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Daily news - 10th October 2024 |
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UK news
Young people face ‘troubling’ challenges to social mobility, Commission reveals
This Social Mobility Commission report examines young people’s mental health, truancy, use of alcohol and drugs and the support they receive in the home. Children aged 11-15, from more advantaged families, were found to be more likely to use alcohol, drugs and vape. 32% of young people from better off families self-reported consuming alcohol in the last month compared to 19% from poorer families. A similar trend is shown when looking at young people’s experiences of drug use with 23% of those from more wealthier families having taken drugs in the past month compared to 17% of those from less well off families | Social Mobility Commission, UK
Systematic review: The relationship between gabapentinoids, etizolam, and drug related deaths in Scotland
In recent years Scotland has been experiencing a disproportionally high number of drug related deaths compared to other European countries, causing significant individual, societal and economic burden. A possible cause of this is the increase in average number of substances involved in Scottish drug related deaths, as well as the changing pattern of substances involved. Opioids, cocaine, and alcohol have been consistently involved in the culture of drug use in Scotland, however recently National Records Scotland have identified that designer benzodiazepines such as etizolam, and prescription drugs such as gabapentinoids are increasingly being detected in Scottish toxicology reports | PLOS One, UK
How easy is it to buy drugs on social media? - video
We are joined by Lou, a trainer within the Young Person's Gwent N-Gage service, who specialises in the relationship between drugs and social media. So how do people come across drugs on social media and how easy is it to buy drugs online? | Barod, UK
114. Chemsex with Darren Murphy - podcast
In this episode, we meet with Darren Murphy, a Chemsex Specialist Practitioner at Forward Leeds, to discuss chemsex, addiction, as well as addressing the link with the LGBTQ+ community. Darren shares his personal journey, navigating the challenges of drug addiction and everything which came with it. Realising the limited support available for people engaging in chemsex, Darren shares how he uses his experiences to help others overcome similar struggles | Drug Science, UK
Rough sleeping will soar unless Labour fills £1bn shortfall, charities say
Exclusive: Failure to extend funding risks biggest setback to ending homelessness ‘in recent history’, Rachel Reeves told | Guardian, UK
Alcohol charity closing at end of year
The Guernsey Alcohol Advisory Service (GAAS) lost its funding three years ago when the States chose Independence to provide alcohol support services | BBC, UK
Arrests of top tier organised crime suspects increased by 69% in last year, as GMP and partners launch city-region's first published drugs strategy
We’ve taken a significant step in tackling the devastating impact of illegal substances across Greater Manchester by launching the city-region’s first published multi-agency drugs strategy on Monday 7 October 2024 | GMP, UK
Arrests after £40m of cocaine seized on beach
Six further men have been arrested after cocaine worth £40m was seized on a West Sussex beach | BBC, UK
Large cannabis farm found in disused building
Officers went to the building in West Street, following reports of suspicious activity, and found it had been converted into a “sophisticated” cannabis farm, with hundreds of plants at various stages of growth | BBC, UK
International news
Hot weather and crystal meth don’t mix – the death stats prove it
Meth increases body temperature, impairs the brain’s ability to regulate and makes it harder for the heart to compensate | Independent, UK
Imperial Brands to dish out more to shareholders as e-cigarette sales grow
Winston cigarette maker Imperial Brands has said it plans to dish out more cash to its shareholders, after reporting fast growth of its vapes and alternative smoking products | Independent, UK
Cannabis is now legal in many US states – but can the smell get you in trouble?
Parts of the country are starting to treat cannabis like alcohol when it comes to policing intoxicated driving | Guardian, UK
Joint Committee on Drugs Use to meet representatives from Dublin Drug Treatment Court and the LEAR programme
Ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Gino Kenny said: "This week the committee will continue our discussion on a health - led approach to drug use with important voices from communities working within our capital city. The Law Engagement & Assisted Recovery (LEAR) programme is designed to provide support to street-involved individuals with complex needs and aims to balance the needs of the individual by fostering close collaboration between An Garda Síochána and Ana Liffey Drug Project." | Houses of the Oireachtas, Ireland
Bill to regulate sale of nitrous oxide introduced to Dáil
Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Mid-West, Mark Ward TD, has today introduced legislation to regulate the sale of nitrous oxide, alongside his party colleague, Deputy Seán Crowe | Dublin People, Ireland
“Moral Panic”—Irish Government Plans Sweeping Anti-Vape Legislation
Ireland’s health minister, Stephen Donnelly, has received cabinet approval to move forward with a bill to radically reduce the availability and variety of nicotine vapes—ignoring the results of a public consultation on the matter. In a September government press release, Donnelley said the ban on selling “nicotine inhaling products” to under-18s was insufficient to curb what he framed as the problem of rising youth vaping | Filter Magazine, USA
Tiny molecule offers hope in reducing opioid side effects
Opioid drugs are highly effective at relieving pain but come with severe drawbacks. Their side effects range from dizziness to potentially fatal respiratory depression. Their illegal use contributes to nearly half a million deaths worldwide each year. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have discovered a molecule, called nanobody NbE, which binds tightly and durably to the cell receptors that usually bind to opioids, thereby blocking the drugs' activity | News Medical, USA
Study confirms guideline interventions are critical in reducing opioid dispensing
Researchers in Australia have completed a review of a trial focused on reducing opioid dispensing in emergency room settings without increasing reliance on other high-risk medications. They found that the SHAPED (Sydney Health Partners Emergency Department) trial's guideline training intervention reduced opioid dispensing by 12.3% | Medical Xpress, USA
Drones could transform emergency response to opioid overdoses
The opioid epidemic has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the United States over the past two decades, devastating families and communities around the country. As this epidemic remains one of the nation's most severe public health crises, health care professionals continue to search for effective ways to save lives amid this tragedy | Medical Xpress, USA
UTSW study explores link between high school IQ and alcohol use
A higher IQ during teen years increases the likelihood of moderate or heavy drinking later in life | UTSW, USA
Smoking cessation may reduce opioid prescriptions: Study
Smoking is recognized as a leading cause of preventable disability and death. New research shows that as smokers increase their daily number of cigarettes, they report higher rates of chronic pain, more prescription opioid use, severe work limitations due to pain, and poor mental health | Medical Xpress, USA
Having Trouble Quitting Vaping? You’re Not the Only One
Years ago, Dr. Mark Eisenberg, a cardiologist at McGill University in Canada, recommended that one of his patients—a smoker who’d tried everything to quit but still couldn’t—try vaping instead. It worked; his patient kicked the smoking habit. But recently, the same patient came back to Eisenberg’s office with a new problem | Time, USA
10/10/2024: Too many lives lost to alcohol; new data strengthens need for greater action
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveals there were 1,667 alcohol-induced deaths in 2023, down only slightly from the 1,742 recorded in 2022 which marked the highest in over a decade | adf, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Alcohol trade groups mislead Prime Minister on duty ‘increase’, putting revenue – and lives – at risk
Alcohol trade associations seem intent on misinforming their members, the public, and the new Prime Minister. In numerous newspaper articles, interviews, and social media posts, both the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) have claimed that the ‘increase’ in alcohol duty rates last August led to the Treasury losing revenue | IAS blog, UK
DEA could reclassify marijuana to a less restrictive category – a drug policy expert weighs the pros and cons
The Drug Enforcement Administration announced in early 2024 that it would act on President Joe Biden’s call to reclassify marijuana, moving it from the tightly controlled Schedule I category that it has been in since 1970 to the less restrictive Schedule III status of the Controlled Substances Act. That triggered a long process of hearings and reviews that will not be completed until after the presidential election in November | Conversation, USA