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Daily news - 30th April 2025 |
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UK news
Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report
Drug-related harms remained high during the most recent quarter (December 2024 to February 2025), with a notable rise in suspected drug deaths compared to the previous quarter. Intelligence indicates Scotland’s drugs markets are likely to be contaminated. Contamination is likely to involve toxic synthetic substances which increase the risk of overdose and death. Harm reduction interventions should routinely advise about the risk of contamination in pills, powders and counterfeit medicines. Adulteration of heroin with nitazene-type opioids continues to be reported through RADAR reports and WEDINOS. Nitazenes are associated with rapid onset of overdose and difficulty reversing overdoses with naloxone. They have been detected in post-mortem and hospital toxicology in Scotland | Public Health Scotland, UK
Police warn drug users of 'highly potent' opioids
Cocaine recovered by Norfolk Police in King's Lynn was found to contain nitazenes, man-made opioids that can be hundreds of times stronger than heroin | BBC, UK
Recovering ketamine addict who's been left in constant pain warns others against using drug
A 22-year-old man from Waterlooville, who is recovering from a ketamine addiction, is pleading with others not to use the drug. Mitchell Woodhouse first experienced drugs when he was at a festival, aged 13. Three years later, when socialising with friends, ketamine became his drug of choice, as it’s cheaper than other drugs | ITV, UK
Changing lives through improved digital access
At Via, we’re helping to bridge the digital divide by distributing 50 refurbished laptops to people who use our services, thanks to the Good Things Foundation’s National Device Bank | Via, UK
East Yorkshire college bans vapes for children - video
A sixth form college in Hull is to ban students from vaping on campus after the issue became "a real problem over the past three years" | ITV, UK
Drugs fuelling women's violence at jail - watchdog
A report into HMP Foston Hall in Derbyshire and young offender institution (YOI) said the easy access to drugs and "very high levels of mental health need" were contributing to violence | BBC, UK
Councils in united call for gambling regulation
Runnymede, Spelthorne and Surrey Heath have signed the open letter to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport | BBC, UK
Online drug dealer caught posting cocaine across UK
Leicestershire Police said Zakira Jawaid must have spent "several years" dealing the class A drug and had reached the point where he was sending out a number of parcels almost every day | BBC, UK
Almost three million illicit cigarettes seized in south Armagh
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials supported by the police seized the cigarettes during a search of premises in Camlough, near Newry on 24 April | BBC, UK
International news
Effects of legal access versus illegal market cannabis on use and mental health: A randomized controlled trial
[Open access] A unique trial in Switzerland randomly selected regular users of cannabis to be able to legally buy the drug from pharmacies while others had access only to illegal supplies. The result was a near-significant reduction in cannabis use problems, driven by lives less dominated by obtaining and using the drug | Addiction, UK
The association of parental or caregiver alcohol use with child maltreatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies
[Open access] Caregiver alcohol use may be an important risk factor for child maltreatment, adding to the growing body of evidence on alcohol's harm to others and calling for stronger actions to reduce alcohol harm | Addiction, UK
DrugNet Europe - April
Latest monthly update on Drug policy news from the European Union Drugs Agency | EUDA, Portugal
Buprenorphine Treatment in Pregnancy and Maternal-Infant Outcomes
In Tennessee, pregnant women with opioid use disorder who were treated with buprenorphine had better pregnancy outcomes for both mother and child than those not treated, “with the most considerable benefit being the reduction of preterm births” | JAMA Health Forum, USA
Monthly buprenorphine depot injection (SUBLOCADE®) for opioid use disorder during pregnancy
[Open access] US data suggests no excess risk to mother or baby from taking long-acting, monthly injections of buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid use disorder | American Journal on Addictions, USA
Alaska becomes first state to require warnings about alcohol-cancer link under new law
Alaska bars and liquor stores will be required to post signs warning of alcohol’s link to cancer, under a bill that became law on Friday. The new sign mandate, to go into effect on Aug. 1, makes Alaska the first U.S. state to require such health warnings | Alaska Beacon, USA
'Magic mushrooms' show promise for improving motor function and mood in Parkinson's patients
Psilocybin, a natural compound found in certain mushrooms, has shown promise in treating depression and anxiety. UC San Francisco researchers wanted to know if it could be used to help Parkinson's patients who often experience debilitating mood dysfunction in addition to their motor symptoms and don't respond well to antidepressants or other medications | Medical Xpress, USA
Temporary alcohol abstinence challenges may lead to lasting reductions
Temporary alcohol abstinence challenges, such as Dry January, have grown in popularity over the past decade as public awareness of alcohol’s harms has increased. But can temporary abstinence foster longer-term changes? This study examined this question 6 months following the abstinence challenge | Recovery Research Institute, USA
“Paperwork vs progress”: The real-world barriers and facilitators of patient-reported outcome measures
Measuring patient outcomes with brief questionnaires, sometimes referred to as “measurement-based practice”, can improve treatment effects because it engages patients better and sensitizes therapists to key changes. Yet, there are often barriers to its implementation. This study examined staff reactions to outcome measurement in their clinical program | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Family Tragedy Spurs One Man’s Drive to Cut Smoking in South Africa
Kurt Yeo is the co-founder of Vaping Saved My Life (VSML), a South African consumer group, which among other things shares information about tobacco harm reduction and platforms testimonials from people whose lives THR has transformed | Filter Magazine, USA
Bogota fights heroin overdoses with South America's only supervised drug consumption room
Colombia's capital has South America’s only supervised room for drug use, aimed at reducing harm and preventing overdoses and now a topic of the International Conference on Harm Reduction, which has been taking place since Sunday in Bogota | abc news, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
From shrinking bladders to severe stomach pain: survey reveals the painful realities of ketamine addiction
Ketamine’s rising popularity has created a paradox. While it’s hailed by some doctors as a breakthrough psychiatric treatment, it’s also driving a surge in addiction and harming people’s health. To better understand people’s experience of ketamine and how it might be best used in medical treatment, we surveyed hundreds of people who self-identify as struggling with ketamine addiction | Conversation, UK
From headaches to addiction: the risks of overusing nasal decongestant sprays
Nasal decongestant sprays are a popular remedy for relieving nasal congestion caused by colds, allergies and sinus infections. These sprays provide quick relief allowing for easier breathing. However, while they can be effective in the short term, overusing nasal decongestant sprays can lead to serious health issues | Conversation, UK
Zero-alcohol drinks make teens think of alcohol – so why are we treating them like soft drinks?
In recent years there has been an explosion in the availability – and advertising – of zero-alcohol drinks: drinks that mimic alcohol products in appearance and taste, but contain no or very low volumes of alcohol | IAS blog, UK