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Daily news - 17th September 2024

UK news

Further funding cuts for councils would be disastrous; urgent funding and reform is needed

In its submission to the Treasury ahead of the Autumn Budget, the LGA says the Government needs to take immediate steps to stabilise council finances and protect vital local services | LGA, UK

High cocaine levels in wastewater post-rugby

High levels of absorbed cocaine have been found in south Wales' waste water, according to a new study. The largest consumption was found to have peaked during rugby internationals in Cardiff in 2021, when Wales faced South Africa, which found 8.54 milligrams of the illegal drug per day, per 10,000 people | BBC, UK

UK: Shock poll shows cigarettes and vapes ban is LOWEST priority among Labour MPs

Polling firm Survation asked 102 sitting Labour MPs to anonymously rank which upcoming legislation announced in the King’s speech is their priority over the coming months | Clearing the air, UK

Students warned over freshers' weeks drink spiking

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said there had been a fall in the number of reported incidents of spiking over the past three years but the issue was still concerning for new and returning students | BBC, UK

Recovery Walk & Festival 24 – London

Forward Trust was proud to walk with our recovery community at the national FAVOR Recovery Walk on Saturday | Forward Trust, UK

Join our Board - Scottish Drugs Forum

Are you someone with direct lived or living experience of substance use? Do you have a passion for advocating for change and making a real difference in the lives of others? If so, we want you to join our Board of Directors! | SDF, UK

Trustee - Alcohol Change UK

We’re delighted to open up two roles for new trustees, one with charity finance experience, and one with experience of influencing Central Government. This is a really exciting time for Alcohol Change UK. In March 2024 we approved a major new five year strategy that will see us invest significantly from our reserves, to drive growth in both our income and our impact | Alcohol Change UK, UK

Prison's drug problem 'worst in England and Wales'

A cramped and overcrowded jail where more prisoners tested positive for drugs than any other in England and Wales will struggle to improve without investment, inspectors have said | BBC, UK

International news

Fentanyl was killing their friends – and no one was talking about it. So these teens stepped up

As fake pills send teen overdose deaths skyrocketing, these high schoolers are filling an information void with films and peer-to-peer education | Guardian, UK

Reitox national academy on evidence-based prevention opens today in Zagreb

The Croatian national focal point and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) are organising today the latest Reitox Academy on evidence-based prevention. The academy will cover the principles of science-based prevention, feature examples of quality prevention programmes across Europe and discuss models for improving national prevention interventions | EUDA, Portugal

Health care service utilization and drug overdose death: A national nested case–control registry study

[Open access] Reviews studies of campaigns to reduce stigma towards people who use illegal drugs. Ironically found many campaigns stress addiction is a ‘disease’, risking further ‘othering’ of and distancing from drug users: “not necessarily … the best framing for anti-stigma messaging” | AJA, USA

[Open access] The best (in terms of treatment waiting times, retention and completion) opioid addiction treatment services in Los Angeles county were characterised by a harm reduction approach integrating methadone and other pharmacotherapies with behavioural health and social services | IJDP, USA

Community-Based Medications First for Opioid Use Disorder - Care Utilization and Mortality Outcomes

In the US state of Washington six sites implemented low threshold, often same-day access to buprenorphine maintenance and other services for opioid-dependent patients contacted at harm reduction and homelessness centres, a contrast to the usual appointment-based access at clinics. Over the next 12 months the patients’ death rate was nearly five times lower than among a matched comparison group | Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, USA

'It's just a part of life': Cannabis use disorder an issue alongside increased normalization

With legalization of cannabis sweeping the nation—Ohio the most recent convert, starting sales of recreational pot in August—use of the drug has been increasing too. With this uptick in use and a widespread acceptance of cannabis, however, also come reports of misuse: Data show cannabis use disorder is more prevalent than ever | Medical Xpress, USA

For people with opioid addiction, Medicaid overhaul comes with risks

It was hard enough for Stephanie to get methadone treatment when she moved from Indiana to Florida last year. The nearest clinic, north of Tampa, was almost an hour away, and she needed help with transportation. But at least Stephanie didn't have to worry about affording it. Medicaid in Florida covers methadone, which reduces her opioid cravings and prevents withdrawal symptoms | npr, USA

Japan To Criminalize Recreational Cannabis And Legalize For Medical Use

The decision, announced last week, will take effect on December 12. Although the possession and cultivation of marijuana are already illegal in Japan, the new law will also ban its use and impose a prison sentence of up to seven years for offenders | Forbes, USA

New study finds no bias in opioid treatment suggestions by AI models

A new study from Mass General Brigham researchers provides evidence that large language models (LLMs), used for generative artificial intelligence (AI), ChatGPT-4 and Google's Gemini, demonstrated no differences in suggested opioid treatment regimens for different races or sexes | News Medical, USA

VT Overdose Prevention Centers to Allow Smoking Areas, Mobile Units

Vermont has unveiled operating guidelines for overdose prevention centers (OPC), which will include smoking consumption areas and potentially mobile sites. The state became the third to authorize OPC on June 17, in a dramatic eleventh-hour override of the veto issued by Governor Phil Scott (R). The Vermont Department of Health published the guidelines September 13, two days before its deadline to do so | Filter Magazine, USA

Blogs, comment and opinion

Chroming, choking and skull-breaking – social media challenges can come with deadly consequences

“Chroming”, also known as “huffing” or “bagging”, has become a notorious – and potentially fatal – trend. Chroming is a form of recreational drug use that involves inhaling cheap and accessible but highly dangerous substances and solvents, such as deodorant aerosols, paints and permanent markers. Sniffing the chemicals gives an immediate euphoric high – but it comes at enormous risk | Conversation, UK

Is Ketamine Use Among Young People in the UK a Growing Crisis?

The recent increase in ketamine use among young people, highlighted in The Guardian by Owen Bowden-Jones, has ignited concerns across the UK. While some experts, including Bowden-Jones, have described this as a “national problem,” the data reveals a more nuanced picture. Are we facing a full-blown crisis or a more moderate uptick in usage? And, crucially, how much do we really know about the true impact of ketamine, given the inconsistencies in data reporting, especially regarding related health conditions like bladder damage? | Volteface, UK

Out of Court Disposals for people with health vulnerabilities

The provision of Out of Court disposals for people with substance use, mental health or other health vulnerabilities varies significantly between police force areas | Russell Webster, UK

Intoxication nation: a double shot of US history

What prompted the idea for the course? I wanted to get students excited about studying the past by learning about something that is very much a part of their own lives. Alcohol – somewhat surprisingly to me at first – featured prominently in my own research on minority rights and U.S. democracy in the mid-19th century. As a result, I knew quite a bit about the temperance movement and conflicts over prohibition during that period. Designing this course allowed me to broaden my expertise | Conversation, USA

How perpetrators of domestic violence use drugs and alcohol to control their victims

At least three decades of research on the intersection of substance use with domestic and family violence consistently shows the frequency, severity and impact of violence increases in the context of the perpetrator using alcohol and other drugs | Conversation, Australia

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