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Daily news - 24th May 2024

UK news

Rishi Sunak's smoking ban bill set to be shelved due to election

Rishi Sunak's flagship bill to eventually ban smoking looks set to be shelved after he called a surprise July general election. The prime minister would not guarantee the law would pass before Parliament shuts down for the election on Friday | BBC, UK

Children targeted with vapes spiked with nitazenes

A child has been treated for an opiate overdose after using a "potentially fatal" black market vape, health officials have said. Vapes laced with illegal drugs like Spice and nitazenes have led to children in Teesside needing urgent medical attention, Middlesbrough Council warned | BBC, UK

Psychedelic-assisted therapy in the treatment of addiction

Researchers are exploring the role of psychedelic drugs as a treatment for addictions. How are addiction disorders currently treated and what does the latest research on psychedelic drugs show? | UK Parliament, UK

‘Alcohol nearly ruined me until my business partner Steven Bartlett said I needed help’

‘Drinking got so habitual; it would be every day having a glass or a bottle of wine and then on the weekend it would be bingeing.’ | Metro, UK

Sale of disposable vapes to be banned

Importing, selling and supplying disposable vapes will become a criminal offence in Guernsey | BBC, UK

Exploring the links between tea and drugs wars

An interactive experience exposing the reality of the tea trade through history is due to open in Brighton. The trail through Preston Manor highlights the exploitation of workers, theft, and links to the 19th Century opium drug wars | BBC, UK

Treasurer / bookkeeper - volunteer

Would you like to be Treasurer for the Recovery Festival Community Interest Company? This is not a heavy time commitment. The Recovery Festival is an annual Bristol-based event in June or July, with an income well below £10k per year and no payroll | Recovery Festival Community Interest Company, UK

Driver brought 'colossal amount of cocaine' to UK

A lorry driver responsible for bringing a "colossal amount of cocaine within the UK" has been convicted | BBC, UK

International news

Daily cannabis use overtakes drinking in US first

The number of Americans who smoke cannabis on a daily or near-daily basis now exceeds those who drink alcohol as often, a study has found | BBC, UK

Have declines in the prevalence of young adult drinking in English-speaking high-income countries followed declines in youth drinking? A systematic review

[Open access] Alcohol use in early adulthood is a significant public health concern. The prevalence of adolescent alcohol consumption has been declining in high-income English-speaking countries since the early 2000s. This review aims to examine whether this trend continues in young adulthood | DEPP, UK

[Open access] In Denmark police should not normally act against adults in possession of illegal drugs in the vicinity of facilities where drugs can be used more safely. Still the drug squad's pursuit of organised drug crime left marginalised drug users in a precarious legal situation | IJDP, UK

[Open access] While effects over the month the injections last are expected, the key question in respect of long-lasting buprenorphine is whether patients will renew the injection, leading to persistent suppression of illegal opioid use. In Australia nearly half were still in treatment nearly two years after starting treatment | IJDP, UK

Study shows two neural pathways involved in fentanyl addiction

A team of neuroscientists at the University of Geneva, working with a colleague from the University of Strasbourg, Institute for Advanced Study, and another from Université de Montpellier CNRS, reports that there are two neural pathways involved when people become addicted to fentanyl | Medical Xpress, USA

Researchers investigate non-abstinent recovery for people with cocaine use disorder

A coalition of researchers at The University of New Mexico have just taken a huge step forward for addiction research, in emphasizing a recovery process that has long been needed for a specific drug | Medical Xpress, USA

Links to recovery: Navigating the digital landscape of online addiction recovery support forums

Online addiction recovery support has become common. Understanding whether online recovery forums can help people quit or reduce their substance use has vast potential public health significance given these platforms’ immense reach. This study sought to identify and characterize online addiction recovery forums and the levels of engagement they foster, incorporating findings into a publicly available interactive dashboard | Recovery Research Institute, USA

Can a weight loss medication help with cocaine use disorder?

There are no medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cocaine use disorder, despite many rigorous clinical trials testing candidates shown initially to be promising. This study tested lorcaserin, a medication that was previously approved to treat obesity, in trial for cocaine use disorder | Recovery Research Institute, USA

[Open access] Cannabis use for non-medical purposes was legalized and regulated in Canada through the Cannabis Act in October 2018. This paper examined trends in use of cannabis for non-medical purposes and related indicators from pre- to post-legalization in Canada (2018–2022) | IJDP, UK

Blogs, comment and opinion

Clarified Response to SDF’s Concerns on the Right to Recovery Bill

The Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) has raised several reservations about the Right to Recovery Bill. While some concerns reflect genuine caution, many appear to stem from misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the Bill’s intent and function & PROVISIONS. [Here we present] an overview of these concerns along with counter-arguments that clarify the Bill’s true intent and potential impact | FAVOR, UK

Thoughts on the UK's growing crisis - synthetic opioids

The rise of nitazenes on British streets is a serious public health crisis that demands immediate and comprehensive action. Targeted public health awareness campaigns, robust recovery programs, and open, stigma-busting conversations about addiction are essential components of an effective response. By addressing these areas, we can save lives, support recovery, and build a more informed and compassionate society equipped to tackle the complexities of this breaking opioid epidemic | Action on Addiction, UK

Building a Healthier, Fairer UK: FPH’s Vision for the Public’s Health

...Amongst recommendations, the Faculty has identified seven “first 100-day” priorities for an incoming government including resolute action on tackling child poverty; fully implementing the commitment to create a smokefree generation; developing a bold cross government approach to improving health; reviewing and updating UK drugs legislation; prioritising community involvement in decision-making across government; and making urgent changes to the welfare, minimum wage, and benefit systems to arrest deepening poverty and destitution | Better Health for All blog, UK

How opioid treatment centers can overcome bipartisan NIMBYism to build local support

Some residents of Fairmount, an upper-middle-income neighborhood of Philadelphia, are irate that a nearby homeless shelter is being turned into an addiction “triage” center without input from the surrounding community. News of the shelter’s expansion came just a week before the high-profile closing of an encampment of people experiencing homelessness and addiction in Kensington, a North Philadelphia neighborhood that has long been the center of the region’s opioid crisis | Conversation, USA

Vaping in schools: Ontario’s $30 million for surveillance and security won’t address student needs

Ontario’s recent education budget announced a “back to basics” funding formula, which includes $30 million to install vape detectors and security upgrades — measures which will expand the surveillance of students in schools | Conversation, Canada

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