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Daily news - 25th March 2025 |
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UK news
Suffolk County Council: Using public health data to reduce alcohol availability and tackle health inequalities
Suffolk’s public health and communities team are using a data-driven approach to review local premises licence applications, focusing their influence on areas with the worst alcohol-related health harms and health inequalities. This work has been welcomed by local partners, including licensing officers and the police, for helping to reduce alcohol-related harm | LGA, UK
Big tobacco firms using 'old playbook' to resist Bill for smoke-free generation
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which returns to the Commons this week, proposes banning the sale of cigs to anyone born after 2009 - to gradually end the sale of the products across the country | Mirror, UK
Prospect of £5 pint leaves bitter taste for some pubgoers
Some in West Yorkshire town of Otley think people will stop going out, while others are resigned to ever-rising prices | Guardian, UK
Moray Council funding delivers high quality, impactful drugs education to thousands of students
Funding from Moray Council has enabled over 1,350 young people across eight schools to engage with Dan’s story through the play ‘I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’, with over 2,300 students across six schools having a workshop delivered by one of the DSM Foundation’s experienced and knowledgeable drug educators | DSM Foundation, UK
Minimum Unit Pricing: Lessons for England
Thursday, May 29 · 12 - 1:30pm GMT+1. Join our webinar to learn everything you need to know about Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol | IAS, UK
Drugs too easily available at prison, watchdog warns
HMP Inspectorate of Prisons described the figure as "shocking" in its report into HMP Deerbolt in Barnard Castle | BBC, UK
£1m worth of cannabis found hidden in candles
Some 182kg of cannabis resin was seized by Border Force officers at Tilbury Docks in Essex, on 17 April 2023, Merseyside Police said. The pots - disguised as Citronella candles - had been imported from Malaga, Spain, and were destined for business premises in Bootle, Merseyside | BBC, UK
Members of a 'major drug supply network' jailed
The gang, who police said formed a serious threat to community safety, were arrested in September when police carried out simultaneous warrants across Cheshire | BBC, UK
International news
Trustee Vacancy
Harm Reduction International (HRI) envisions a world in which drug policies uphold dignity, health and rights. We use data and advocacy to promote harm reduction and drug policy reform. We show how rights-based, evidence-informed responses to drugs contribute to healthier, safer societies, and why investing in harm reduction makes sense. We are seeking at least two new trustees with strong commitment to HRI’s vision and mission to join our board of trustees | HRI, UK
Self-service wine vending machine approved for French roadsides
Innovative machines offer convenient wine access while adhering to alcohol laws | The Connexion, France
Severe gum inflammation found after using white snus
Painful inflammation that takes months or up to a year to heal—this can be seen in the mouth after using white snus. Researchers in oral medicine at the University of Gothenburg will now look more closely at the effects of the popular white snus | Medical Xpress, USA
FDA crackdown on poppers prompts rush on popular gay party drug
Stores up and down Santa Monica Boulevard have seen a run on the iconic red and yellow vials this week, as the Food and Drug Administration cracks down on poppers, a product that has long existed in legal limbo | Medical Xpress, USA
Opioid testing data unavailable in half of US injury death investigations, study reveals
Opioid testing information was unavailable in half of injury death investigations in the U.S. and in 1 in 10 unintentional overdose death investigations conducted in 2021, according to a recent Northwestern Medicine study published in JAMA | Medical Xpress, USA
After 20 Years of Its Tobacco Treaty, the WHO Has Little to Celebrate
The World Health Organization marked an anniversary in late February: “Celebrating 20 years” of its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) treaty | Filter Magazine, USA
Last-Ditch Court Bid Aims to Block Ontario Consumption Sites Shutdown
People who use drugs and a service provider are fighting legislation enacted by the Ontario provincial government which, if implemented, would shut down at least 10 supervised consumption sites by March 31 | Filter Magazine, USA
Optimizing placement of public-access naloxone kits using geospatial analytics: a modelling study
More than 85 000 people die annually across North America from opioid poisoning; naloxone in the hands of the public is an effective intervention and saves lives. We compared the accessibility of different placement strategies for public-access naloxone kits | CMAJ, Canada
NSW court diversion program for AOD use lowers rates of reoffending and imprisonment, new study finds
Defendants in NSW who complete a 12-week voluntary treatment program for alcohol and other drugs (AOD) use are much less likely to reoffend or receive a prison sentence, a landmark evaluation shows | UNSW, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Let’s be clear with young people about vapes
With nearly one in 10 young people (aged 11-15) in England now using vapes – public health campaigns specialist Ed Gyde reviews what works and what doesn’t in campaigns to reduce youth vaping | LGA blog, UK
Not ‘word policing’: why language matters in reducing alcohol harm - Guest blog, by Dr James Morris
Issues of stigma and language choice have been gaining increased attention, prompting debate and sometimes even opposition to calls to be mindful of language. Concerns about language choice and its role in stigma are of course valid, one reason being that the context in which they are used matters. For instance, whilst terms such as ‘alcoholic’ or ‘addict’ reflect harmful stereotypes, they are also often used by people in recovery to self-label, and even as a way to challenge stigma | Alcohol Focus Scotland blog, UK
Five ways cannabis can contribute to a green future
Cannabis legalisation could raise £1.5 billion for the UK economy, according to a recent report from the charity Transform. But aside from this plant’s economic benefits, cannabis also has many ecological advantages | Conversation, UK
Counting Down: PsychedeliCare Launches Citizen’s Campaign for Psychedelic Therapy
12 months, three proposals, one million signatures. That’s the target so that this time next year, the European Commission may have to formally respond to proposals for a revolution in psychedelic policy. Using a little-known legal tool, advocacy group PsychedeliCare is leveraging citizen action to radically change Europe’s approach to mental health | Talking Drugs, UK