Reports: December |
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Brexit opens the door to tougher anti-smoking measures
Brexit offers the UK opportunities to strengthen its world-leading tobacco control measures, by creating greater flexibility to respond to industry action and market developments, according to new research from the University of Bath | University of Bath, UK
New WHO report reveals that while smoking continues to decline among European adolescents, the use of electronic cigarettes by young people is on the rise
Tobacco use among young people in the WHO European Region remains a public health concern. Despite the overall downward trend, several countries of the Region observed an increase in tobacco use prevalence among young people in the latest round of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey | WHO, Denmark
New report on how nudge theory shapes alcohol policy
The public are 'blameworthy' for their own alcohol-related health issues, according to a new IAS report looking into how the public health initiatives use nudge theory’s principles to frame actions and attitudes. ‘Nudge theory and alcohol policy – how nudge frames drinkers and industry’ also found alcohol industry actors were framed as 'reliable', with any who engage in behaviour harmful to public health described as outliers | IAS, UK
Market and tobacco industry response to standardised tobacco packaging in the UK (PDF)
Summary of two commissioned research projects examining changes in the tobacco market before, and after, the implementation of standardised packaging in the UK | Cancer Research UK, UK
Engel Releases Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Report
“Billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars have been spent on counternarcotics efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean, but the results have been few and far between,” said Chairman Engel. “The Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission’s report is a breath of fresh air, and I hope it will serve as a blueprint for the Biden-Harris Administration and the next Congress as they work to set our counternarcotics policies on a far better path.” | US House of Representatives, Foriegn Affairs, USA
Residential Rehabilitation Working Group: drug and alcohol residential treatment services - preliminary recommendations
This report provides a set of recommendations to the Scottish Government and other partners involved in reducing the harms caused by problematic use of alcohol and drugs - recommendations which aim to improve access to residential rehabilitation treatment | Scottish Government, UK
Statistics on Smoking, England 2020
There were 74,600 deaths attributable to smoking. Decrease of 3% from 2018 (77,000) and 9% from 2009 (82,000) | NHS Digital, UK
WHO launches year-long campaign to help 100 million people quit tobacco
WHO today launches a year-long global campaign for World No Tobacco Day 2021 - “Commit to Quit." The new WHO Quit Challenge on WhatsApp and publication “More than 100 reasons to quit tobacco" are being released today to mark the start of the campaign | WHO, Switzerland
Drug misuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2020
There was no change in the overall level of any drug use1 in the last year across England and Wales for the year ending March 2020 compared with the previous year. Findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) showed that around 1 in 11 adults aged 16 to 59 years had taken a drug in the last year (9.4%; 3.2 million individuals). The proportion of adults aged 16 to 24 years who reported any drug use in the last year, however, was higher (21%; 1.3 million individuals) | ONS, UK
Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, financial year ending 2020
Contains figures for seizures of drugs made by local police forces and the UK Border Force | Home Office, UK
New data from WHO/Europe shows links between gender and noncommunicable diseases
Men and women have different biological and behavioural risk factors for contracting noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), as shown by a new series of WHO reports released today. The reports analyse gender-specific data on NCDs from 8 different countries providing interesting insights on the links between gender and certain NCDs | WHO, Denmark
Lockdown and beyond: A COVID insight report (PDF)
This report tells our shared COVID story through the form of open letters from families and team members, statistical reports from our Helpline and other services, and information on our COVID response throughout the pandemic | SFAD, UK
Final Report - Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drug Commission
Renfrewshire Community Planning Partnership's Alcohol and Drugs Commission has announced its proposals to tackle the challenges posed by alcohol and drugs in Renfrewshire | Renfrewshire Council, UK
Deaths of homeless people in England and Wales: 2019 registrations
289 estimated deaths of homeless people in 2019 were related to drug poisoning, that is, 37.1% of all estimated deaths (see Figure 5). Suicide and alcohol-specific causes accounted for 14.4% (112 deaths) and 9.8% (76 deaths) of estimated deaths of homeless people in 2019 respectively | ONS, UK
Irish Health Survey 2019 - Main Results
The survey is based on self-reported data from persons aged 15 years and over, and outlines their view of their health status – from how well they are feeling, to the extent to which they suffer from long-standing health conditions, as well as other factors. The publication concludes on the health determinants of the population aged 15 years and over – what are the choices we make as regards smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise? | Central Statistics Office, Ireland
Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia
The consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs is a major cause of preventable disease and illness in Australia. This report consolidates the most recently available information on alcohol, tobacco and other drug use in Australia, and includes key trends in the availability, consumption, harms and treatment for vulnerable populations. Further, information on a range of health, social and economic impacts of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use are highlighted | AIHW, Australia
Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2019
Statistics of drug-related deaths in 2019 and earlier years, broken down by cause of death, selected drugs reported, age and sex. Statistics show the number of drug-related deaths in Scotland increased by 6%, from 1,187 in 2018 to 1,264 in 2019, the highest number since records began in 1996 | National Records of Scotland, UK
Health Survey for England 2019 Adults’ health-related behaviours (PDF)
Includes data on adults' health-related behaviours. 18% of men and 15% of women currently smoke cigarettes. 7% of men and 5% of women currently use e-cigarettes. 57% of adults drank at levels which put them at lower risk of alcohol-related harm, that is, 14 units or less in the last week | NHS Digital, UK
Study: Surge of teen vaping levels off, but remains high as of early 2020
Findings released today from the most recent Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of substance use behaviors and related attitudes among teens in the United States indicate that levels of nicotine and marijuana vaping did not increase from 2019 to early 2020, although they remain high | NIDA, USA
Role of grooming of women involved in violent crime examined as part of new gangs guidance
The guidance, Decision-making in ‘gang’ related offences, has been drawn up by the Crown Prosecution Service to give lawyers practical advice on building the strongest possible cases and gathering robust evidence to present to the court. It covers a wide range of issues related to gang offending including gang culture, the use of drill music and social media as well as an examination of tactics used by county lines gangs to recruit vulnerable victims | CPS.gov.uk, UK
A Supplemental Report on British Columbia’s Unregulated Drug Supply Amidst Dual Public Health Emergencies (PDF)
Results from British Columbia’s Community Drug Checking Service January 2020 – October 2020 | BCCSU, Canada
Opioid- and Stimulant-related Harms in Canada
This update includes data on deaths, hospitalizations and Emergency Medical Services responses involving opioids and/or stimulants between January 2016 and June 2020, where available | Government of Canada, Canada
London comes together to treat hepatitis C during lockdown
Today the London Joint Working Group on Substance Use and Hepatitis C (LJWG) launched a report, supported by the Mayor of London, to spotlight the partnership that came together to offer hepatitis C testing and treatment interventions for the homeless population in London during the Covid-19 pandemic | LJWG, UK
Smokefree Skills: Training needs of mental health nurses and psychiatrists (PDF)
A new report published today by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has found the current training of mental health nurses and psychiatrists to help their patients quit smoking is woefully inadequate and risks leaving people behind as the Government commits to delivering a smokefree nation by 2030. Press release here | ASH, UK
New psychoactive substances: global markets, glocal threats and the COVID-19 pandemic — an update from the EU Early Warning System
In this update from the the EU Early Warning System aims to provide insights into what is happening with new psychoactive substances in Europe, based on data from the agency’s early warning and risk-assessment activities. The report covers the period until October 2020 and this year focuses on global markets, glocal threats and the COVID-19 pandemic | EMCDDA, Portugal
Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2020
In 2020, 23.6% (3.65 million) of high school and 6.7% (800,000) of middle school students reported current (past 30-day) use of any tobacco product. From 2019 to 2020, decreases among high school and middle school students occurred in current use of any tobacco product, combustible tobacco products, multiple tobacco products, e-cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco | CDC, USA
Residential rehabilitation - service mapping: report - 2019 to 2020
A data summary of a national mapping exercise reviewing existing service provision, pathways and funding models which informed the data for the Residential Rehabilitation Working Group: recommendations on drug and alcohol residential treatment services | Scottish Government, UK
National Intelligence Network on drug health harms briefing - December 2020
This briefing note includes topics covered at the October 2020 meeting of the National Intelligence Network on drug health harms and has been updated with the latest information. These notes are for directors of public health, commissioners, drug treatment services and needle and syringe programmes. The network exchanges intelligence on blood-borne viruses, new and emerging trends in drug use, and drug-related deaths, and explores how to use this intelligence to improve practice. Information is shared nationally to inform commissioning and practice | PHE, UK
Overdose Deaths Accelerating During COVID-19
Over 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period, according to recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | CDC, USA
Low-THC cannabis products in Europe
The open sale of cannabis products in Europe has raised concerns among policymakers, both with regard to the legal status of these products and their potential for harm. The products are marketed for their low THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content, which sellers claim exempt them from control by drug laws, or as sources of CBD (cannabidiol) | EMCDDA, Portugal
EMCDDA technical report on the new psychoactive substance methyl 3,3-dimethyl-2-{[1-(pent-4-en-1-yl)-1H-indazole-3-carbonyl]amino}butanoate (MDMB-4en-PINACA)
The purpose of this technical report is to provide an analysis of the available information on methyl 3,3-dimethyl-2-{[1-(pent-4-en-1-yl)-1H-indazole-3-carbonyl]amino}butanoate (commonly known as MDMB-4en-PINACA), a synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist that has recently emerged on the drug market in Europe... | EMCDDA, Portugal
EMCDDA technical report on the new psychoactive substance methyl 2-{[1-(4-fluorobutyl)-1H-indole-3-carbonyl]amino}-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (4F-MDMB-BICA)
The purpose of this technical report is to provide an analysis of the available information on methyl 2-{[1-(4-fluorobutyl)-1H-indole-3-carbonyl]amino}-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (commonly known as 4F-MDMB-BICA), a synthetic receptor cannabinoid agonist that has recently emerged on the drug market in Europe | EMCDDA, Portugal
Saving Lives From Overdose During a Pandemic (PDF)
A new report offers recommendations aimed at federal, state, and local policymakers to address the opioid epidemic during the pandemic, which has seen sharp increases in fatal and nonfatal overdoses. The recommendations detail policy solutions in the areas of data and surveillance, harm reduction, and treatment, with special considerations for vulnerable populations | John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA
Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Substance Use Treatment Capacity in Canada (PDF)
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has included many public health measures to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These measures have substantially affected the provision of and access to services and supports for people who use substances. Some public health measures for COVID-19 have impacted patterns of substance use, the illicit drug supply, and the availability of and access to drugs in general | CCSA, Canada
Impact of COVID-19 on drug markets, drug use, drug-related harms and responses in south European Neighbourhood Policy countries
Since the beginning of 2020, the world has been experiencing an unprecedented public health emergency caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has led to progressive introduction of social distancing and other control measures by national governments | EMCDDA, Portugal
Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 1999–2019
Deaths from drug overdose continue to be a public health burden in the United States. This report uses the most recent data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to update statistics on deaths from drug overdose in the United States, including information on trends from 1999 through 2019 by sex and age group, and by specific types of drugs involved (i.e., opioids and stimulants) | CDC, USA
National Roadmap on State-Level Efforts to End the Nation’s Drug Overdose Epidemic (PDF)
The importance of removing barriers to evidenced-based treatment has taken on further importance as the deadly drug overdose epidemic worsens and evolves | AMA, UK
National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times
Between 1 July - 30 September, 97.2% of the 9,342 people who started their first drug or alcohol treatment waited 3 weeks or less, an increase from the same quarter in the previous year (95.1%), which may be in part attributable to a fall in the number of completed waits during the quarter (10,486 in 1 July - 30 September 2019) | Public Health Scotland, UK