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Daily news - 28th October 2024 |
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UK news
Deadly new drugs found in fake medicines in the UK
Super-strength drugs linked to hundreds of deaths have been found in samples of fake medicines bought across the UK, the BBC can reveal | BBC, UK
Meet the only scientist who knows just how bad the UK's drug deaths crisis truly is
Caroline Copeland and her team of student scientists keep track of the lives lost to drugs. Will their discoveries help stop a wave of synthetic opioids? | Big Issue, UK
Children 'needing colostomy bags' due to drug use
Ketamine use in Merseyside has "got so bad that young children are ending up with colostomy bags", a drug and alcohol support worker in Merseyside has warned. Kelly Smith, from the Change, Grow, Live (CGL) recovery service in Kirkby, said use of the drug was "a massive problem and increasingly common" | BBC, UK
The relational institution: an ethnographic study of recovery orientation and relational engagement on a psychiatric rehabilitation ward in London
[Open access] In the UK, inpatient psychiatric rehabilitation services for complex psychosis aim to provide recovery-orientated treatment to patients, with the goal of supporting sustained stepdown into community living. The extent to which rehabilitation services uphold this recovery orientation is associated with better outcomes. However, few studies have been able to ascertain what promotes or prevents recovery orientation in inpatient settings | BMC Psychiatry, UK
Easy read leaflet on alcohol withdrawal for people with memory problems
This leaflet was written to help explain to dependent drinkers, especially those experiencing cognitive or memory issues, how to stay safe during potential alcohol withdrawal. The document serves as a reminder of the risks associated with suddenly stopping drinking alcohol. It includes a list of symptoms to watch for during withdrawal and suggestions to help reduce risks and stay safe | Groundswell, UK
Life portrait
Mark Prest founded visual arts charity Portraits of Recovery as part of his own recovery. He provides an update as its second annual Recoverist Month draws to a close | DDN, UK
Come and join our fantastic team at Scottish Families!
Scottish Families supports anyone who is concerned about someone else’s alcohol or drug use. We were established in 2003 by families themselves, who came together to support each other and to campaign for recognition. Our five Outcomes are that Families are Supported, Included, Heard, Connected, and that Families Create Change. We are seeking up to three new Board members in response to recent and upcoming changes in our Board membership | SFAD, UK
Drug Policy Constellations: The Role of Morality and Power in the Making of Drug Policy in the UK
31 October 2024, 16:00 Oxford. Why does British policy on illicit drugs continue in its current form, despite its evident failure to meet its stated aims? Millions of people take controlled drugs every year, and the UK has its highest ever levels of drug-related deaths. In this talk, Alex Stevens will draw on his experience as a policy adviser, interviews with policy makers, and social network analysis of policy processes to explain drug policy in the UK. He will present his policy constellations approach, and apply it to cases including the 2018 legalisation of cannabis for medical use, and the current 10 year drug strategy | University of Oxford, UK
Suspected drugs wash up on coast for a third time
Suspected drugs have washed up along the shoreline in Cornwall for the third time in a month, police have said | BBC, UK
Arrests following £5 million cannabis haul at Birmingham Airport
National Crime Agency investigators have arrested five men in Luton and London in connection with the seizure of more than half a tonne of cannabis at Birmingham Airport | NCA, UK
Driver jailed after drugs found in chicken lorry
A driver caught with 30kg (66lb) of cannabis in the back of a lorry carrying chicken has been jailed | BBC, UK
International news
Will Mexico’s plan to constitutionally ban vapes play into the hands of cartels?
Move prompts fears it will boost black market and prevent regulation: ‘Banning something doesn’t make it safe’ | Guardian, UK
‘A once-in-a-generation change’: Portland, Oregon, prepares for monumental overhaul of city government
City will implement ranked-choice voting and move from a commission form of government to oversight by administrator | Guardian, UK
Dramatic Drop in Marijuana Use Among U.S. Youth Over a Decade
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine conducted a comprehensive study using data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey between 2011 and 2021, which surveyed 88,183 adolescents in grades nine through 12. Researchers focused on the overall time trends in use of marijuana as well as variations by gender, race/ethnicity, and school grade. These data provide important insights into the changing landscape of marijuana use among American youth | FAU, USA
Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Executive Function and Aggressive Behavior at Age 5 Years
In this cohort study of 250 children, prenatal cannabis exposure was associated with worse attention/inhibitory control and planning ability on select laboratory-based assessments and with more aggression based on behavioral observation. Cannabis exposure was not associated with any caregiver-reported outcomes | JAMA Pediatrics, USA
Young adults see potential in tech for reducing alcohol harm
Young adults think electronic interventions might help to reduce the negative consequences of alcohol use if tailored to their personal needs and goals. In a qualitative study, young adults reported that such real-time interventions should be customizable, easy to use, and provide digestible amounts of non-judgmental information | Medical Xpress, USA
Expert discusses projected decline in drug overdose deaths
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released preliminary data last week predicting the number of drug overdose deaths nationally fell by a record amount (12.7%) from May 2023 to May 2024 | Medical Xpress, USA
Supporting people with an intellectual disability who use alcohol and other drugs
Understanding the relationship between intellectual disability and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) can help workers adjust their approach, so they can help people with an intellectual disability access the support they need | ADF, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Budget action on alcohol harm is an open goal – will Government take the shot?
This week’s IPPR poll suggests voters want the Government to prioritise fixing public services over balancing the books. This chimes with Alcohol Change UK research, which found that policy action to address alcohol harm is gaining more public support and recognition for its potential to lighten the load on public services, including the NHS | Alcohol Change UK blog, UK
Achieving a smoke-free country—a best buy for the UK chancellor
The UK government has set out a bold mission to improve the nation’s health. This is an urgent and essential task, not just to improve individual wellbeing, but because poor health is a huge drain on the economy. The mission will require action across all arms of government. Unless smoking is tackled, there is no prospect of delivering on Labour’s manifesto commitment to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions. We therefore urge the chancellor to use the budget on 30 October to invest in creating a smoke-free UK as quickly as possible and make the tobacco industry pay | BMJ Letters, UK
It’s goodbye to disposable vapes – for former fans like me, not a moment too soon
Next year’s ban in England and Wales will put an end to one of the most embarrassingly era-defining trends of the early 2020s | Guardian opinion, UK
Budget 2024: ‘Tax booze, betting and tobacco to raise cash and public health’
Rachel Reeves is going to face the mother of all juggling acts when she comes to deliver her first Budget later this month. First and foremost, the Chancellor’s going to have to raise a lot of money – perhaps £40 billion – in order to meet her fiscal rules with any comfort. Fortunately, there are a set of measures that can help her keep those balls in the air. As I explained in a recent briefing for UK Day One project, taxes on the alcohol, gambling and tobacco industry can offer a win-win for the public finances and health, and help the economy | Labour List, UK