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Daily news - 20th November 2024 |
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UK news
The age of overwhelm
Advances in technology have propelled young people – and their problems – into a different age, so how can we reach them? DDN reports from Cranstoun’s social justice conference | DDN, UK
Low Alcohol Drinks: Labelling
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the consultation entitled Updating labelling guidance for no and low-alcohol alternatives, published on 28 September 2023, whether his Department plans to take steps to update labelling guidance for no and low-alcohol alternatives | They work for you, UK
Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) Membership
Membership and committee structure updated | ACMD, UK
Welcome to Drinkaware’s alcohol attitudes survey
Your answers will form the basis of an upcoming report to be published by Drinkaware on stigma and the experience of alcohol harm in ethnic minority communities | Drinkaware, UK
Coroner warns of easy drug access after vet death
An inquest found John Ellis, 35, took his own life after self-administering a toxic quantity of drugs he told his former employers would be used to euthanise a large dog | BBC, UK
Cannabis haul worth over £1m seized by police
A haul of cannabis, worth more than £1m and weighing over one tonne, has been seized after a van was stopped in Gravesend, said Kent Police | BBC, UK
International news
Prevalence of dual use of combustible tobacco and E-cigarettes among pregnant smokers: a systematic review and meta-analysis
As e-cigarettes gain popularity as potential tobacco cessation aids, concerns arise about their dual use with traditional cigarettes, especially among pregnant women, potentially subjecting both women and fetuses to heightened risks. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the overall prevalence of dual use of tobacco smoking and e-cigarette use in pregnant women | BMC Public Health, UK
San Francisco sees 54% drop in overdose deaths in lowest count since 2020
Last month, 32 people died of accidental overdoses in the city, compared with 70 in October 2023, according to report | Guardian, UK
Denzel Washington opens up about past struggles with drugs and alcohol: ‘I’ve done a lot of damage’
‘I haven’t had a thimble’s worth since,’ Washington says of his decision to quit alcohol a decade ago | Independent, UK
Opioids and Dementia in the Danish Population
In this nested case-control study within a population-based cohort including 93 638 individuals with dementia in Denmark, there was no significant association between noncancer opioid use below 90 total standardized doses (TSDs) and dementia risk, whereas opioid use above 90 TSDs was associated with increased dementia risk. This association persisted among individuals with chronic pain diagnoses and with use of weak opioids only | JAMA Network Open, USA
Cannabis-related emergency department visits up as Maryland begins tracking data
Maryland has experienced a "significant increase" in cannabis-related emergency department visits, according to the Maryland Department of Health | Medical Xpress, USA
Impaired caregivers, bed sharing raise risk of sudden unexplained death in infants with prenatal drug exposure
Babies who are prenatally exposed to illicit drugs or alcohol are known to be at higher risk for sudden unexpected infant death (SUID). A new study by a Nemours Children's Health researcher, published in Pediatrics, shows that caregivers of prenatally exposed infants were twice as likely to be impaired at the time of death | Medical Xpress, USA
Mutual-helps groups and medications for Opioid Use Disorder: Does attendance lead to greater medication continuance?
Keeping patients in opioid use disorder medication treatment is challenging, with two-thirds dropping out by 6 months. This study investigated the relationship between attendance at widely available mutual-help groups and successful completion of opioid use disorder medication treatment in a national sample | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Cannabis legalization laws: Are they related to more treatment admissions?
Laws legalizing recreational cannabis are associated with increased rates of regular cannabis use, but how these new policies impact treatment seeking are not well understood. This study examined cannabis-related treatment admissions in California, prior to, and following legalization | Recovery Research Institute, USA
New report spotlights increasing alcohol and other drug harms in older Australians
The serious and increasing levels of harm older Australians face from alcohol and other drugs can no longer be ignored, a new Alcohol and Drug Foundation report has shown | ADF, Australia
Beyond Overdose: The population-level impact of opioid agonist treatment on suicide prevention (NSW) - video
About this webinar: The seminar presented findings from a study that quantified the impact of the New South Wales Opioid Agonist Treatment Program on suicide prevention from 2001 to 2020. It examined how OAT has contributed to a substantial reduction in suicide rates among individuals with opioid use disorder, emphasising the critical need for tailored interventions that address the specific challenges faced by this population | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Stop-smoking pill varenicline to be offered on NHS – what you need to know
For the first time since 2021, a pill used to help people quit smoking – varenicline – will again be available on the NHS. Varenicline is one of the most effective ways to quit smoking and is deemed an “essential medicine” by the World Health Organization | Conversation, UK
All publicity is good publicity for alcohol industry as it uses zero-alcohol products to circumvent public health rules
Alcohol is advertised to us in a variety of ways. Sponsorship at sports and music events, products promoted in our favourite movies and TV shows, and displays in shops to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, weddings, and birthdays. It is everywhere we look. Big alcohol companies spend millions linking alcohol with the things we love – watching football, GAA, or rugby, going to a gig, sharing a romantic meal | Alcohol Action Ireland blog, Ireland
Australia’s new anti-vaping program in schools is a good step – but education is only part of the puzzle
Last week, the federal government announced a plan to roll out an anti-vaping program in schools across the country. The education program, called OurFutures, aims to prevent young people taking up vaping. It has been developed by experts from the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use with input from educators and young people. So why do we need this program, what will it involve, and will it be an effective way to stop young people taking up vaping? Let’s take a closer look | Conversation, Australia
What is methanol? How does it get into drinks and cause harm?
Two Australian teenagers are severely ill in hospital in Thailand after experiencing suspected methanol poisoning while they were travelling in Laos. The pair are reportedly among several foreign nationals to become ill after unknowingly consuming alcoholic drinks containing methanol in the south-east Asian country | Conversation, Australia