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Daily news - 18th November 2024 |
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UK news
Two of UK's biggest clubs get in-house drug testing
Charity The Loop will operate at Drumsheds in London and the Warehouse Project in Manchester, checking any confiscated or surrendered substances | BBC, UK
Press release: Alcohol Change UK announces headline partner and official partners for 2025 Dry January® challenge
Alcohol Change UK has secured a headline partner and a raft of official partners for its globally renowned Dry January® challenge in 2025 | Alcohol Change UK, UK
Asthma and Lung UK: A mission for lung health
New report from Asthma + Lung UK on improving the nation’s respiratory health, which is currently England’s third biggest killer. One of the key recommendations is to prevent lung conditions by introducing a levy on tobacco companies to pay for a Smokefree Fund, ring-fenced for smoking cessation services, alongside the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a ‘smokefree generation’ | ALUK, UK
Scotland can lead gender tailored alcohol policy
A Glasgow researcher leading a landmark World Health Organization (WHO) policy initiative is now calling on public health services across the world to recognise that the impact, experience and stigma of alcohol problems are different for men and women. According to the WHO alcohol policy report published this year, policymakers must consider how their alcohol policies – current and in development – can impact men and women differently to ensure they are effective | Healthandcare.scot, UK
Cutting harm from drugs
The illegal drugs market in the UK is constantly evolving, with new substances regularly entering the market. From the rising popularity of cocaine and ketamine to new ways of consuming traditional drugs such as THC vapes and edibles as alternatives to smoking cannabis – it’s hard to keep up. And with the arrival of new synthetic substances, that are often more potent, it’s more important than ever to understand what’s happening on the ground, to protect against the potentially dangerous health harms they can cause | MMU, UK
SARG releases first Budget briefing report
Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) has launched an ongoing series of Budget Briefing Notes exploring the potential health and economic consequences of tobacco and alcohol tax changes, beginning with the Autumn 2024 Budge | SARG, UK
Introducing a new quality-focused supervised consumption service in community pharmacy
The charity Change, Grow, Live has trialled a community pharmacy service for all service users receiving medication-assisted treatment, aiming to provide them with more holistic care for the first time | Pharmaceutical Journal, UK
Teenagers offered free help to quit vaping
A free service has been launched to help young people quit vaping, following concerns about its unknown long-term effects | BBC, UK
Smokefree Starts | Smoking and Mental Health - video
Smokefree Starts launches the second smoking and mental health campaign during Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. Did you know if you struggle with your mental health, smoking could be making it worse? | Smokefree Starts, UK
3 year Advocacy Case Worker Report
This report provides an in-depth analysis of both the state of the addiction sector in Scotland and the first three years of FAVOR UK’s advocacy project | FAVOR, UK
Drug rehab centre plan for former fire headquarters
The former headquarters of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service could be demolished and turned into a rehab centre to support people with addictions, new plans reveal | BBC, UK
'I'd love to help people learn from my mistakes'
Clayton Batt, 27, from Kingswood, near Bristol, is raising awareness of male mental health after having a difficult upbringing, which he said often lacked stable role models. He added that the challenges of his childhood led to struggles with drugs, that severely impacted his well-being | BBC, UK
I spent an evening with Sikh men in alcohol recovery and one story broke me
Sikh Recovery Network provide faith-based addiction support for the South Asian community | Birmingham Mail, UK
The Derbyshire nature project nurturing people back from addiction
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Shipley Country Park, there is magic afoot. But the woodland folk creating this magic are not mystical sprites and elves - they are part of an innovative health recovery project | In Your Area, UK
Cannabis centre plans to 'tap into global sector'
Cultivating medicinal cannabis on the Isle of Man provides an opportunity to "tap into a global sector”, the a firm set to build a new production facility has said | BBC, UK
London smokefree pregnancy week
18th – 22nd November. London is holding its first Smokefree Pregnancy Week. Resources include videos from experts in the field as well as a downloadable guide with a social media plan and graphics. The communications toolkit is now available to download here | London Tobacco Alliance & NHS, UK
Who was the real 'Mr Nice'?
Howard Marks made his name initially as a notorious cannabis smuggler before becoming a campaigner, writer and something of a counterculture legend in the process. But who was the man behind the criminal dubbed Mr Nice? | BBC, UK
Return of the green fairy: once-notorious absinthe enjoys UK revival
Launch of numerous new brands is behind the resurgent popularity and demand for the bohemian spirit banned in France for 100 years | Guardian, UK
Two million fake cigarettes seized in crackdown
Two million illegal cigarettes have been seized from multiple businesses in Hull so far this year | BBC, UK
International news
HERE TO STAY | Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2024
Despite all the heat and dust around nicotine vapes and other safer nicotine products, consumer adoption has skyrocketed to 140 million users worldwide, as highlighted in the newly released Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2024 report. Learn why tobacco harm reduction is here to stay | GFN, UK
Harm Reduction International Appoints Shaun Shelly as Executive Director
Harm Reduction International (HRI) announced today the appointment of Shaun Shelly as its new Executive Director. Shaun took the position on 1 November 2024, replacing Naomi Burke-Shyne who had served as Executive Director since 2019 until retiring from the position in May of this year | HRI, UK
US overdose deaths decreased in 2023 – will Trump continue this trend?
Harm-reduction policies have contributed to the first decline in the number of overdose deaths in five years | Guardian, UK
Russia’s dark web markets prove the drug war can’t be won
Even in totalitarian states, it’s easier than ever to get high. All you need is an internet connection | Salon, USA
Bystander Use of Opioid Overdose Antidote Naloxone Is on the Rise
esearch has found that in nearly 40% of opioid overdose deaths, documented bystanders could have potentially administered the lifesaving medicine naloxone. But in a promising update, a new study published in JAMA Network Open found that bystander-administered naloxone has “drastically increased” in recent years | JAMA Network, USA
Despite federal warnings, kratom still readily available across US
Nearly three-fourths of tobacco and vape stores in the United States sell an addictive, dangerous substance with connections to liver toxicity, seizures and death, according to a new study from the University of Mississippi | Medical Xpress, USA
Excessive social media use tied to substance experimentation in US pre-teens
As teens continue to spend more time on screens and social media, a new study finds that among 11-12-year-olds, excessive time online is associated with early experimentation with substances like alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis | Medical Xpress, USA
Study finds cannabis-users would reduce use the most for job interviews, caring for children
People who use cannabis at least once a month may consume the drug before low-stakes activities, but what if they had other responsibilities, such as taking care of their children? | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
The Hollow Villain: How Stigma Distracts Us from Action
In the world of addiction, “stigma” often gets cast as the ultimate villain—the big bad wolf of public health narratives. It’s the term we throw around when we talk about shame, isolation, and the barriers people face when seeking treatment | Recovery Review blog, USA
Discover the Origins of a Psychedelic Drug Synthesized by a Swiss Chemist Who Claimed It ‘Found and Called Me’
Five years after he created LSD in a lab on this day in 1938, Albert Hofmann accidentally underwent the first acid trip in human history, experiencing a kaleidoscope of colors and images in a sleepy Swiss city | Smithsonian Magazine, USA