Home | Archive | Weekly | ReportsWeekly news - 21st October 2022 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
Drugs warning to students over 'toxic' mixing with alcohol
Students should be aware of the "toxic" dangers of mixing alcohol and other drugs, the Public Health Agency (PHA) has said | BBC, UK
Pregabalin: The anti-epilepsy medication turned ‘silent killer’ drug that is flooding Britain’s streets
“Pregga” is being sold for up to £2 a pill in the UK after a sudden spike in production of counterfeit versions of the anti-epilepsy medication which is used by heroin and pain killer addicts to sustain their high – with deadly effects | i news, UK
Annual Alcohol-Specific Deaths statistics, 2021 [Northern Ireland]
The total number of alcohol-specific deaths registered in 2021 was 351. This was the same as the previous year (351) and the joint highest since the start of the series, accounting for 2.0% of all deaths registered in 2021 | NISRA, UK
Contributing to Licensing Policy Reviews: A Guide for Local Stakeholders (PDF)
This guide is intended to supplement existing Alcohol Focus Scotland guidance about the development of licensing policy with learning from the last round of policy review in 2018. It provides practical suggestions to support you to engage in the review process effectively, and to make recommendations to licensing boards relevant to the licensing objectives and local context | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK
‘Lack of Evidence’ of Drugs Use in Parliament Met Concludes
A series of confusing, contradictory statements have been issued about cocaine being found in parliamentary bathrooms, report Sam Bright and Rachel Morris | Byline Times, UK
Liz Truss's chief of staff recuses himself from government smoking strategy due to 'Big Tobacco' links
The government is understood to be looking at halting a plan to tackle smoking in the UK but questions have been raised over the PM's most senior adviser's influence over the strategy as he used to work for the world's biggest tobacco companies | Sky News, UK
Injecting equipment provision in Scotland
This release presents information on injecting equipment provision (IEP). This includes the number of outlets, attendances and the types of injecting equipment distributed to people who use illicit drugs (including Novel Psychoactive Substances and Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs) in Scotland in 2021/22 | PHS, UK
Laughing-gas makers call for sales ban to stop misuse
A ban is urgently needed to stop people buying and misusing laughing gas, manufacturers say | BBC, UK
Wales' drug deaths a complex picture
A complex and evolving pattern of drug use and availability is resulting in increased drug deaths in Wales, with two thirds of deaths in 2021 involving a combination of drugs, including alcohol and prescription medicines | Public Health Wales, UK
A post-pandemic spike in substance use amongst young people & barriers to accessing support (PDF)
Following the ending of Covid-19 restrictions, illegal drug use has soared among young people. 1 in 3 young people have used an illegal drug in the past 12 months, and yet it still remains a taboo topic in our society | The Mix, UK
Effect of financial voucher incentives provided with UK stop smoking services on the cessation of smoking in pregnant women (CPIT III): pragmatic, multicentre, single blinded, phase 3, randomised controlled trial
The offer of up to £400 of financial voucher incentives to stop smoking during pregnancy as an addition to current UK stop smoking services is highly effective. This bolt-on intervention supports new guidance from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which includes the addition of financial incentives to support pregnant women to stop smoking. Continuing incentives to 12 months after birth is being examined to prevent relapse | BMJ, UK
Leah Heyes: MDMA death teen's mother fronts anti-drug campaign
The mother of a 15-year-old schoolgirl who died after taking MDMA is fronting a campaign urging families to have "early and positive" conversations about drugs and alcohol | BBC, UK