Weekly news - 4th December 2020 |
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Cannabis based products for medicinal use in humans (CBPMs)
An assessment of the impact of rescheduling CBPMs to Schedule 2 under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (MDR) and recommendations to mitigate the issues identified | ACMD, UK
Cannabis card aims to protect legal users
[Limited number of free articles per week] More than a million people in the UK will be eligible for an identity card that will allow them to grow their own cannabis at home | Telegraph, UK
Treatment for drug addiction - how do patients cope in lockdown?
There are encouraging signs that people in treatment for drug addiction can manage their medication when they are entrusted with a substantial quantity of opiate substitutes and told to take it in small daily doses, finds a new ‘early insight’ report from researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Bath | University of Bristol, UK
Expand heroin-prescribing scheme ‘across country’, police chiefs’ drugs policy lead says
Exclusive: Middlesbrough centre ‘hopefully flagship for other areas now to follow suit’, Jason Harwin says | Independent, UK
Drug gangs prey on excluded truants, warns Ofsted chief
Amanda Spielman says pupil referral units in England, while playing a valuable role, must do more to raise attendance | Guardian, UK
Alcohol and ageing well in a time of lockdown
In recent findings, Drink Wise, Age Well has found that loss of purpose and retirement are key factors for increased alcohol use in over 50s | Centre for Better Aging, UK
Medicinal cannabis: families of 25 children with severe epilepsy write to Boris Johnson over NHS access
Families are still having to pay for private prescriptions at up to £2,500 a month — despite the law change two years ago | i news, UK
Changing the market; reducing the harm
As the most popular alcoholic beverage in the UK, could beer be a good vehicle for reducing alcohol-related harm? Study examines whether innovation around low-to-no alcohol and reduced-alcohol beers offers a way to reduce the grams of alcohol purchased by consumers while preserving the experience of drinking | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK
‘HIV: Preventable and Treatable’ e-learning course launched to mark World AIDS Day
As part of Scottish Drugs Forum’s activity this year, a new e-learning course – HIV: Preventable and Treatable – has been developed, which aims to increase participants’ understanding of HIV; including its transmission, prevention and available treatment | SDF, UK
COVID-19: guidance for commissioners and providers of services for people who use drugs or alcohol
Updated guidance with information on local restrictions from 2 December | PHE, UK
'Hundreds' seek private clinics for medical cannabis
Hundreds of people in the UK are turning to private clinics for medical cannabis, BBC News has been told. Since its legalisation in November 2018, there have been very few, if any, prescriptions for medical cannabis containing THC on the NHS | BBC, UK
Tyne and Wear deaths: 'We gave her a pep talk, she was to go and be remarkable'
Family tells of daughter’s dream to study medicine and the furore over campus drug use that followed her death at Newcastle University | Guardian, UK
Psychosocial therapies in alcohol treatment systems
Focuses on guidance from NICE, questioning its interpretation of research and examining its support for care coordination, referral from treatment to mutual aid groups, and the groups themselves. Also, how far should commissioners tie the hands of treatment providers? | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK
GDS 2021: the world’s largest drug survey
The world's largest cofidential survey into international drug use has just launched | GDS, UK
Rapid evidence review of harm reduction interventions and messaging for people who inject drugs during pandemic events: implications for the ongoing COVID 19 response
[Open access] The review findings suggest that HR services should be deemed essential during a pandemic, with staff supported to work safely and social distancing adaptations implemented. The evidence on HR communication was very limited but key messages on infection control, uncertain drug supply and accessing services were identified. A person-centred rather than disease-centred approach to HR delivered by collaborating partners is recommended and particular consideration of health inequalities is needed | Harm Reduction Journal, UK
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
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
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
Addictions: Health Services
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve addiction support services in the most disadvantaged communities | They work for you, UK
County Lines and Looked After Children
Since the National Crime Agency (NCA) published their first intelligence assessment in 2015, county lines has gone from being a little known phenomenon discussed by a small community of professionals to front page news in national newspapers, plot points in soap operas and the subject of documentaries and a movie. However, due to the lack of published data on the nature and scale of county lines exploitation, it remains an issue that generates heat but very little light | Crest Advisory, UK