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Daily news - 22nd May 2024 |
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UK news
'Deadly heroin batch is putting lives at risk here'
A deadly batch of heroin cut with synthetic opioids is putting lives at risk in a city, a drug support worker claimed. Ellie Harris said drug dealers in Colchester were contaminating the Class A drug to make it last longer amid a shortage of supply to the UK | BBC, UK
New age of sale law could see 820,000 fewer cigarettes smoked per day in Scotland
Cancer Research analysis shows the potential impact of the proposed new legislation on reducing smoking rates | STV News, UK
Northern Ireland on course to join UK smoking ban
Stormont has backed Northern Ireland becoming part of a new Westminster law that would stop young people born since 2009 from ever smoking | BBC, UK
Growing gap in early heart disease death rates between poorest and richest in England
The rate at which people are dying before the age of 75 from heart disease is rising more than twice as quickly in the poorest parts of England, we have revealed | BHF, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Delivery Services
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the the potential merits of updating the Licensing Act 2003 to regulate online alcohol delivery services | They work for you, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Advertising
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ban alcohol advertising online | They work for you, UK
Smoking
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of hospital admissions for issues related to pipe smoking in the last (a) 12 months, (b) five years and (c) 20 years | They work for you, UK
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
To ask His Majesty's Government what data they collected on other countries that have restricted smoking when drafting the Tobacco and Vapes Bill | They work for you, UK
Former addict 'giving hope' to homeless
A hairdresser who is in recovery for drug and alcohol addiction is giving back to the community by providing free hair cuts for homeless people | BBC, UK
Vape fire prompts new recycling bins
New bins have been introduced at all household recycling centres in Aberdeenshire in a bid to reduce the risk of fires from vapes and e-cigarettes | BBC, UK
International news
A review of systematic reviews on the health effects of vaping in children and adolescents (PDF)
Vaping among children and young people is rising in Northern Ireland. This review was carried out by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) to inform the development of policy and regulation on vapes in Northern Ireland. This report found 12 systematic reviews investigating the public health effects of vaping among children and adolescents. It found strong, high-quality evidence of an association between vaping and subsequent tobacco cigarette use based on longitudinal data. This review of systematic reviews also found some evidence to support the association between vaping and having asthma, increased coughing, mental health, marijuana use, and alcohol use | IPH, Ireland and UK
Matthew Perry’s death ‘still under investigation’ as authorities seek ketamine dealer
Investigators are still looking into who supplied Matthew Perry with ketamine, seven months after the drug was found in his system at the time of his death, according to reports | Independent, UK
Medical cannabis: cross-party committee says Australia needs new roadside impairment test
Researchers have questioned whether existing drug-driving laws can be relied on as an accurate measure of driver impairment | Guardian, UK
EMCDDA launches 2024 European Web Survey on Drugs to assess patterns of drug use in over 30 countries
Do you use drugs? How many? Why? These are among the questions posed in the latest European Web Survey on Drugs, launched on Tuesday by the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA). Targeted at people, aged 18 and over, who have used drugs, the survey aims to improve understanding of patterns of drug use in Europe and help shape future drug policies and interventions | EMCDDA, Portugal
Study finds COVID-19 shutdown flipped drug overdose mortality rates among industries
Drug overdose deaths spiked following Kentucky's COVID-19 stay-at-home and business closure orders of March 2020. But the industries that suffered the most overdose deaths were surprising, according to research conducted by the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center | Medical Xpress, USA
If you have a mind to drink less, mindfulness can help
Mindfulness is having a moment, but is it worth all the hype? Researchers at CU’s Center for Health and Neuroscience, Genes, and Environment (CUChange) say the answer is yes—particularly when it comes to drinking behavior | University of Colorado Boulder, USA
Study models how ketamine's molecular action leads to its effects on the brain
New research addresses a gap in understanding how ketamine's impact on individual neurons leads to pervasive and profound changes in brain network function | Medical Xpress, USA
Can Philadelphia Fix One of the Most Drug-Plagued Neighborhoods in the Country?
[Free subscription required] Mayor Cherelle Parker campaigned on restoring “lawfulness” to the city. Kensington, where addiction seems to be around every corner, will be her biggest test | NYTimes, USA
Claims of “Passive Vaping Danger” Irritate Scientists
We’re facing a “New Danger of Passive Vaping,” according to a recent article in the Economic Times of India. It’s far from alone in flagging this threat, which has also been raised by various researchers, by the likes of the American Heart Association and Parents.com, and—naturally—by the World Health Organization | Filter Magazine, USA
How Do People with Addictions Conceive of Their Recovery?
12-Step programs talk about a ‘higher power.’ That’s more flexible than you might think. A Tyee Q&A | The Tyee, Canada
A retrospective study of the characteristics and toxicology of cases of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)- and psilocybin-related death in Australia
[Open access] Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin are used as recreational drugs, and there is renewed interest in their clinical use. The current study aimed to (1) determine the circumstances of death and case characteristics of LSD- and psilocybin-related death in Australia, 2000–23; and (2) determine the toxicological profile and major autopsy findings of these cases | Addiction, Australia
Victorian medicinal cannabis patients will be allowed behind the wheel to test road safety
In 2016, Australia legalised access to medicinal cannabis, allowing patients to access dozens of different cannabis products through prescriptions. Now the Victorian government wants to take another step in opening the door for medicinal cannabis patients in the state to be able to drive. In a bill passed last year, the government committed to launch a closed-circuit trial to research the impairment that medicinal cannabis causes on driving | abc.net.au, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Smoking fentanyl can cause irreversible brain damage, report shows
A middle-aged American man with no previous medical history was found unconscious in his hotel room, with “unidentified crushed pills and a white residue” on a nearby table, according to a recent paper in BMJ Case Reports. White powder was visible around the man’s mouth | Conversation, UK
Lion’s mane: exploring the resurgence of the “mountain priest”
Lion’s Mane has radically transformed the mindset around organic supplements. The boom of the wellness industry over the past decade has left many consumers reconsidering their health and investigating new forms of medicine. But why has Lion’s Mane had this effect? To find out more about this exciting subject, I spoke to the team at the Good Vibes Wellness Group and Oli Genn-Bash, the Head of Mycology at Planet Earth | Volteface, UK
Building a Recovery Community of Barn Raisers
Establishing and sustaining recovery can be a complex process requiring multiple components to withstand the environmental challenges. It has a foundation that it is built on, load bearing beams and columns to sustain it, and an outer shell and a roof to provide support and safety from the elements | Recovery Review blog, USA
Underage vaping is on the rise: here’s how young New Zealanders are finding it so easy to access
Despite measures to reduce young people’s access to vapes, many countries are recording rising use by underage adolescents, especially since refillable “pod mods” and disposable devices have become widely available | Conversation, New Zealand