Reports: November |
County Lines are changing to become more localised, reveals new County Lines Strategic Threat Risk Assessment
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) County Lines and Gangs alongside the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) have released the County Lines Strategic Threat Risk Assessment. Key findings reveal that: 1)The County Lines threat has become more localised, with fewer lines running outside force boundaries and fewer children recorded by the police as involved in any capacity. 2) County Lines is a higher risk enterprise for those criminals’ intent on controlling lines and 3) External lines (cross a force boundary) have reduced by 12.2%, whilst internal lines (start and end within a force boundary) have increased by 232%, year-on-year. This represents the shift from a traditional County Lines Business Model to one that is more local | NPCC and NCLCC, UK
Consultation outcome: Mandating quit information messages inside tobacco packs
We sought your views on mandating pack inserts for all tobacco products to help more smokers quit and complement the existing regulations on tobacco packaging. After considering the responses, the UK government and devolved governments will work together to mandate pack inserts for cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco. We will consider later extending this to all tobacco products, tobacco related devices, cigarette papers and herbal smoking products where possible, after we have explored uniform packaging for these product types | OHID, UK
National Psychiatric Inpatient Reporting System (NPIRS) annual report on the activities of Irish psychiatric units and hospitals, 2023
There were 15,631 admissions to adult psychiatric units and hospitals in 2023, a decrease of 159 admissions, from 15,790 in 2022. The rate of admissions decreased from 331.6 in 2022 to 303.6 per 100,000 total population in 2023. First admissions accounted for 37% of all admissions and increased by 426 (8%), from 5,412 in 2022 to 5,838 in 2023. The rate of first admissions remained largely unchanged from 113.7 in 2022 to 113.4 per 100,000 in 2023. Re-admissions accounted of 63% of all admissions (9,793), a rate of 190.2 per 100,000, down from 217.9 in 2022 | HRB, Ireland
Afghanistan: opium cultivation increased by 19 per cent in second year of drugs ban, according to UNODC
Opium cultivation in Afghanistan in 2024 increased by an estimated 19 per cent year-on-year to cover 12,800 hectares, according to a new survey released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today. The increase follows on a 95 per cent decrease in cultivation during the 2023 crop season, when the de-facto Authorities of Afghanistan enforced a ban that virtually eliminated poppy cultivation across much of the country. Despite the increase in 2024, opium poppy cultivation remains far below 2022, when an estimated 232,000 hectares were cultivated | UNODC, Austria
Parents ‘losing their children’ over misinterpreted drug tests: Open letter calls for reform of how hair strand tests are used in court
Children are at risk of being wrongly removed from their parents’ care by the family courts because drug tests are being misinterpreted, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) can reveal | TBIJ, UK
ACMD advice on 2-benzyl benzimidazole and piperidine benzimidazolone opioids
Updated. A fifth addendum has been added, recommending the proposed generic definition be further updated to capture the newly identified compound aminoisotonitazene and any structurally related compounds to it that may appear in future. This generic definition has also been expanded to capture carbamoyl derivatives of 2-benzyl benzimidazole (nitazene) opioids | ACMD, UK
Evaluation of the hepatitis C: patient re-engagement exercise
To enable people previously diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV) to be treated for their infection, NHS England (NHSE) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) organised a national patient re-engagement exercise. The aim of the exercise was to offer testing and treat people with a HCV infection, many of whom may have been lost to follow-up after being diagnosed at a time when knowledge of HCV-related liver disease was limited, and treatment options and outcomes were suboptimal | UKHSA, UK
Community or custody? A review of evidence and sentencers’ perspectives on community service orders and short-term prison sentences (PDF)
This research project was commissioned by the Department of Justice and examines the impact of the Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) Act 2011 (henceforth referred to as the 2011 Act) introduced over a decade ago with the expressed intention of encouraging greater use of community service orders (CSOs) for people convicted of minor crimes for which a sentence of imprisonment is deemed appropriate | DoJ, Ireland
Cheers or tears? WHO playbook exposes alcohol’s true cost to health
Alcohol consumption is draining economies in the WHO European Region, costing billions annually in health care, early deaths and lost productivity, as well as social harm. In 2019 alcohol was responsible for almost 1 in every 3 injury deaths in the Region, 42% of all homicides, 37% of suicides and 35% of road deaths. Despite this enormous social and financial burden, the true costs of alcohol are often obscured by profit-driven narratives. Today, WHO/Europe launches the Alcohol Policy Playbook, designed to help policy-makers navigate the ever-present debates around alcohol harms and alcohol policy with a view towards safeguarding public health | WHO, Austria
Notes from the Field: Ketamine Detection and Involvement in Drug Overdose Deaths — United States, July 2019–June 2023
During July 2019–June 2023, ketamine was detected in <1% of overdose deaths and was the only drug involved in 24 deaths. During this period, the percentage of overdose deaths with ketamine detected in toxicology reports increased from 0.3% (47 deaths) to 0.5% (107 deaths). Approximately 82% of deaths with ketamine detected in toxicology reports involved other substances, including illegally manufactured fentanyls, methamphetamine, or cocaine | CDC, USA
Breaking Klad
There has been a groundbreaking shift in the global drug trade, pioneered in Russia and now spreading globally. Unlike traditional drug trafficking models, this system leverages darknet markets and cryptocurrency for anonymous transactions, allowing buyers to retrieve drugs from hidden physical locations, or “dead drops,” rather than direct exchanges. Driven by large platforms such as Kraken, Mega, and Blacksprut, Russian darknet markets control 93% of the global share, generating approximately $1.5 billion in revenue in 2023 alone. This dominance marks a new era for organized crime, with Russia’s digital drug economy vastly surpassing traditional Western darknet markets in scope and influence | Global Initiative, Switzerland
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024
Information relating to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which was introduced in the House of Commons on 5 November 2024. Newly published information includes a factsheet and an Impact Assessment | DHSC, UK
The Scottish Health Survey 2023 - volume 1: main report
This report presents results for the Scottish Health Survey 2023, providing information on the health and factors relating to health of people living in Scotland. Includes chapters on smoking, alcohol and other drugs | Scottish Government, UK
NCD Prevention: A Commercial Determinants of Health Approach
A coalition of health organisations reducing the health burden of non-communicable disease (NCD) through action on alcohol, tobacco, and high fat, salt and sugar products, have published a 10-year strategy for a healthier, fairer future for Scotland | NCD Alliance Scotland, UK
The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2024: A Situation Report
A Global Perspective uses the latest evidence and new data projections to report on the current global THR situation and its potential to rapidly reduce the burden of disease and mortality associated with risky tobacco use. Measuring changes in SNP uptake, policy and regulation, it considers how these factors interrelate to support or undermine progress. Profiles for Norway, Aotearoa New Zealand, Japan, and the UK are available. A broader regional focus is applied to Latin America and Eastern Europe and Central Asia | GSTHR, UK
Asthma and Lung UK: A mission for lung health
New report from Asthma + Lung UK on improving the nation’s respiratory health, which is currently England’s third biggest killer. One of the key recommendations is to prevent lung conditions by introducing a levy on tobacco companies to pay for a Smokefree Fund, ring-fenced for smoking cessation services, alongside the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a ‘smokefree generation’ | ALUK, UK
SARG releases first Budget briefing report
Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) has launched an ongoing series of Budget Briefing Notes exploring the potential health and economic consequences of tobacco and alcohol tax changes, beginning with the Autumn 2024 Budge | SARG, UK
3 year Advocacy Case Worker Report
This report provides an in-depth analysis of both the state of the addiction sector in Scotland and the first three years of FAVOR UK’s advocacy project | FAVOR, UK
Statistics on smoking cessation services in Northern Ireland 2023/24
Information on smoking cessation services between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 on clients who set a quit date and the outcome at 4 weeks | Department of Health (Northern Ireland) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, UK
Major disparities in smoking rates based on ethnicity, income and sexual orientation: Surgeon general
Despite progress the United States population has made in reducing its cigarette smoking, the measure of that progress has not been equal for all groups, according to a new report from the Surgeon General | abc news, USA
Flavored vapes behind big surge in U.S. e-cigarette sales
In all, e-cigarette sales rose 47% over the period, according to a new report from the CDC Foundation and Truth Initiative that called on more states to restrict sales of flavored vapes | Medical Xpress, USA
Drink Spiking Report
Drink spiking, the act of introducing drugs or substances, including alcohol, into beverages or food to incapacitate individuals for various malicious purposes, including sexual assaults, theft, pranks, or abuse, has become a concerning societal issue. In the UK, reports of increased incidents of drink spiking, particularly in house parties, as well as cases of 'needling,' a relatively new phenomenon emerging since 2021, have gained attention | Drinkaware, UK
242 people died while homeless in 2023
The number who died from drug misuse deaths whilst experiencing homelessness increased from 89 to 100. Drug misuse accounted for 41% of all estimated deaths while homeless last year | National Records of Scotland, UK
Drug and alcohol information system (DAISy) - Overview of Initial Assessments for Specialist Drug and Alcohol Treatment 2023/24
This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports on people presenting for initial assessment at specialist drug and alcohol treatment services in Scotland in 2023/24. These data were extracted from the Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) | Public Health Scotland, UK
Alcohol-Related Harms: A Health Service Response
The Medical Council on Alcohol, together with health professionals and other experts working in the alcohol and health fields, are calling for a National Strategy focusing on the treatment and secondary prevention of alcohol dependence, and alcohol-related harm, in clinical populations across the health system. This includes urgent actions across and at all levels of the health services which will result in long needed improvements in the care of this much neglected group of people | MCA, UK
Afghanistan: opium production remains 93 per cent below pre-drug ban levels, says UNODC
Opium production in Afghanistan remains low for the second consecutive year, with production at 433 tons in 2024, confirmed new estimates from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Although this figure represents a 30 per cent increase from 2023, production still remains 93 per cent below 2022 levels, when the de facto authorities began enforcing a country-wide drug ban | UNODC, Austria