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Daily news - 4th October 2024 |
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UK news
Deaths linked to potent synthetic opioids
This report contains information on the numbers of deaths associated with potent synthetic opioids (nitazenes or fentanyls). The data has been collected by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the National Crime Agency | OHID, UK
How to talk about alcohol
We need a new way of talking about alcohol which broadens understanding of the many ways alcohol causes harm - a story which can build a movement for change. That's why we're excited to share new research and an evidence-based framing toolkit to help us all tell a more powerful story about alcohol | Alcohol Change UK, UK
Is vaping bad for you and how are the rules changing?
The number of adults and young people using e-cigarettes and vapes has increased as smoking rates have fallen. Labour says it will take forward the previous, Conservative government's plans to stop vapes being marketed to children, to help create a smoke-free generation | BBC, UK
Counselling 'invaluable' after daughter's death
A Strabane mother whose daughter died after taking suspected "extra-strength" drugs has said a new mental health centre in the County Tyrone town has helped her get her life back on track | BBC, UK
New drug needle exchange 'life-saving', say experts
A new enhanced drug needle exchange has opened in Belfast City Centre. The service is operated by the charity Extern, which says there is an alarming increase in the number of people injecting drugs in Northern Ireland. In 2023, a total of 31,851 transactions were made by the Needle and Syringe Exchange Service across Northern Ireland | BBC, UK
Alcohol-related Deaths (Lothian)
To ask the Scottish Government how many alcohol-related deaths were reported in the Lothian region in the last year for which data is available | They work for you, UK
Addiction Mission PSP - survey
The Addiction Mission is working with the James Lind Alliance to enable healthcare professionals, those people with experience of addictions or who use alcohol or drugs problematically, carers and families to work together to identify and prioritise the questions for future research that will make the most difference to the lives of people with experience of addiction and their families and carers. Please help by completing the survey | James Lind Alliance, UK
Record number of homeless families living in hotels and B&Bs as cost to councils set to soar
More than 117,000 households are living in temporary accommodation, which is the highest number since records began in 1998 | Independent, UK
Homeless man gets £1k after council 'did nothing'
The Northamptonshire man had to stay with friends and sofa-surf because his case was not being dealt with | BBC, UK
Nitazenes Webinar
Mon, 07 Oct, 10:00 - 12:15 BST. Online. We already know that synthetic opioids (SOs) are present in the illegal drug supply, posing a significant threat that is here to stay, and may get far worse. We are gathering together colleagues from across services, with input from police, Public Health Wales and others, to help inform everyone about this threat | Barod, UK
Drug dealing in multiple hospitals, policing board told
Reports of drug dealing in a Belfast hospital emergency department seems to be "snowballing" into multiple hospitals, the chairman of the Policing Board has said | BBC, UK
Illegal vapes seized in series of shop raids
Almost 800 vapes, 11,500 cigarettes and 5kg of hand rolling tobacco were confiscated from three shops in St Neots, Huntingdon and Ramsey on 25 September | BBC, UK
International news
Cayman Islands to ask voters whether to ease marijuana laws
The Cayman Islands plans to hold a referendum on whether to turn possession of small amounts of marijuana into a minor offense | Mail Online, UK
Ministers for Health announce record €25.8 billion budget for the delivery of health services in 2025
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler and Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drug Strategy, Colm Burke have today announced a record €25.8 billion health budget to support the continued delivery and expansion of quality, affordable healthcare services in 2025 | DoH, Ireland
'Lack of progress in lives' of those on methadone
Half of the 12,000 people receiving methadone treatment have been doing so for up to 10 years and one in five are on the heroin-substitute medication for more than 20 years, research indicates | Irish Examiner, Ireland
How are vapers reacting to the tax hike on e-cigarettes? Quite well actually
A number of vapers who spoke to The Journal said they wouldn’t mind if the tax hike was even higher | Journal, Ireland
Poland plans to further tighten rules on alcohol sales for under 18s
Alcoholic drinks remain popular in the eastern European country despite the criticism. Poland ranked as Europe's third biggest beer producer in 2023, according to a Eurostat. survey, with the country also being a large exporter of vodka | Euronews, Belgium
Prevalence of stimulant use and the role of opioid agonist treatment among people who inject drugs in France: Results from the COSINUS cohort study
[Open access] Intriguing finding from France that opioid addiction patients prescribed morphine rather than the more usual methadone or buprenorphine were much less likely to use stimulants (mainly forms of cocaine) by injection and/or daily. Speculation is that morphine is more satisfying, reducing the desire to supplement with other drugs | DAR, USA
Pre-arrest diversion-to-treatment programs may reduce crime, overdose deaths
Pre-arrest diversion-to-treatment programs that focus on long-term treatment for substance use disorder may reduce crime recidivism, incarceration and overdose deaths, according to new study led by a research team from Penn State College of Medicine | Medical Xpress, USA
Evidence of Vaping’s Harmful Effects on Blood Vessels and the Left Ventricle of Heart
A new study by researchers at the USC Viterbi Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, in collaboration with the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) and UC Irvine, highlights the harmful effects of both electronic and standard cigarettes on cardiovascular health. In short, the researchers found that electronic cigarettes harm blood vessels while standard cigarettes impair the heart | USC Viterbi, USA
Web-Based Coping Skills Training and Coach Support for Women Living With a Partner With an Alcohol Use Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial
Women under stress from a partner’s drinking were allocated to an extended online programme to develop skills in coping with the situation, with or without limited phone support from an in-person ‘coach’. Unexpectedly, over the longer term those allocated to these approaches did not fare consistently better than those receiving only information, though addition of the coach did seem to help | JMIR, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
No Ceasefire for Tobacco: How the Industry Thrives Amid War and Conflict
In war, there are no winners, only horrifying suffering, devastation and deaths. Yet, even in the face of human adversity and humanitarian turmoil, some harmful industries exploit these crises to continue profiting. Among them is the tobacco industry, which continues to operate and profit in warn-torn areas while its customers are left homeless, displaced and hungry | BMJ Blog, UK
Drop in drug poisoning deaths does not necessarily indicate Alberta Recovery Model is working
More than 47,000 Canadians have died of opioid toxicity since 2016. Some have attributed this crisis to the over-prescription of medical-use opioids and the presence of potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl analogues in the illicit drug market | Conversation, Canada