Reports: August |
Developing drug driving statistics
An initial feasibility study exploring drugs present in motor vehicle drivers and riders killed in reported road collisions, updated with data to 2022 | DoT, UK
New GSTHR Briefing Paper explores how social workers could help tackle smoking through tobacco harm reduction
A new Briefing Paper from the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction, a project from UK-based public health agency Knowledge·Action·Change (K·A·C), calls for social workers to be given the tools to promote tobacco harm reduction as a means to reverse the high smoking rates found in many of the populations with whom they interact | GSTHR, UK
Good governance in public health policy: Managing interactions with alcohol industry stakeholders (PDF)
This document provides guidance for identifying, managing and protecting against conflicts of interest associated with alcohol industry involvement in public health policy. The principles outlined here have been developed through collaboration with alcohol policy and public health experts across the UK, and informed by international best practice in approaches to managing interactions with unhealthy commodity industries... | IAS, UK
Health trends in England
This report presents trends in data on the health of people in England. Data on smoking and alcohol use are covered | DHSC, UK
Recovery Housing in Scotland: Mapping and capacity survey of providers 2022/23
This report provides the findings of a mapping and capacity survey of recovery housing facilities for drug and alcohol use in Scotland | Scottish Government, UK
2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Releases
Conducted annually, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides nationally representative data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs; substance use disorders; mental health issues; and receipt of substance use and mental health treatment among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older in the United States. Highlights can be found here (PDF) | SAMHSA, USA
YRBS Data Summary & Trends Report
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report provides data on health behaviors and experiences of high school students in the United States. Data highlight students' behaviors and experiences in 2023, changes from 2021 to 2023, and 10-year trends. The report includes a focus on substance use | CDC, USA
Best Practices for Effective Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Services
Resource guide co-produced by the US government highlights best practices for treatment of adolescent substance use disorders, from identifying problems to recovery support. Intended to help treatment providers, policymakers, schools, and other relevant services | NASADAD, USA
Nearly 3 million people in Britain have quit smoking with a vape in the last 5 years
New data from health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) finds that vapes have been the most popular aid to quitting among those who have successfully stopped smoking in the last 5 years [1]. Their latest survey found that overall 5.6 million adults currently vape, 53% who whom have stopped smoking, 39% are still smoking and 8% have never smoked | ASH, UK
What action does the public think the government should take on tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food?
England’s high burden of preventable ill health is still being driven by three leading risk factors: tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food. Over the past decade, the government has focused on supporting individuals to change their behaviour, rather than taking population-level action to minimise people’s exposure to these risk factors in the first place, such as through marketing regulation, fiscal policy and licensing. But both approaches – population-level action and individual support – are needed if this burden of preventable ill health is to be successfully reduced | Health Foundation, UK
Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative (NESI): Monitoring blood-borne viruses and injecting risk behaviours among people who inject drugs in Scotland, 2008–09 to 2022–23
The aim of the Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative is to measure and monitor the prevalence of blood-borne viruses (hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV), other health harms, risk behaviours and uptake of harm reduction and health services among people who inject drugs in Scotland | Public Health Scotland, UK
IARD launches resources to support workplace alcohol policies
One in three (34%) employers say staff socialising in person is important given the increase in hybrid working. Three in four (73%) companies have more generations in their workforce than ever before. But four in five (79%) employers do not have policies on responsible alcohol consumption in the workplace and eight out of 10 (81%) do not have guidance on inclusive social events. IARD launches new resources to support the development of alcohol in the workplace policies and tools for line-managers | IARD, UK
There has never been a more dangerous time to take drugs, says NCA as annual threat assessment is published
The National Crime Agency has today released its annual assessment of serious and organised crime, with a stark warning that taking drugs has never been more dangerous. The threat from drugs to the UK has increased due to a rise in the production of cocaine, an expanding synthetic drugs market, an increase in the availability of synthetic opioids, and more cannabis being imported | NCA, UK
Evaluation shows need to improve treatment
On Tuesday this week National Records of Scotland will publish the latest figures on drug-related deaths in Scotland. In anticipation of that publication, Scottish Drugs Forum publishes new report Medication Assisted Treatment: Evaluation of Current Practice Across Eight Health Board Areas in Scotland. The report is the result of months of activity interviewing and then re-interviewing people as they progressed through their engagement with drug treatment services in Scotland | SDF, UK
Drug misuse deaths increase
1,172 people died due to drug misuse in 2023, according to latest statistics published by National Records of Scotland. This is an increase of 121 deaths compared with 2022 | National Records of Scotland, UK
Drug Testing on Arrest (DToA): programme data
A summary of the activity of the Drug Testing on Arrest (DToA) programme since its launch in March 2022. Updated summary and data tables up to March 2024 | Home Office, UK
Further regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products. Public consultation report (PDF)
The Minister for Health held a public consultation between November 2023 and January 2024 to inform further regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products. The consultation sought views on a range of topics, including regulating flavours, packaging and appearance, and Point of Sale display advertising for nicotine inhaling products | DoH, Ireland
Men’s health: The lives of men in our communities
Men in the most deprived areas in England live nearly 10 years fewer than those in the least deprived. There are multiple factors that cause these poor health outcomes, ranging from socio-economic to behavioural, with higher rates of smoking and drinking to excess seen in men in particular. It is clear, working in partnership is the key to addressing men’s health – and councils are ideally placed to lead and foster that | Local Government, UK
WEDINOS: Philtre April 2023 – March 2024 (PDF)
WEDINOS monitors drug trends across the UK, whilst sharing information with, and receiving information from, regional, national and international partners to ensure the continued provision of timely and pragmatic harm reduction information for people who use drugs and those working or concerned with the well-being of people who use drugs. Within the 7,064 samples analysed by WEDINOS, 206 substances were profiled either in isolation or combination. The most commonly identified chemical group of psychoactive substances for the sixth year were benzodiazepines, with 19 benzodiazepines identified | WEDINOS, UK
Illicit Drugs Reporting System (IDRS):Use of non-prescribed pharmaceutical opioids among a sample of people who regularly inject drugs in Australia, 2000-23
The Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) is a national drug monitoring system intended to identify emerging trends of local and national concern in illicit drug markets, and form part of Drug Trends. In this bulletin we aim to describe reports of use of non-prescribed pharmaceutical opioid products in a sample of people who regularly inject illicit drugs in Australia between 2000 and 2023 | NDARC, Australia
Penington Institute publishes Australia’s Annual Overdose Report, the most comprehensive and ambitious study of overdose in Australia
The report draws on the most up-to-date data from diverse, verifiable sources. We apply the most rigorous standards of research and analysis to identify current and emerging trends and create a snapshot of the overdose crisis in the Australian context | Penington Institute, Australia
National data on substance use among adults ages 19 to 65, 1976–2023 (PDF)
In 2023, young adults had historically high prevalence levels of several substances. Cannabis use (past 12 months, past 30 days, and daily use) in 2023 remained near the recent highest levels ever recorded in 2021 and 2022. Vaping cannabis (past 12 months and past 30 days) reached the highest levels ever recorded in 2023, with prevalence in the past year doubling since it was first measured in 2017. Nicotine vaping (past 12 months and past 30 days) reached the highest levels ever recorded in 2023, with prevalence in the past month tripling since it was first measured in 2017. Use of hallucinogens other than LSD has continued to rise, reaching the highest levels ever recorded in 2023 at 8.5% of young adults in the past 12 months, which follows increases over the past 5 and 10 years | University of Michigan, USA