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Daily news - 6th September 2024 |
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UK news
Warning over drugs that can kill in tiny doses
Police and public health leaders have warned it has "never been" more dangerous to take drugs thanks to the arrival of super-strength man-made opioids | BBC, UK
Would Britons support an outdoor smoking ban?
Three-quarters of the public would support a smoking ban outside hospitals, but are more divided on it applying to pub gardens | YouGov, UK
'I used to think cannabis was terrible - but no more'
Patients using medical cannabis in the West Midlands are calling on the new government to make the drug more widely available to those seeking treatment | BBC, UK
Alert over potentially deadly counterfeit vodka
The public are being warned about fake bottles of Glen’s Vodka which have been found to contain an industrial solvent that can cause death in severe cases | BBC, UK
Why I set up the DSM Foundation following my son's death with Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE - video
In this episode, we are joined by Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE, author and founder and director of the drugs education charity, DSM Foundation. In 2014, Fiona's youngest son, Dan, tragically passed away having consumed a lethal dose of MDMA. Dan was just 16 years old when he died. Just 8 days later, Fiona established the DSM Foundation, aiming to ensure that all young people across the UK have adequate access to evidenced-based drug education | Barod, UK
'It's done wonders for me' - the Hartlepool cricket team helping recovering drug addicts
A cricket team in Hartlepool is trying to end stigmas and bringing former substance users from across the town together | ITV, UK
Recovered alcoholic records charity song
The 31-year-old is releasing a single called "A Nice Glass of Alcohol-free Beer" to raise money for Alcohol Change UK | BBC, UK
10 Downing Street: Alcoholic Drinks
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's policy is on consumption of alcohol on the Downing Street estate | They work for you, UK
National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Waiting Times reporting survey
The Health Harms Intelligence Team at Public Health Scotland (PHS) are undertaking this survey to consult stakeholders on their views about the content and format of National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Waiting Times quarterly outputs, which include a quarterly PDF report and, since September 2023, an interactive dashboard | PHS, UK
Waterlooville: Let's talk drugs
Fri, 27 Sep 2024 12:00 - 15:00 BST. Come join us at the Waterlooville Community Centre for an open discussion about drugs. Whether you have questions, concerns, or just want to learn more, this event is for you. Our knowledgeable speakers will cover a range of topics, from harm reduction to policy reform and there'll be an opportunity to visit stalls from a range of local organisations including the Society of St James, Don't go with the Flo and Anyone's Child | J Slater, UK
International news
NSW drug summit to be co-chaired by former state Liberal leader who denounced pill testing
A former New South Wales Liberal leader who denounced pill testing as a drug reform option has been picked by the Labor government to co-chair its highly anticipated drug summit | Guardian, UK
Interview mit Harry Shapiro & BVTE Global Forum of Nicotine (GFN 24) - video
Harry Shapiro is Editor of the Global State of Tobacco Reduction Report, which is published every two years. For him, "Harm Reduction" is an important part of the fundamental right to health. However, dealing with "tobacco harm reduction" takes place in a "toxic" environment in which collegial interaction is hardly possible, even among scientists. The lower health risks of alternative products are marginalized by the potential for addiction. Shapiro explains how tobacco control plays with manipulative images to transfer distortions and risks of hard drugs to nicotine consumption | BVTE, Germany
EUDA webinar: Preventing substance-related crime in the community — how can we provide safer and healthier environments?
13 Sep 2024. In response to growing concerns about substance-related crime in communities across Europe, the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) is hosting this webinar to explore the availability and effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing and reducing violence and crime related to substance use. In this webinar, we will look at how local environmental prevention strategies can provide safer and healthier environments, particularly for young people | EUDA, Portugal
Drug Decriminalization, Fentanyl, and Fatal Overdoses in Oregon
In this cohort study of fatal overdose and fentanyl spread through Oregon’s unregulated drug market, decriminalization of drug possession was not associated with an increase in fatal drug overdose rates in Oregon in the 2 years after its enactment | JAMA Network Open, USA
Notes from the Field: E-Cigarette and Nicotine Pouch Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2024
During 2023–2024, current e-cigarette use among middle and high school students declined from 7.7% to 5.9%. Current nicotine pouch use (1.8%) did not change significantly during this period | CDC, USA
Cannabis Laws and Utilization of Medications for the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders
This cross-sectional study of 9 438 716 commercially insured patients found statistically significant reductions in benzodiazepine dispensing after increases in both medical and recreational cannabis access. However, evidence suggests increases in other types of psychotropic dispensing | JAMA Network Open, USA
Research team investigates the relationship between cannabis use, sleep and memory
The growing legal use of recreational and medical cannabis has generated an increased concern for potential side effects from long-term use, particularly regarding problems with memory and sleep. Until now, the effect of cannabis use on sleep and on memory have only been studied separately | Medical Xpress, USA
Study points to need for developing cannabis use guidelines for treating cancer-related pain
A recent study led by a University at Buffalo researcher suggests a paradigm shift in patient attitudes regarding perceptions of cannabis and prescription opioid use for pain management associated with cancer treatment | Medical Xpress, USA
Festival Drug Checking Services Still Too Often Sidelined
It’s a scorching July day in British Columbia, at Bass Coast festival, and there is no line outside the drug checking tent. I decide to bring along a sample of my 2C-B, a psychedelic stimulant also known as “tripstasy.” | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Government’s Stigmatising Language in the Xylazine Ban: A Harmful Misstep
The UK government’s decision to ban xylazine, while aimed at addressing public health concerns, has been accompanied by deeply troubling rhetoric, labelling the substance as a “zombie drug.” This kind of stigmatising language is a significant departure from responsible policymaking and is more typical of sensationalist media coverage than official government communications. For a government—especially one under Labour, a party historically aligned with supporting vulnerable communities—to adopt such harmful terminology is shocking and unacceptable | Volteface, UK
Top 3 Most Effective Methods to Quit Smoking, According to New Scientific Review
A comprehensive scientific review has identified varenicline, cytisine, and nicotine e-cigarettes as the most effective strategies for quitting smoking, especially when combined with behavioral support | Science Blog, UK
Overdose prevention centres should be everywhere
Very encouraged to read about the positive news that the Safer Drugs Consumption Facility in Glasgow, the first of its kind in the UK, will finally open its doors in October | Richard Branson's blog, UK
“Cannabis Substitution Therapy”: Can Cannabis Ease Opioid Withdrawal?
Rosie Rurka had a reputation as the frontline drugs worker who brought people back from the dead with naloxone after they had overdosed at the beginning of British Columbia’s overdose crisis. Now, she is better known for supplying people addicted to opioids with high-dose cannabis edibles, in a “cannabis substitution” approach | Talking Drugs, UK
The Real Smokescreen is Nicotine Disinformation
The head of the American Lung Association (ALA) recently penned a letter to the editor (LTE) in The Washington Post in response to an article about Zyn, an oral nicotine pouch that is growing in popularity. In the letter, he argues that Zyn is an unsafe tobacco product intentionally marketed to youth | R Street comment, USA
The Unseen Epidemic of Body Brokering and the Battle for Ethical Addiction Treatment
In the labyrinth of addiction recovery, where hope and despair often intertwine, a dark and insidious practice known as patient brokering, or “body brokering”, thrives. This unethical, and sometimes deadly, exploitation of individuals seeking help for substance use and mental health disorders has become a malignant undercurrent in the treatment industry | Rewrite the Narrative, USA