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Daily news - 22nd October 2024

UK news

Warning over high-strength pills following "multiple" hospitalisations across London

The Loop, fabric and the NTIA are among organisations who have issued warnings due to a string of reports of people becoming unwell last weekend | MixMag, UK

The inside story of nitazenes and the drug deaths crisis rocking Britain: 'No one is talking about it'

Across the UK, a deadly new drug has been linked to 284 fatalities. In Birmingham alone, it killed 21 people last summer. Yet few outside the city noticed. Big Issue investigates a shocking and hidden tragedy | Big Issue, UK

[Open access] Psychedelic drugs are increasingly visible in society once more, but their risks and adverse effects have received less attention than perhaps they should. While fatalities associated with psychedelics appear rare, a systematic approach to characterising their aetiology is required to inform harm minimisation efforts. This study aimed to analyse prevalence and characteristics of psychedelic-related deaths in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, between 1997 and 2022 | Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, UK

Workshops after primary children caught with vapes

A primary school has organised workshops for its children after confiscating vapes from pupils as young as 10 years old | BBC, UK

Indie brewers ditch ‘craft beer’ tag as drinkers are ‘misled’ by global brands

Survey shows many consumers unaware that previously standalone businesses now owned by big corporations | Guardian, 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 and 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

I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won't Die - Inverurie Academy

Tuesday, November 12 · 6:15 - 8pm GMT. Doors at 6:15pm. ‘I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’ is a powerful verbatim play by award-winning playwright Mark Wheeller, commissioned by the DSM Foundation to tell the story of Dan’s joyful life and tragic death, as part of the range of drug education resources and support that have been developed | Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, UK

Liam Payne Reportedly Had Pink Cocaine and Other Drugs in His System When He Died

Liam Payne reportedly had multiple drugs in his system when he died. Sources told ABC News that a partial autopsy found that the former One Direction singer had ingested several substances before he fell to his death from a third-floor balcony at an Argentinian hotel | VICE, UK

Grandmother died from cocaine effects at campsite

Tracey Jane Reed, 52, from Nottingham, was found dead inside a camping pod at Bainbridge Ings, near Hawes in North Yorkshire, on 10 June | BBC, UK

Man died after cocaine bag 'exploded in his mouth'

A man died after a "large bag" of cocaine "exploded" in his mouth during a police raid as he was being arrested for drug offences, an inquest has heard | BBC, UK

International news

Implementation of a community-based LC-UV drug checking service: promising preliminary findings on feasibility and validity

[Open access] Through their local association, in Marseilles in France people who use drugs developed their own service for testing samples of illegal drugs. An evaluation of their laboratory techniques found them a reliable way of identifying drugs and adulterants in the context of harm-reduction services | Harm Reduction Journal, UK

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Recovery From Substance Use Disorder: Findings From a Qualitative Study

[Open access] Many individuals already in SUD recovery before COVID-19 remained in recovery despite the challenges of pandemic era. The role of peer support in recovering individuals managing negative emotions caused by COVID-19 is considered | Substance Use: Research and Treatment, UK

Dublin city taskforce report

Though there is much to be positive about Dublin, the function of the city centre has profoundly altered, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Fewer people traveling to work, a shift in shopping and socialising patterns and concerns that the streets are not safe have contributed to a growing reluctance to engage in city centre activities. As fewer people have cause or desire to walk the city’s streets, particularly after business hours, the resulting lack of activity adds to the sense of emptiness and neglect and emboldens anti-social behaviour and visible drug taking. To address these issues, the Taskforce aligned behind three common missions: 1)More people living in the city centre, 2)Streets that look cleaner and feel safer and 3)A healthy, vibrant, always-on city that respects its heritage | Taoiseach's Taskforce for Dublin, Ireland

Top pediatric group establishes opioid prescribing guidelines for kids

For the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics has announced clear guidelines for how and when pediatricians and psychiatrists should prescribe opioids to children | Medical Xpress, USA

Clonidine monotherapy as effective as morphine in neonatal opioid withdrawal treatment, study finds

Pediatric researchers at the University of Kentucky found that clonidine, an antihypertensive drug typically used to treat high blood pressure, can be as effective as morphine in treating neonatal opioid withdrawal syndromes (NOWS) | Medical Xpress, USA

Campaign leads to a 37% drop in overdose deaths from drugs mixed with opioids, including fentanyl

Expanded treatment options, increased naloxone distribution and targeted education campaigns likely led to a 37% reduction in overdose deaths from opioids combined with stimulant drugs other than cocaine, according to the results of a large study | Medical Xpress, USA

Cannabis-Derived Product Types, Flavors, and Compound Types From an E-Commerce Website

This qualitative study of 501 012 unique cannabis product listings sold in the US found that the top 3 routes of administration were multisystem (41%), respiratory (37%), and digestive (20%). The most common product categories were flower buds (20%), cartridges 12%), and joints (8%); the most common cannabinoid compound type was Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (63%); and among all products, 42% had at least 1 of 260 unique flavors. Existing, new, and emerging characteristics of cannabis-derived products should be properly monitored and assessed for possible regulation and appropriate restrictions to ensure current and future safe and responsible adult use | JAMA Network Open, USA

Decriminalization Wasn't the Real Culprit in Oregon's Overdose Death Spike

Oregon decriminalized hard drugs in 2021 and recriminalized them last month. A new analysis shows the laws likely had little effect on opioid deaths | Scientific American, USA

Poppy seed brew triggers morphine overdose, drawing attention of lawmakers

Poppy seeds come from the plant that produces opium and from which narcotics such as morphine and codeine are derived. During harvesting and processing, the seeds can become coated with the opium fluid | Medical Xpress, USA

Oregon Voters Support Drug Recriminalization, Survey Says

Decriminalization passed with popular support in 2020. Now that drug possession has been recriminalized, surveys show people support that, too | VICE, USA

Alcohol Deficit in Canada: 6 Things You Need to Know - infographic

In 2020, Canada’s alcohol deficit was $6.4 billion. This deficit is the difference between the government revenue from alcohol sales and taxation and the social costs associated with alcohol use, which include health care, lost productivity and the criminal justice system | CCSA, Canada

Blogs, comment and opinion

Check your prejudice – Drug rooms are the start of something new

Today’s the day, or at least it should have been. The UK’s first drug consumption room was due to open in Glasgow this week but it’s been pushed back, we’re told, for more checks on the building and I’m sure it’ll be fine and everything but I worry, because the idea of consumption rooms, and getting them right, is serious. It matters | Herald opinion, UK

Confronting alcohol harm and tackling inequalities: guest blog post from the Alcohol Health Alliance

The Inequalities in Health Alliance (IHA) is a coalition of more than 250 organisations, convened by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), which campaigns for a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities. This blog post from the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) is part of a series by IHA member organisations | RCP Blog, UK

Why we need peer-led recovery projects in Scottish prisons

Rod Anderson, chief recovery officer for Recovery Coaching Scotlandtalks about his work training people in prison to help others with substance use problems | Community Justice Scotland blog, UK

Inspiring Hope, Raising Aspirations: Forward’s Career Information Advice and Guidance in Prisons

For the past six years, The Forward Trust has been delivering Career Information Advice and Guidance (CIAG) services across 18 prisons in England, supporting over 6,000 prisoners in 2023-2024 alone | Forward Trust blog, UK

Bob Blackman: Smoking is something we should all embrace getting rid of

As a staunch Conservative, I was proud to support Rishi Sunak’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the previous parliament and I hope to see Labour make good on their promise to reintroduce it as soon as possible | Conservative Home blog, UK

2024 Marks 20 Years of OST Delivery in Ukraine

This year marks 20 years since Ukraine first introduced opioid substitution therapy (OST) programme. Over the course of these two decades, experiences were accumulated, with evidence collected to confirm its effectiveness. In addition, mechanisms have been developed to address the challenges and obstacles faced by people who use drugs in Ukraine | Talking Drugs, UK

Irish Company Helping To Reduce Drug Harms In Ukrainian Jails

Dublin's One-Use Harm Reduction Products is donating equipment to meet the needs of people in prison in the war-torn country... | Hotpress opinion, Ireland

The Misleading Correlation Between Teen Vaping and Teen Smoking Declines

On October 17, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the rate of teen tobacco smoking and vaping continued to decline over the past year. The CDC commits the common error of assuming correlation is causation. By noting both the decline in vaping and teen smoking, the CDC implies a causal link without directly acknowledging other potential factors. However, there is evidence that teen vaping, once fueled by public anti-vaping campaigns, has been a passing fad that is now waning | CATO Institute blog, USA

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