Reports: August

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A Strategy to Address the Stigmatisation of People and Communities Affected by Drug Use

The aim of this strategy is to lead a more informed and compassionate approach across society toward people with a drug problem, lived experience of drug use and their families. We acknowledge that people across society use drugs. This strategy is focussed on those for whom drug use is, or drug use has been, problematic | Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce, UK

Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce: One Year Report

It is a year since the Ministerial Drug Deaths Taskforce was formed. The reason for the Taskforce was clear, the shocking escalation in the rise of drug related deaths over the last five years required urgent attention | Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce, UK

Commonly used treatments for chronic pain can do more harm than good and should not be used, says NICE in draft guidance

A number of commonly used drug treatments for chronic primary pain have little or no evidence that they work and shouldn’t be prescribed, NICE has said in its draft clinical guideline published today (3 August 2020) on the assessment and management of chronic pain in over 16s | NICE, UK

Physicians’ progress toward ending the nation’s drug overdose and death epidemic (PDF)

The American Medical Association’s Opioid Task Force report (PDF) released today shows a dramatic increase in fatalities involving illicit opioids, stimulants (e.g. methamphetamine), heroin and cocaine and a similarly dramatic drop in the use of prescription opioids | AMA, USA

Clearing the Smoke on Cannabis: Respiratory and Cardiovascular Effects of Cannabis Smoking

Reviews research about the effects of smoking cannabis on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems (heart and lungs). Findings of the report include that cannabis smoke contains many of the same chemicals as tobacco smoke, emerging evidence that quitting cannabis smoking can reverse some of the negative respiratory symptoms associated with its use, and the effects of cannabis vaping | CCSA, Canada

Facilitators and Barriers to Health Care Access Amongst People using image and performance enhancing drugs in Wales

The aim of this research was to identify low cost or no cost service improvements and interventions to encourage early engagement with health and related services by people using IPEDs in order to reduce health harms, be they physical, psychological and/or social. Whilst this work was undertaken in Wales, in light of the findings from the previous IPED surveys and extensive engagement with this population across England, Scotland and Wales, the findings and recommendations are considered to be generalizable to the wider UK... | PHI and Public Health Wales, UK

WEDINOS Annual Report 2019-20

WEDINOS provides a framework for the collection and testing of samples of psychoactive substances and combinations of drugs along with information regarding the symptoms users experienced... Collation of these findings along with identification of the chemical structure of the samples enables the dissemination of pragmatic evidence-based harm reduction information for those using psychoactive drugs or considering use. WEDINOS 2.0 continues to go from strength to strength with a 89 per cent increase in the number of samples analysed | Public Health Wales, UK

Voices from the borderlands 2020: Illicit drugs, development and peacebuilding

Voices from the borderlands 2020 gives light to some of the voices of people involved in illicit drug economies in seven borderland communities of Afghanistan, Colombia, and Myanmar. Together these are three of the world’s largest drug producing countries, all with years of violence conflict and in the midst of some form of peace process | GCRF, UK

Social prescribing and multiple disadvantage (PDF)

In this latest Policy into Practice briefing, our Policy and Practice Manager Richard Lewis outlines the key elements of social prescribing and the implications it has for people experiencing multiple disadvantage | MEAM, UK

COVID-19 and Cannabis Smoking and Vaping: Four Things You Should Know [report]

Summarizes four important facts currently known about COVID-19 and how it can affect people who smoke or vape cannabis products. Topics covered include the potential impact of smoking or vaping cannabis on lung health, the potential impact on the immune system, how it can have an impact on people infected with COVID-19 and guidance for reducing harms | CCSA, Canada

Australia’s Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce: National Survey Results 2019-2020 (PDF)

The 2019-2020 National Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Workforce Survey was undertaken to inform national and jurisdictional workforce planning and workforce development initiatives. This was the first national survey of the Australian AOD workforce since 2005. This report presents the preliminary findings from the National AOD Workforce Survey describing broad trends and themes, pending full publication of our data comprising in-depth analysis | NCETA, Australia

Prescription Opioid Misuse and Use of Alcohol and Other Substances Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019

Adolescence is an important period of risk for substance use initiation and substance use–related adverse outcomes. To examine youth substance use trends and patterns, CDC analyzed data from the 2009–2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey | CDC, USA

Managing drug and alcohol misuse at work

This report provides an overview of current employer practice in preventing and managing drug and alcohol misuse at work. It examines why the argument for greater employer support and preventative action around drug and alcohol misuse is stronger than ever | CIPD, UK

Drinking in the dark: How alcohol labelling fails consumers (2020)

In this study we reviewed a random sample of 424 alcohol containers on shop shelves in October 2019 to assess whether labels included the UK’s Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) low-risk drinking guidelines and other essential pieces of information that would allow consumers to make informed choices | AHA UK, UK

Reported road casualties in Great Britain, final estimates involving illegal alcohol levels: 2018

Final estimates on personal injury drink drive accidents in Great Britain for 2018 | DoT, UK

Protecting children online: building a zero-tolerance culture to age-restricted ads in children's media

We have published the findings from our latest online monitoring sweep, which has helped us identify and tackle age-restricted ads appearing in children’s media | ASA, UK

Excluded, exploited, forgotten: Childhood criminal exploitation and school exclusions (PDF)

A new report by Just for Kids Law highlights how vulnerable children are being excluded from school for behaviour resulting from being criminally exploited by gangs and drugs traffickers | Just for Kids Law, UK

Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2020

Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2020 reveals that for the fifth year running, more than 2,000 Australians lost their lives to overdose in a single calendar year | Penington Institute, Australia

Exploring the Characteristic Profle and Parental Experiences of Child Criminal Exploitation Within Shropshire (PDF)

The research presented expands upon the existing evidence around County Lines by exploring the characteristic profile of those vulnerable to Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) in the previously unexplored rural region of Shropshire. The current research will also examine the role of parents within Criminal Exploitation by exploring the experiences of parents and those working closely with parents affected by CCE | We Are With You, UK

Healthy pregnancy indicators

New indicators for smoking, obesity, early access to maternity services, folic acid supplement use and alcohol and drug misuse in early pregnancy | PHE, UK