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Daily news - 5th February 2025

UK news

DDN February 2025

It’s hardly surprising that the alcohol industry is reluctant to commit to clearer labelling – but calling into question the evidence of health risks is an unacceptable turn (p6). Pointing the finger at ‘a small group of people who don’t use the product responsibly’ is a cynical tactic, but denying the level of risk (including links with cancer) is a crime against public health | DDN, UK

Official Statistics - Smoking profile: February 2025 update

An overview of the extent of tobacco use, tobacco-related harm, vaping use and the measures being taken to reduce smoking-related harms at a local level in England | OHID, UK

Official Statistics - Alcohol profile: February 2025 update

Update of indicators in the alcohol profile interactive tool. In the financial year 2023 to 2024, there were 339,916 alcohol-specific hospital admissions, 280,747 alcohol-related hospital admissions under the narrow definition, and 1,018,986 alcohol-related hospital admissions under the broad definition in England | OHID, UK

MSP backs campaign to end stigma around drug and alcohol deaths

Ms Baker, Scottish Labour MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, will attend a See Beyond – See the Lives – Scotland roadshow event for the campaign on February 17 at Central Library Stirling. She is urging people to sign a campaign pledge committing to show compassion towards those affected by substance use | University of Stirling, UK

Self-rated health differences between exclusive e-cigarette users and exclusive cigarette smokers: evidence from the 2017–2019 Scottish Health Survey

[Open access] The comparative health implications of e-cigarette use versus traditional cigarette smoking remain a critical focus in public health research. This cross-sectional study examined differences in self-rated general health between exclusive e-cigarette users and exclusive cigarette smokers, using data from the 2017–2019 Scottish Health Survey | Internal and Emergency Medicine, UK

Approximately 80-85% of responses expressed strong support for the Right to Recovery Bill

The responses to the Committee’s call for evidence have revealed a broad consensus on the critical need for this Bill, with overwhelming support for its core aim: ensuring timely access to addiction treatment as a legal right. This right would offer immediate support to those affected by addiction, helping to address the public health crisis of rising drug-related deaths in Scotland | FAVOR, UK

Parents issue devastating warning after beloved Manchester coffee shop owner, 38, dies

Jamie Boland died in June last year aged 38 after battling ketamine addiction and now his parents have called for the drug to reclassified as a Class A substance | Manchester Evening News, UK

Signs to discourage smoking and vaping in parks & play areas

The initiative, part of Bradford Council's wider Tobacco Control Strategy, has seen signs put up in parks and play areas across the district thanking adults for not smoking or vaping | Telegraph & Argus, UK

Sheffield: Take Drugs Seriously

Thu, 6 Feb 2025 19:00 - 21:00 GMT. Samson Street Sheffield S2 5QT. Come along to learn about the impact of drugs in Sheffield and how we can better protect our community | J Slater, UK

International news

Lung cancer diagnoses on the rise among never-smokers worldwide

Research shows need for further studies into air pollution and other causal factors, expert says | Guardian, UK

David Lynch’s death shocks smokers into quitting: ‘It’s just not good for us’

Smoking was having a comeback – until the director’s death after an emphysema diagnosis complicated its allure | Guardian, UK

Alcohol ads in Six Nations broadcasts spark fresh controversy

Guinness branding visible inside the Aviva stadium during the broadcast of Ireland’s Six Nations clash with England exposed thousands of children to alcohol marketing and undermined the new watershed, according to Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) | Irish Examiner, Ireland

EU can dodge millions of cancers by hitting tobacco, alcohol reduction targets, study claims

Reaching EU targets on the use of tobacco and alcohol, as well as addressing unhealthy diets and air pollution could help reduce almost four million cancer cases, according to a new study | Euronews, Belgium

EUDA webinar: Low-threshold employment programmes — can they be social reintegration gateways?

26 Feb 2025. Online. Young people in socially vulnerable situations, including those involved with substance use, often face significant challenges in securing employment. However, there are initiatives that offer flexible work schedules and the potential for quick results. These initiatives aim to engage with hard-to-reach populations, build trust, provide care, and facilitate opportunities for same-day employment and some level of economic independence. This conversational webinar aims to explore these initiatives, with the assistance of intervention providers, and to discuss their feasibility, acceptability and evaluation outcomes | EUDA, Portugal

Changes in Incident Schizophrenia Diagnoses Associated With Cannabis Use Disorder After Cannabis Legalization

In this population-based cohort study comprising 13 588 681 individuals, the population-attributable fraction of cannabis use disorder associated with schizophrenia increased significantly from 3.7% in the prelegalization period to 10.3% during the postlegalization period. These findings suggest that the association between cannabis use disorders and schizophrenia is an important consideration for the legalization of cannabis | JAMA Network Open, USA

This international systematic review and meta-analysis of the risk factors associated with non-fatal opioid overdose (NFOD) includes 53 studies that use a self-report methodology to capture all persons who use opioids, not just those who access medical treatment | JSAT, USA

How to Build on Sweden’s “Smoke-Free” Success?

“Sweden has successfully reduced smoking rates by combining innovation, legislation and consumer empowerment,” Jesper Skalberg Karlsson told the audience | Filter Magazine, USA

The adverse public health effects of non-medical cannabis legalisation in Canada and the USA

[Open access] The mixed and unclear record of health impacts of legalising cannabis in North America include evidence of some harms which could be reduced by changes in how cannabis is made available and by information and support for consumers | Lancet, USA

Changes in population-level alcohol sales after non-medical cannabis legalisation in Canada

[Open access] Data from Canada “do not support the idea that cannabis legalisation may result in declining alcohol use and harms through the substitution of cannabis for alcohol” | DAR, USA

Treatment satisfaction and patient reported outcomes among people with opioid use disorder participating in an open-label, non-randomised trial of long-acting injectable buprenorphine treatment in Australian custodial settings

[Open access] Will prisoners accept monthly injections of long-acting buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder? When other medications were denied them, the answer in Australia was a clear “Yes” (56 of 61 who could have done renewed their treatment for the 16 weeks of the study) and they experienced significant improvements in quality of life and mental and physical health | DAR, USA

Study questions dexamphetamine's addictive reputation

Dexamphetamine—a restricted stimulant drug used to treat narcolepsy and Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)—might not be as addictive as previously thought, new research from the University of Sydney suggests | Medical Xpress, USA

New research shows positive changes in opioid prescribing, but trend among young people a cause for concern

New Monash University research has revealed a concerning rise in new opioid prescriptions among younger Victorians, while also finding an overall positive trend, with a drop in opioid prescription numbers and the number of people being prescribed opioid medications for longer periods of time | Monash University, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

Heated tobacco ads are everywhere – how are tobacco companies getting away with it?

A new BBC investigation has found that tobacco companies are promoting heated tobacco products in shops, despite being told by the government back in 2018 that this was "prohibited" and being asked to "desist from such promotion in the future". But what exactly are these products, and why is their promotion a cause for concern? | ASH blog, UK