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Daily news - 11th November 2024 |
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UK news
Parents ‘losing their children’ over misinterpreted drug tests: Open letter calls for reform of how hair strand tests are used in court
Children are at risk of being wrongly removed from their parents’ care by the family courts because drug tests are being misinterpreted, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) can reveal | TBIJ, UK
Children taken away from parents due to misreporting of drug tests, say experts
Process for interpreting hair-strand tests can be misleading and carries a risk of racial bias, according to campaigners in England and Wales | Guardian, UK
Death in UK immigration removal centre is the first believed to be linked to the drug spice
Staff at Brook House had warned it was ‘only a matter of time’ before someone died as a result of taking the drug | Guardian, UK
ACMD advice on 2-benzyl benzimidazole and piperidine benzimidazolone opioids
Updated. A fifth addendum has been added, recommending the proposed generic definition be further updated to capture the newly identified compound aminoisotonitazene and any structurally related compounds to it that may appear in future. This generic definition has also been expanded to capture carbamoyl derivatives of 2-benzyl benzimidazole (nitazene) opioids | ACMD, UK
Evaluation of the hepatitis C: patient re-engagement exercise
To enable people previously diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV) to be treated for their infection, NHS England (NHSE) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) organised a national patient re-engagement exercise. The aim of the exercise was to offer testing and treat people with a HCV infection, many of whom may have been lost to follow-up after being diagnosed at a time when knowledge of HCV-related liver disease was limited, and treatment options and outcomes were suboptimal | UKHSA, UK
NHS trust plans smoke-free grounds by 2026
Hospital bosses have said they will ban smoking in their grounds by 2026, after accepting there is a "serious problem" at building entrances | BBC, UK
FFS Explains: Scotland’s drug crisis
Scotland’s drugs crisis is often in the news, as the government grapples with high rates of drug deaths and enduring poverty-linked drug misuse | The Ferret, UK
Mosque's drug awareness event hailed 'encouraging'
A drug and alcohol awareness event has taken place at a mosque to encourage Muslims and families struggling with addiction to seek help | BBC, UK
'I felt I had smoked and deserved lung cancer'
A woman who felt she deserved lung cancer after being a lifelong smoker has encouraged people invited for screening to "go for your loved ones" | BBC, UK
Supermarket booze sales slump as prices climb and drinkers consume less alcohol
All ten of Britain’s most popular brands have seen a dip at the check-outs | The Sun, UK
Revealed: ex-director for tobacco giant advising UK government on cancer risks
Questions raised about potential for undue influence after appointment of Ruth Dempsey, formerly of Philip Morris | Guardian, UK
Smoking: Health Services
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will help ensure that smoking cessation is offered as an opt-out, co-located service for lung screening appointments | They work for you, UK
ScotRail Alcohol Ban (Compliance)
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on levels of compliance with ScotRail’s alcohol ban | They work for you, UK
Nurse struck off for drinking alcohol at work
A nurse who was caught drinking at work and offering alcoholic drinks to her colleagues has been struck off the nursing register | BBC, UK
Arrests as cannabis farms worth £3.5m found
Nearly 3,000 mature cannabis plants and several boxes of already cropped plants were found in an abandoned industrial unit in Hortonwood, Telford, Shropshire, on Friday | BBC, UK
Gang sentenced for producing drugs in factory
Humberside Police raided an industrial unit in Winterton Road, Scunthorpe, in October 2019 and discovered machinery and raw materials to produce thousands of etizolam tablets - a type of tranquilliser and a Class C drug in the UK | BBC, UK
International news
Amid magic and menace: psychiatrists’ attitudes to psilocybin therapy
Understanding variations in knowledge and attitudes of psychiatrists to psilocybin therapy is important for the collective discourse about the potential impact on clinical practice and public health in Ireland | Cambridge University Press, UK
Vulnerable Australians ‘force-fed’ gambling and alcohol ads on Facebook, report finds
Study highlights ‘predatory marketing practices’ of companies who target people at high risk of gambling or alcohol-related harm | Guardian, UK
Dublin’s crack cocaine epidemic: ‘You get a rush. You come down. And then you have to go again’
Crack cocaine is the new heroin, say addicts and frontline support workers, its use and widespread availability is an epidemic that is getting worse | Irish Times, Ireland
Community or custody? A review of evidence and sentencers’ perspectives on community service orders and short-term prison sentences (PDF)
This research project was commissioned by the Department of Justice and examines the impact of the Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) Act 2011 (henceforth referred to as the 2011 Act) introduced over a decade ago with the expressed intention of encouraging greater use of community service orders (CSOs) for people convicted of minor crimes for which a sentence of imprisonment is deemed appropriate | DoJ, Ireland
Cheers or tears? WHO playbook exposes alcohol’s true cost to health
Alcohol consumption is draining economies in the WHO European Region, costing billions annually in health care, early deaths and lost productivity, as well as social harm. In 2019 alcohol was responsible for almost 1 in every 3 injury deaths in the Region, 42% of all homicides, 37% of suicides and 35% of road deaths. Despite this enormous social and financial burden, the true costs of alcohol are often obscured by profit-driven narratives. Today, WHO/Europe launches the Alcohol Policy Playbook, designed to help policy-makers navigate the ever-present debates around alcohol harms and alcohol policy with a view towards safeguarding public health | WHO, Austria
Morality boundary work in the making of the needle and syringe exchange program in Stockholm
[Open access] Drug policy is prone to build on rationales based on different moralities rather than evidence. Less is known about how moralities influence drug policy implementation in practice. The aim was to analyze expressions of moralities among local policy-makers, professionals, and drug users in the context of the Stockholm needle and syringe exchange program (NSP) | DEPP, USA
Harm reduction should be integrated into universal health coverage plans: UN expert
Harm reduction services within models for universal health coverage are key to ensuring that many groups who are pushed to the fringes of society are not left behind, a UN expert said | UNODC, USA
“Dual Use” of Vapes and Cigarettes Is Unfairly Maligned
Dual use, referring to people who smoke and vape concurrently, is a phenomenon often cited by opponents of vaping to discredit its harm reduction impact. To their claim that switching is not quitting, they add that dual use simply extends people’s addiction to nicotine, doesn’t help them quit smoking, and may even be worse for health than smoking alone | Filter Magazine, USA
Access to naloxone still challenging in Australia, with stigma and knowledge gaps within pharmacy sector creating barriers
Naloxone has been available in Australia since the 1980s, but access has long-been difficult, with obstacles such as price, few stockists and a required prescription hindering distribution | abc.net.au, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
WHO Alcohol Industry Playbook: Understanding the industry's shameful tactics
SHAAP Policy and Public Affairs Officer, Helen McCabe reflects on her first month in the new role, the importance of evidence-based policy over industry lobbying and how the new WHO report uncovers industry tactics | SHAAP blog, UK
In the moral panic over vaping, we risk forgetting that cigarettes kill
Bans and taxes on the most popular and effective aid for giving up smoking could lead to a major health crisis | Guardian, UK
Substance Use and Cultural Diversity: An Experience with the Nepalese Community in the UK
Culture is a collective system that encompasses shared beliefs, values, experiences, and more. It significantly impacts individuals, regardless of their background or geographical location. Culture plays a vital role in shaping our cognitive processes, behaviour, and communication styles, influencing our attitudes and patterns of substance and alcohol use | Forward Trust blog, UK
A Decade In: Taking Stock of Uruguay’s Cannabis Regulation
Uruguay’s cannabis regulation thrust the nation onto the global drug policy reform spotlight in 2013 when it passed the Law 19.172, creating a nationally regulated market. The law aimed to protect, promote and improve public health, while minimising the risks and harms associated with cannabis consumption. It also focused on promoting information and education on cannabis, as well as promoting treatment for problematic drug use | Talking Drugs, UK