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Daily news - 25th February 2025 |
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UK news
Generation K: The disturbing rise of ketamine abuse among young people
At the urology department of Burnley General Hospital, 26-year-old Ryan (not his real name) is having a drug solution inserted through a catheter - part of his treatment for a condition known as ketamine bladder. This procedure will not completely reverse the damage inflicted by Ryan's previous addiction to the Class B drug, but it will help him manage the symptoms | BBC, UK
Association of Smoking and Young Cryptogenic Ischemic Stroke
[Open access] The incidence of ischemic stroke in the young is increasing and driven by cryptogenic strokes. Smoking is a well-documented risk factor with a high prevalence in young ischemic strokes. We sought to determine the association between smoking and young cryptogenic ischemic stroke (CIS) in a large multicenter case-control study | Neurology, UK
Report of the Independent Review of the Liquor Licensing system in Northern Ireland including the Surrender Principle
In 2021, the NI Assembly passed the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland). This legislation introduced a series of reforms to the licensing system, including changes to licensing hours, the easing of restrictions on opening at Easter, the creation of a new licence category for local producers, and the permitting of alcohol sales in cinemas. Our team was commissioned to carry out the review in August 2022, and this report contains the findings of our research | University of Stirling, UK
MSPs debate new approach to prison alcohol care
Scotland’s Justice Secretary has told MSPs they must come together in a “different debate that seeks different outcomes” to improve care for the two thirds of people in prison with alcohol use disorders | HealthandCare.Scot, UK
Man arrested as police target prison 'drug drops'
Police and prison staff are working together after noticing "an increase in organised drug drops on prison grounds" | BBC, UK
International news
USAID freeze has stopped a Mexican anti-narcotics program, many fear more fentanyl deaths will result
A US-backed UN program designed to halt the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals into Mexico has been stalled by President Trump's foreign aid freeze, sources reveal | Independent, UK
‘My life expectancy is short’: America’s most vulnerable – in pictures
From train hoppers to addicts and prostitutes, Mark Laita’s photo series unpicks the complex life stories of those who exist on society’s fringe | Guardian, UK
Respiratory effects of electronic cigarette use in individuals who never smoked: a systematic review
[Open access] Current evidence on whether electronic cigarettes (ECs) pose respiratory risks is unclear, due to confounding by cigarette smoking; evidence among never-smoking individuals is needed. Following a narrative review and critical appraisal, a systematic review assessed possible respiratory outcomes prospectively associated with EC use among individuals who never smoked | Clinical Medicine, USA
Kratom to be tested for addiction risk in clinical trial
Popular for its stimulating and pain-relieving properties, the herb kratom can be as easy to buy as a bag of chips in many parts of the U.S. That's also raised questions about whether kratom should be more closely regulated | Medical Xpress, USA
Call for regulation to protect people with substance use disorder from exploitative marketing practices on social media
People seeking online support for addiction recovery may encounter cynical marketing by the addiction treatment industry that sometimes prioritizes financial gain over clients' health and well-being, according to a study of public discourse around substance use recovery on Twitter | Medical Xpress, USA
Novel cigarette pricing policy linked to decrease in sales in California city
A recent study has found that an Oakland, Calif. law requiring cigarette prices to increase to a minimum of $8 per pack led to a decline in sales, suggesting that these minimum floor price laws could complement tobacco taxation to reduce smoking rates | Medical Xpress, USA
The Public Health Triumph No One’s Talking About
Teen smoking has virtually died out. This once unimaginable fact appears in the Centers for Disease Control’s report from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). According to the survey, only 1.7 percent of high school students were current smokers (i.e., they had smoked on one day or more in the past month). In 2016, the rate was 8.3 percent, five-fold higher | National Review, USA
How happy are you in your recovery? A novel predictor of positive treatment outcomes
Recovery is often defined as a multifaceted set of holistic outcomes and processes. Understanding which recovery aspects predict treatment and other outcomes can help refine recovery-related theories and inform best practice recommendations. This study examined how well recovery well-being indicators predicted other positive outcomes among adults in either residential or intensive outpatient treatment | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Can new weight loss drugs like Ozempic also reduce alcohol and other drug use?
Clinical observation and animal studies suggest the new class of weight loss medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide – best known by brand name medications like Ozempic and Zepbound, respectively – might help address substance use disorder as well, yet focused research in this area is limited. This study used a large medical record database to examine whether prescription of these new medications can help | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Evaluation of an online postal take-home naloxone service
[Open access] Covid prompted an Australian organisation for people who use drugs to trial a postal service to deliver the overdose-reversing medication naloxone to people’s homes. Over a year 194 naloxone packs were delivered and the views of recipients suggest the service helped overcome uptake barriers related to geography, convenience, stigma and confidentiality | DAR, USA
Comparing alcohol policy environments in high-income jurisdictions with the International Alcohol Control Policy Index
[Open access] Of 11 high-income jurisdictions, Lithuania scored highest both the stringency of its alcohol control policies and their impacts on the availability of alcohol – a test of the usefulness of an index of cost-effective alcohol control policies developed by the International Alcohol Control study | DAR, USA
Rotorua considers freeze on new bottle stores to curb alcohol harm
Rotorua could see a freeze on new bottle stores opening and an earlier cut-off time for bars as it addresses high alcohol harm in the community | New Zealand Herald, New Zealand
Blogs, comment and opinion
Needle and Syringe Provision – Much More Than Safer Injecting
In my work for the Hepatitis C Trust (HCT) as the Peer Support Lead in the South West of England, I have witnessed the devastating impact of untreated BBVs (Blood Borne viruses) and other infections. This has highlighted the critical importance of NSPs to people who inject drugs. These programs not only reduce the transmission of BBVs and prevent bacterial infections, but help curb healthcare costs associated with treating chronic infections and complications. In so doing, NSP’s relieve pressure on the healthcare system as a whole | Hepatitis C Trust blog, UK
As Pennsylvania inches toward legalizing recreational cannabis, lawmakers propose selling it in state-owned dispensaries similar to state liquor stores
After a long, largely successful march over 25 years to liberalize cannabis laws in the United States, the movement had a tough election in 2024. Legalization ballot measures failed in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota. In Arkansas, votes on legalization were not even counted due to litigation over the measure. The only successful measures – passed in Nebraska – are also on hold due to litigation | Conversation, USA