?
A new Flinders University study has found less than 10% of suspected methamphetamine contamination in residences are reported to council environmental health officers (EHOs), raising further concerns more regulations are needed to manage safety and health in the community | Flinders University, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
The UK can lead the world on public health — but it must learn from New Zealand’s mistakes
On my return from a recent trip to New Zealand, meeting with public health officials, cancer charities, patients and cancer experts, I find myself sitting at the airport with a sense of conflict. My flight will take me back to the UK, where world-leading age of sale legislation has just overcome its first parliamentary hurdle — a law that could help bring an end to cancers caused by smoking for good | Politics.co.uk, UK
A night out drinking should feel safe: here are a few simple steps you can take to help reduce risk
Be mindful of drinks that taste sharper or stronger than usual, or if you feel intoxicated more quickly than you ordinarily would | Guardian opinion, UK
The Keel of the New Recovery Advocacy Movement: Our Steering Concepts
Just over four years ago, in the first weeks of the great pandemic isolation of March, 2020, I wrote Let’s focus the recovery community on hope, connection, and purpose. In those first days, it was clear that recovery community could do a great deal to save lives and build community resilience in that most uncertain time. Action was necessary | Recovery Review blog, USA