Reports: June |
New poll shows EVERY parliamentary constituency in Great Britain backs phasing out sale of tobacco
Support in Great Britain averaged 69%, and ranged between 57% and 74% for individual constituencies. Two thirds of 11-15 year olds also back the ban – the first generation to whom the sale of tobacco will be banned | ASH, UK
Harm reduction programmes for people who inject drugs in Nigeria: Challenges in implementation and sustainability (PDF)
Nigeria has long been listed among subSaharan African countries with an increasing prevalence of injecting drug use. According to a 2018 national survey of drug use, there were an estimated 80, 000 PWID in Nigeria.This is reported to be one of the highest PWID populations in the sub-region | GDPO et al, UK
Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report
Drug-related harms remained high in Scotland. The following changes were observed compared to the previous reporting period. Harm indicators: Suspected drug deaths - 17% increase / Naloxone administration incidents -14% decrease / Emergency department attendances - 12% decrease / Drug-related hospital admissions - 24% decrease. Service indicators: Drug treatment referrals - 10% decrease / Number of needles and syringes - 6% decrease. Patterns of polysubstance use remain the key driver of harms. The combinations most associated involve benzodiazepines (most commonly diazepam and bromazolam), cocaine and opioids. Cocaine played an increasing role in harms | Public Health Scotland, UK
Scottish Public Health Observatory update: Estimated quarterly numbers of people prescribed opioid substitution therapy in Scotland (12-month period)
In the 12-month period ending 31 December 2023 (the end of 2023/24 Q3), Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) was prescribed to an estimated minimum of 30,084 people in Scotland. In the 12 months to the end of the previous financial year quarter (2023/24 Q2) an estimated minimum of 30,186 people were prescribed OST | Public Health Scotland, UK
Interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements
This is the ninth report on residential rehabilitation within the Monitoring and Evaluation Programme led by Public Health Scotland (PHS). The report presents information on the number of Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) statutory-funded placements into residential rehabilitation, with estimated costs, that were approved between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2024. Information is provided at a Scotland level and for each ADP | PHS, UK
National naloxone programme Scotland - Quarterly monitoring bulletin October to December 2023/24
This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents information on the number of take-home naloxone kits issued by the National Naloxone Programme (NNP) in Scotland. Figures are presented separately for kits issued from community outlets, kits issued in prisons at the point of liberation, kits dispensed via community prescription, and kits issued by Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) | PHS, UK
Austerity spending cuts cost average person nearly half year in life expectancy
The research found that life expectancy dropped by an average of five months for women and three months for men. This equates to about 190,000 excess deaths, or a three per cent increase in mortality rates over the period. Factors responsible for these deaths include ‘deaths of despair’ from drug poisoning. Changes in healthcare spending and welfare accounted for 1000 such deaths which were preventable - approximately three per cent of all drug-poisoning deaths in England and Wales between 2010 and 2019 | LSE, UK
National Drug Treatment Reporting System: 2023 drug treatment demand (PDF)
The Health Research Board has reported the highest figures in drug treatment to date with a continued increase in cocaine use evident, especially among females. In 2023, 13,104 cases were treated for problem drug use. This is the highest annual number recorded and an increase of more than one thousand cases compared to 2022. Almost four-in-ten cases had never been treated before. Cocaine was the most common drug reported, followed by opioids (mainly heroin), cannabis and benzodiazepines | HRB, Ireland
The cost of complacency: A harm reduction funding crisis
Since 2020, the world has experienced several acute crises which have tested the resilience of harm reduction services. Economic, political, humanitarian and environmental crises have also put harm reduction at risk. Harm reduction services, particularly those led by the community of people who use drugs and civil society have shown their ability to reach those most in need and adapt to changing circumstances in times of crises | HRI, UK
Over 3 million annual deaths due to alcohol and drug use, majority among men
A new report from the World Health Organization highlights that 2.6 million deaths per year were attributable to alcohol consumption, accounting for 4.7% of all deaths, and 0.6 million deaths to psychoactive drug use. WHO’s Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders provides a comprehensive update based on 2019 data on the public health impact of alcohol and drug use and situation with alcohol consumption and treatment of substance use disorders worldwide. The report shows an estimated 400 million people lived with alcohol and drug use disorders globally. Of this, 209 million people lived with alcohol dependence | WHO, USA
World Drug Report 2024
A global reference on drug markets, trends and policy developments, the World Drug Report offers a wealth of data and analysis and in 2024 comprises several elements tailored to different audiences. The web-based Drug market patterns and trends module contains the latest analysis of global, regional and subregional estimates of and trends in drug demand and supply. The Key findings and conclusions booklet provides an overview of selected findings from the analysis, while the Special points of interest fascicle offers a framework for the main takeaways and policy implications that can be drawn from those findings | UNODC, Austria