Reports: October |
HIV testing, PrEP, new HIV diagnoses and care outcomes for people accessing HIV services: 2023 report
This report presents data on HIV testing, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), new HIV diagnoses, late diagnoses, and the care outcomes for people accessing HIV services. Data is mostly focused on activity in 2022 in England | UKHSA, UK
New report The Social Impact of Cannabis Legalisation explores how cannabis reform can shape lives, livelihoods, and the law
We have published this report for members of the European cannabis industry, bringing local context to discussions that are often dominated by a North American centric framing. To amplify its message we have launched in partnership with key influencers Volteface (UK), Cannavigia (Switzerland), Prohibition Partners (UK & US) and Krautinvest (Germany) | First Wednesdays, UK
New report explores links between drug markets and gun violence in the EU
The links between drug markets and gun violence in the EU are explored in a new report from the EMCDDA and the Flemish Peace Institute. The analysis responds to a need for further research into the issue, at a time of rising drug-related violence in Europe | EMCDDA, Portugal
ACMD advice on 2-benzyl benzimidazole and piperidine benzimidazolone opioids
Updated with an addendum (PDF) that covers consideration of a further 4 newly detected 2-benzyl benzimidazole (nitazene) opioids | ACMD, UK
The Sober Myth: Are Young Adults Really a Generation of Non-Drinkers?
The proportion of young adults who do not drink has increased from 14% in 2017 to 21% in 2023 while remaining relatively stable among the rest of the population (approx. 13%). Young adult drinkers are less likely than the rest of the population to drink weekly or more often (46% vs 56%) and less likely to drink above the Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs) low risk drinking guidelines (17% vs 20%). Young adult drinkers are the age group most likely to binge drink in the UK (74% vs 63% of drinkers aged 25 and over). However, the prevalence of binge drinking has fallen for both groups since 2017 (from 82% among young adult drinkers and 66% among drinkers aged 25 and over) | Drinkaware, UK
The Kerslake Commission 2023: Turning the Tide on Rising Homelessness and Rough Sleeping
The Kerslake Commission was convened to learn the lessons from the ‘Everyone In’ initiative which supported people who were sleeping rough during the pandemic, and which led to a 37% drop in rough sleeping. The landscape is now vastly different, with the 2022 official figures showing a 26% increase in rough sleeping and the more recent statutory homelessness figures showing the number of households who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation is the highest since records began | Kerslake Commission, UK
Identifying evidence to support action to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in health A systematic scoping and mapping review (PDF)
This report examines the review-level evidence that is available to guide action on reducing socioeconomic inequalities in health. Evidence about public health interventions, programmes and policies applied to populations, groups and other geographically defined areas or jurisdictions was sought to explore whether they preferentially improve the health outcomes of people experiencing socioeconomic inequalities | LJMU, UK
Growing up inside Understanding the key health care issues for young people in young offender institutions and prisons (PDF)
This analysis uses routinely collected hospital data to look at the service-use patterns of children and young adults aged 25 and under in young offender institutions and prisons in England. We engaged with experts and looked at the literature to consider this in the context of the key health care needs of young people | Nuffield Trust, UK
Amphetamine: new analysis on Europe's most common synthetic stimulant highlights sophisticated EU-based production and environmental concerns
Amphetamine is the most common synthetic stimulant available in Europe, constituting a large and stable market worth a minimum of EUR 1.1 billion annually. In a new analysis released — EU Drug Market: Amphetamine — two EU agencies highlight sophisticated EU-based amphetamine production, as well as the impact of production on the environment | EMCDDA, Portugal
Apparent consumption of alcohol in Australia
The Apparent consumption of alcohol in Australia report uses data from a range of sources, including excise data, import clearance records and financial information, to estimate the total amount of alcohol made available to people living in Australia every financial year. Annual data is presented for total volumes and volumes per capita at the National level. Estimates are disaggregated into the beverage types of beer, wine, spirits, and cider | AIHW, Australia
Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2022-23
This is the annual statistics release for statutory homelessness assessments and activities in England between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 | Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, UK
Cannabis liberalisation: lessons for alcohol policy (PDF)
This briefing was based on a roundtable meeting hosted by the Institute of Alcohol Studies on 29th June 2023. At the roundtable, Dr Elle Wadsworth presented research on alcohol and cannabis co-use in Canada and the United States immediately before and one year after legalisation of non-medical cannabis in Canada in 2018, and Dr Sadie Boniface facilitated an informal discussion on research gaps and priorities in this area | IAS, UK
Commission sets out new EU Roadmap of priority measures to fight organised crime and drug-trafficking
The Commission is adopting today an EU Roadmap to step up the fight against drug trafficking and criminal networks, building on the legislative and operational initiatives put forward so far. The drugs trade is one of the most significant security threats faced by the EU today. Seizures of cocaine in the EU are hitting record levels, with 303 tonnes seized in 2021 alone. The activities of criminal networks have evolved in their scale, sophistication, and violent consequences | European Commission, Belgium
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs
It is almost two years since the government introduced its latest drugs strategy and less than 18 months remain in the current funding period to March 2025. This report examines whether the government is well positioned to achieve the strategy’s 10-year ambitions | National Audit Office, UK
The Sale of Alcohol Bill (2022): an analysis of children’s rights impacts
Alcohol licensing in Ireland historically developed in a fragmented manner though multiple pieces of overlapping legislation. The Irish Government have championed the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022 on the basis that it will consolidate and simplify existing licensing law, and as an exercise in better regulation this is to be welcomed. However, a legislative exercise of this magnitude should not miss other opportunities to improve the way in which other issues are treated. Unfortunately, the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022 misses the opportunity to amend Irish alcohol licensing law so that it protects children’s rights | Alcohol Forum Ireland and Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network, Ireland
Citizens’ Assembly on drugs use publishes full 36 recommendations
Following the conclusion [Sunday] of the final meeting of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use, a summary of the recommendations has now been published. In total, the Assembly made 36 recommendations. Taken together, these provide a strong and unequivocal signal to the Government and the Oireachtas that the State needs to take a far more progressive, ambitious, comprehensive and coherent approach to drugs use in Ireland | Citizen's Assembly, Ireland
Review of National Prevention Systems based on the UNODC/WHO International Standards on Drug Use Prevention Final report of the pilot in Norway (PDF)
The Review of Prevention System (RePS)2 is a tool that has been created by UNODC to allow the assessment of the extent to which the drug prevention system of a country or a sub-national entity (e.g. a municipality) is in line with the Standards with a view to identifying areas of strength and weakness to allow improvement. This report presents the results of the assessment of the national prevention system of Norway, undertaken on the basis of the RePS and serving as first pilot of this tool. Following this pilot assessment, a process of adaptation at global level will be led by UNODC, in order to avail the tool to all Member States | UNODC, Austria
Estimates of opiate and crack use in England: main points and methods
These estimates of opiate and/or crack users were produced by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the UK Health Security Agency, using a revised methodology from the one used to produce the previous Estimates of opiate and crack cocaine use prevalence: 2016 to 2017 published by Public Health England. Based on the revised method, the national trend figures between 2016 to 2017 and 2019 to 2020 indicate a continuous upward trend of 5% | OHID and UKHSA, UK
Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report
The Drugs Team at Public Health Scotland (PHS) has compiled this RADARquarterly report of drug-related indicators. The objective of this report is to monitor drug-related harms, service usage and toxicology data, in order to provide an early warning of emerging drug trends and identify actions to reduce and prevent drug harms and deaths | Public Health Scotland, UK
Darkest before the Dawn: our manifesto for the night time economy 2024 (PDF)
This document lays out key recommendations that address critical issues such as licensing regulations, community engagement, safety measures, and the promotion of cultural diversity. It calls for a paradigm shift in how policy makers and Ministers perceive and support the industry, advocating for a more collaborative, forward-thinking, and inclusive approach | NTIA, UK
Webchat ‘first port of call’ for people struggling with drugs, alcohol or mental health
A webchat run by WithYou is breaking down barriers for groups less likely to seek traditional support – with more than two-thirds of all users never before accessing professional help. See new report - Accessing support in the digital age:The impact of WithYou’s webchat service. | DDN, UK
Almost Half of Brits Impacted by Addiction, Yet Stigma Continues to Silence The Nation
New research by The Forward Trust reveals that 45% of UK adults aged 18-75 have either experienced addiction or dependency to alcohol, drugs, medication, gambling or sex, themselves, or know someone close to them that has. Despite this being equivalent to 22 million UK adults aged 18-75, the stigma that surrounds the condition is stopping or making it difficult for half of those experiencing their own or other people’s addictions from speaking out, with negative judgement (46%) and shame (39%) ruled as top concerns | Forward Trust, UK
Policy briefing: alcohol
The briefing sets out the range of evidence-based actions that could be taken to prevent and reduce harm from alcohol, building on the progress that has been made through minimum unit pricing. We expect these actions, taken together, could reverse current trends in terms of harm from alcohol, and would reduce the burden that alcohol-related conditions place on our health and social care services | Public Health Scotland, UK
Most deprived death rates twice as high
Death rates are almost twice as high in the most deprived areas of Scotland compared to the least deprived, according to a new report from National Records of Scotland. Scotland’s Population report for 2022 also finds the gap is much wider for some causes, including drug misuse deaths | National Records of Scotland, UK
RADAR local: A guide to drug early warning systems - latest release
The Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) local guide provides areas with guidance on how to develop and operate their own local drugs early warning system (LEWS) to support effective response to reduce drug-related harms | Public Health Scotland, UK
Press release: Barrier to employment lifted for thousands of ex-offenders
Over 120,000 former offenders will find it easier to get work and turn their lives away from crime following a change in the law. The government has announced reforms to give the lowest risk, and first-time offenders, the greatest chance to turn their lives around. By legislating that there should be a presumption against prison sentences of less than 12 months, these offenders will be punished in the community, repaying their debt to society by cleaning up our neighbourhoods and scrubbing graffiti off walls. This will help these offenders stay in work, connected to their families and better access the drug rehab and mental healthcare needed to properly addresses the root causes of their offending | Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, and The Rt Hon Alex Chalk KC MP, UK