Home | Archive | Weekly | ReportsWeekly news - 23rd September 2022 |
 |
In date order, Monday to Friday
A HUGE thank you to Phoenix Futures, who have renewed their sponsorship to DrugWise Daily. Thank you for keeping this service free for all
Limits on paracetamol purchases could reduce injury and death from overdoses, expert panel says
TGA report recommends reduced packet sizes and restricting over-the-counter sales of the drug to people 18 and over | Guardian, UK
Research reveals potentially life-changing impact of internet forums on those in remission from opioid use disorder
Active participation in internet forums has the potential to provide life-changing social benefits and wellbeing for people who are in remission from opioid use disorder according to a new study from the University of Exeter | EurekAlert, UK
Sunderland increases variety of council drug and alcohol services
Councillors have raised fears about rising numbers of people seeking help for alcohol and drug addictions on Wearside in the cost of living crisis. Sunderland City Council's cabinet heard plans to change the contract of its drug and alcohol service to increase the number of people it can serve | BBC, UK
New Scottish health guidance on alcohol link with cancer
Health workers in Scotland have been issued new guidance highlighting the link between alcohol and cancer | BBC, UK
Alcohol and Cancer Risks A Guide for Health Professionals: September 2022 update
Drinking alcohol is a risk factor for several cancers. This guide updates previous guidance from SHAAP to summarise for health professionals the links between alcohol consumption and cancers. The guide uses the latest data* so that health professionals can use opportunities in their work to intervene to reduce risks | SHAAP, UK
What happens in an alcohol addiction detox unit?
The number of deaths directly caused by alcohol surged during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK, realising the fears of experts about the damaging effects of increased home drinking | BBC, UK
National naloxone programme Scotland - Quarterly monitoring bulletin
During 2021/22 Quarter 4 (1 January 2022 to 31 March 2022) 6,552 Take-Home Naloxone (THN) kits were issued | Public Health Scotland, UK
Earliest evidence of opium use found in burial site in Israel
Evidence of the earliest use of the narcotic opium has been found in an ancient burial site in Israel. Traces were discovered by archaeologists in pottery vessels at the complex in Yehud, about 11km (7 miles) south-east of Tel Aviv. They say the containers date back about 3,400 years, apparently having been used in local burial rituals | BBC, UK
American adolescent substance abuse—except for cannabis and vaping—has declined
Examining data from 536,291 adolescents between 1991–2019, an expert team of researchers suggest that while the reasons for this phenomenon are not entirely clear, they appear to correlate to a number of other social factors | Medical Xpress, USA
Prison population: substance use and wider support needs
This study used a literature review, mapping exercise and interviews to assess the wider support needs of Scotland's prison population relating to substance use. The findings inform a range of recommendations, which are proposed to address these needs | Scottish Government, UK
Midlothian Library staff to be trained to use heroin antidote kits
Naloxone can reverse the effects of an opiate overdose giving victims valuable time for paramedics to reach them in an emergency and doses are already given to friends and family of known drug users at risk of an overdose | Edinburgh Live, UK
Death Penalty For Drug Offences: Global Overview 2021
Harm Reduction International has monitored the use of the death penalty for drug offences worldwide since our first ground-breaking publication on this issue in 2007. This report, our eleventh on the subject, continues our work of providing regular updates on legislative, policy and practical developments related to the use of capital punishment for drug offences, a practice which is a clear violation of international law | HRI, UK
A Realist Review of How Community-Based Drug Checking Services Could Be Designed and Implemented to Promote Engagement of People Who Use Drugs
With rising numbers of drug-related deaths in the UK and globally, exploration of interventions that seek to reduce drug-related harm is essential. Drug checking services (DCS) allow people to submit drug samples for chemical analysis and receive feedback about the sample, as well as harm reduction advice... To explore the contexts and mechanisms which impact engagement in community-based DCS, a realist review was undertaken to synthesise the international evidence for the delivery and implementation of DCS | Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, UK