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Daily news - 3rd April 2025 |
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UK news
A Roadmap to a Smokefree Country: No one starts, everyone stops, no profit in tobacco
This roadmap builds on the progress of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and outlines the comprehensive approach needed to protect future generations, close the gap in healthy life expectancy, and reduce the burden on the NHS | ASH, UK
University part of anti-drug overdose kits video campaign
Scenes for a hard-hitting campaign video to promote how the public can use life-saving medication on people who have a drug overdose were filmed at the University of Bradford | University of Bradford, UK
Is smoking or vaping worse for you? It depends who’s asking
Research suggests vaping is one of the best ways to help smokers quit the habit. But that doesn’t mean it’s a harmless alternative to smoking | BBC Science Focus, UK
The rise of ketamine as Gen Z's drug of choice: From 'ket walks' to k-holes, TikTokers share videos showing anaesthetic's effects amid fears social media is fuelling use
Ian Hamilton, a leading drugs expert who serves as associate professor of addiction at the University of York, said there was 'no doubt' social media content was helping to fuel ketamine's popularity | Mail Online, UK
How effective are remote and/or digital interventions as part of alcohol and drug treatment and recovery support? A systematic review and meta-analysis
[Open access] Although remote drug/alcohol interventions have been widely reviewed, their effectiveness specifically for people in treatment remains unclear. We aimed to systematically review the effectiveness of remote interventions (delivered by telephone or computer) in alcohol/drug treatment and recovery support | Addiction, UK
Cranstoun partners with Durham PCC and Police on New Drug Testing Scheme
Suspects taken into custody by Durham Constabulary will be tested to determine if they have recently taken Class A drugs, including opiates, such as heroin or fentanyl, or cocaine | Cranstoun, UK
Pitch to Your Peers
Do you have a project that’s making a real difference in the world of drug and alcohol treatment, recovery, or harm reduction? Whether it’s a bold new idea or a well-established service, Pitch to Your Peers is your chance to share it with the sector — and get valuable feedback, support, and exposure | DDN, UK
The generation that has never known smoke-filled pubs
They are the first adults in Wales to have never known a smoke-filled bar or club. To have lived their whole lives unaccustomed to the smell of cigarettes lingering on clothes after a night out | BBC, UK
Charity fears NI hike will hit support for clients
A grassroots mental health charity has said it may have to cut staffing in order to meet the upcoming increase in employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) | BBC, UK
Call for council to take action over illegal vapes
A report detailed 1,176 illegal vapes seized from Jordanthorpe Food & Wine on Dyche Lane, Sheffield over the course of three visits by Trading Standards, after it received complaints about vapes being sold to under-18s | BBC, UK
Campaign to tackle gang violence and drug dealing
Crimestoppers is urging the public to contact them to report illegal activity, county lines drug dealing networks, and the violence and exploitation criminals carry out in communities | BBC, UK
'Machetes and drug deals': Residents say this is our normal
Police say they are clamping down on anti-social behaviour in a part of Lincolnshire residents say is crime-ridden. Sarah-May Buccieri went to find out what it is like to live there | BBC, UK
Six jailed after £2.4m of drugs found in car boot
Thirty kilos of cocaine was found in 47-year-old Rachael Beer's vehicle when she was arrested in Weston-super-Mare in January following an intelligence-led operation | BBC, UK
International news
Alcohol makes male fruit flies more attractive
Adding alcohol to males' food increases their release of chemicals that attract females and leads to higher mating success | BBC, UK
Company claims to have made first non-addictive cannabis painkiller
A trial of around 800 people with lower back pain suggested the cannabis-derived drug could be used as a painkiller | Independent, UK
Rethink use of sniffer dogs and strip-searches at music festivals, drug summit urges NSW government
Strong summit support for drug decriminalisation in favour of a health approach did not result in a recommendation from co-chairs | Guardian, UK
Mexican band has US visas revoked for 'glorifying drug kingpin'
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the band, Los Alegres del Barranco, had projected an image of El Mencho onto a screen at a recent concert in Mexico | BBC, UK
Silent epidemic of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder 'coming down the road at us fast and furiously'
The Government is being urged to recognise foetal alcohol spectrum disorder as a disability by a support group which warns it is a silent epidemic “coming down the road at us fast and furiously” | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Reducing Ireland’s alcohol consumption key for stopping domestic violence against women and children, advocacy group says
Over 65,000 domestic violence incidents were reported to gardai last year, marking a 10pc year-on-year rise since 2021, Alcohol Action Ireland said | Irish Independent, Ireland
Survey shows increased awareness of alcohol’s cancer risks
Public awareness of the link between drinking alcohol and an elevated risk of cancer has grown since last fall, with more than half of Americans now saying that regularly consuming alcohol increases your chances of later developing cancer, according to a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania | News Medical, USA
Hunger hormone found to be key in driving female binge drinking
Addiction researchers at The Florey have found a new pathway in the brain related to binge drinking in females, potentially opening a new way to help women with alcohol use disorder | Medical Xpress
Alcohol's lasting impact: Study reveals how heavy drinking damages cognition
For the first time, researchers demonstrate in an animal how heavy alcohol use leads to long-term behavioral issues by damaging brain circuits critical for decision-making | Medical Xpress, USA
Addressing the Unregulated Use of Nitrous Oxide Canisters
[Open access] The recreational misuse of nitrous oxide has been increasing globally, with reports showing a rise from 10% in 2015 to 20% in 2021. In the United States, misuse has been steadily rising since 2010, and from 2023 to 2024, there was a 58% increase in intentional nitrous oxide exposure reports. Small canisters marketed under names such as Galaxy Gas are often sold with minimal regulation, contributing to health risks, including oxygen deprivation, neurological damage, and even death. Nitrous oxide abuse can cause hypoxia, dizziness, unconsciousness, nerve damage, cognitive impairments, and fatal asphyxiation | Journal of Medicine, Surgery and Public Health, USA
Report: From Crisis to Care: Addressing Addiction, Mental Health, and Homelessness through Health and Supportive Services
People need better access to care. Care systems that do exist are inadequate and underfunded. However, harsh enforcement has been the status quo in the U.S. for the past 60 years. But arrests, incarceration, encampment sweeps, involuntary treatment, and drug and mental health courts approaches cost taxpayer money, worsen health outcomes, and undermine public safety. Our new report discusses five approaches that take care of people and help create healthier, safer communities | Drug Policy Alliance, USA
Supreme Court upholds FDA decision to deny marketing applications for certain flavored e-cigarettes
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) properly rejected applications from two manufacturers of e-cigarette liquids to market fruit- and dessert-flavored products | AHA, USA
US Supreme Court rejects medical marijuana firm's bid to avoid racketeering suit
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday against Medical Marijuana Inc in its bid to fend off a lawsuit by a commercial truck driver who was fired for failing a drug test after taking cannabidiol, or CBD, that he said was falsely sold as lacking the psychoactive ingredient present in marijuana | Reuters, USA
FDA Tobacco Head Brian King Among Casualties of Mass HHS Layoffs
On April 1, Dr. Brian King, the controversial director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), whose responsibilities included overseeing the authorization or rejection of vaping products for sale in the United States, emailed his staff | Filter Magazine, USA
Australia’s world-first psilocybin studies: clinical insights, therapist training applications and future innovations presented by Dr Paul Liknaitzky, Head of the Clinical Psychedelic Lab on 26th of February 2025
We conducted two world-first studies with psilocybin: one focused on therapist training and the other on treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This talk provided an overview of the rationale, design, key outcomes, and lessons learned from both studies, and flagged new and innovative research on psilocybin from our group | Turning Point, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
What does a recovery-friendly workplace look like?
Phillis Engelbert provides an amazing example with her restaurants, the Lunch Room, Detroit Filling Station, and North Star Lounge | Recovery Review blog, USA