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Daily news - 8th January 2025 |
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UK news
Home Office may reclassify ketamine in response to record levels of use
Illegal use in UK seems to reflect growth of unregulated market in US where its high-profile users include Elon Musk | Guardian, UK
GBBO star says everything has changed after going sober
When celebrity chef and presenter Briony May Williams had a health scare last year, she decided it was time to make a major change. The Great British Bake Off star from Bristol tells the BBC about her experience of going alcohol free | BBC, UK
Student died in fall after cocktail of drugs
A university student died falling from a sixth floor window after becoming agitated having taken a cocktail of drugs, an inquest has heard | BBC, UK
Northumberland Stop Smoking Service Celebrates 25 Years
Since it launched in 1999, the service has supported over 80,000 quit attempts and more than 90% of people in Northumberland are non-smokers now. Yet smoking is still the main cause of preventable illness and death for residents. The message remains clear, that more needs to be done to make smoking history for everyone | Northumberland County Council, UK
Tribute to Baroness Randerson
All at The Hepatitis C Trust are deeply saddened by the news that Baroness Jenny Randerson has passed away. Baroness Randerson was a passionate advocate for hepatitis C elimination, starting during her time as a member of the Welsh Assembly and continuing throughout her 14 years in the House of Lords. The range of her support for the hepatitis C elimination effort was extensive, involving everything from visiting prisons to engage with those affected by the virus to being interviewed on Radio 4 in support of comprehensive access to hepatitis C treatment | Hepatitis C Trust, UK
The National Reunion 2025
Saturday 25th January 2025. St. John’s Church in Hackney (Hackney Church). We're delighted to host this year's National Reunion - a celebratory event brining together everyone connected to The Forward Trust and the wider recovery community | Forward Trust, UK
Operation Venetic: Leeds-based cocaine and amphetamine production ring dismantled
Four final members of an organised crime group that peddled drugs and firearms across the north of England have been jailed following a long-running National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation | NCA, UK
Drink and drug-driving crackdown sees 134 arrests
Northamptonshire Police carried out checks across the county for its month-long campaign Operation Limit | BBC, UK
International news
'My daughter died after taking drugs in Thailand'
The family of a woman found dead in a Bangkok hotel room after unwittingly taking a fatal mixture of drugs has urged others not to take illegal substances | BBC, UK
South Africa plans higher alcohol tax - audio
Will increasing tax in South Africa help stop excessive drinking? | BBC Sounds, UK
Study reveals significant increase in recreational ketamine use among adults
A recent study analyzing data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that past-year recreational ketamine use among adults has increased dramatically since 2015, including significant shifts in associations with depression and sociodemographic characteristics such as race, age and education status | News Medical, USA
More than half of college students report alcohol-related harms from others
More than half of US college students have experienced alcohol-related harms caused by others, according to the first national probability-based survey of such harms conducted in 20 years. The findings, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review, shed light on how others' drinking affects students' health, academics, and safety | Medical Xpress, USA
Severe Maternal Morbidity Among Pregnant People With Opioid Use Disorder Enrolled in Medicaid
This cross-sectional study of pregnant people enrolled in Medicaid found that the rate of OUD among this group was more than twice as high as previous estimates. Pregnant people with OUD face a disproportionately high risk of SMM, particularly those who enroll in Medicaid later in pregnancy. Targeted interventions that facilitate early Medicaid enrollment and coverage continuity may be needed to reduce the burden of adverse outcomes in this group | JAMA Network Open, USA
Studies find time-release medication keeps adults with ADHD on track, lowers substance use risk
Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who use an extended-release medication are more likely to continue the treatment and have a lower risk of developing substance use disorder, according to two West Virginia University studies | Medical Xpress, USA
Tiny fish on ketamine may show how drug eases depression
A single dose of the anesthetic ketamine can provide weeks of relief from severe depression. One reason may be that the drug causes long-term changes to a brain circuit involved in "giving up," a team reports in the journal Neuron | NPR, USA
Minnesota Task Force Backs Psilocybin Decrim, Legal Therapeutic Use
Minnesota’s Psychedelic Medicine Task Force has released a long-awaited legislative report. It recommends that the state move toward decriminalizing psilocybin mushrooms and regulating their therapeutic use, as well as funding research into other psychedelics. State lawmakers will now have to decide whether and how to act on it | Filter Magazine, USA
Community and health leaders welcome draft alcohol laws in South Australia to prevent gendered violence
Dr Catherine Earl, Policy and Research Director, Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) said, “We congratulate the SA Government for leading the country on developing a draft Bill that reflects the recommendations of the Federal Government’s Rapid Review Expert Panel | FARE, Australia
Australian-first study shines light on why some drug traffickers are more likely to be reconvicted than others
One in two ‘typical’ drug traffickers convicted in NSW between 2000 and 2023 will have no further contact with the criminal justice system after release, according to an Australian-first study published in The International Journal of Drug Policy | UNSW, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Reducing risk of drug related harm and overdose
There are tentative signs that drug related deaths may have been slightly lower in 2024 than 2023 but there is still some way to go to achieve a sustained downward trend. Across Scotland approximately 85 people die every month from a drug related overdose. The human cost to families is huge but the wider cost to society is also considerable (although this has never been costed!) | Pharmacy Together blog, UK
Better sleep, more energy and feeling in control: the reported benefits of Dry January
Since it was started in 2013 by the charity Alcohol Change UK, the Dry January challenge has significantly grown in popularity, becoming a very popular new year’s resolution. In 2023, 175,000 people officially signed up to take on the challenge of going alcohol-free for the entire month of January – and it’s likely many more will have done it unofficially | Conversation, UK
Alcohol warning labels featuring lived experiences attract greater attention
Alcohol consumption is a major preventable risk factor for cancer, but most people do not know about the risk. One promising way to raise awareness is by adding health warning labels to alcohol products. Traditionally, health warning labels have relied on shocking images, such as diseased organs or damaged body parts. While such graphic warnings work better than plain text, they often cause people to look away | IAS blog, UK