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Weekly news - 11th August 2023 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
Drugs contaminated with synthetic opioids: advice on staying safe
New synthetic opioids have arrived in the UK in the last two years, some are called "nitazenes". They have recently been found mixed with heroin, with some being sold as illicit oxycodone pills or even Xanax pills and powders | Change Grow Live, UK
Evaluation of Family Drug and Alcohol Courts
The objective of this impact evaluation was to understand the effect of Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDAC) proceedings on reunification for children and families at the end of care proceedings compared to standard care proceedings. The evaluation also aimed to test if parents who had been through the FDAC process as opposed to standard care proceedings were more likely to stop misusing substances, and also investigated if there were any differences in the rate of contested final hearings or the use of expert witnesses in proceedings | Foundation, UK
Study supports government initiative to give free vapes to disadvantaged people who want to quit smoking
A government scheme to give out free vapes to smokers appeals to most but not all, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) | Medical Xpress, UK
ADHD sufferers are self-medicating with cannabis because of NHS delays, charity warns
The chief executive of charity ADHD UK said people sometimes have to wait up to five years for an appointment, yet some symptoms are eased by cannabis use | Sky News, UK
NHS would save more than £500m a year if half of England's adult smokers vaped instead
Prof Francesco Moscone, a business economics expert from Brunel University London, has conducted a new study to assess the potential savings for the NHS if some of England’s smokers converted to RRPs (reduced risk products) | Brunel University London, UK
Awareness of vaping risks key to reducing e-cigarette use among young people
15-30-year-olds in the UK who perceived e-cigarettes as harmful were 40% less likely to use them compared to those who do not consider them harmful. Yet only 53% of those using e-cigarettes at least monthly said they had seen warning labels on packaging, finds research from The George Institute for Global Health | George Institute for Global Health, UK
Psychedelic drugs to treat depression - rapid response
Researchers are exploring the science of psychedelic drugs as a potential treatment for depression. How effective could they be, and what are the regulatory and legal challenges in their use? | UK Parliament, UK
Ticking timebomb: Campaigners are calling for greater awareness of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder as shocking numbers of people with the condition are ending up in prison with little or no support
Carol Hunter only discovered she had foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) 10 years ago after reading it in her adoption papers | 1919 Magazine, UK
Concerns at rise in suspected drugs deaths in Birmingham
A charity says it's extremely worried about an increase in the number of suspected drug-related deaths in Birmingham in the past two months. More than 30 people died in the city in June and July and many deaths have been linked to a new synthetic drug, the BBC has learned | BBC, UK
Ambulance service responds to 55 overdoses in week as 'bad batch' of drugs circulates in Belfast
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has responded to at least 55 calls relating to drug overdoses in the Belfast Trust area in one week | ITV, UK
Evaluation of national overdose response campaign welcomed
An independent evaluation of last year’s ‘How to Save a Life’ mass media campaign shows it had a positive impact on public awareness and on the supply of naloxone. Kirsten Horsburgh, CEO of Scottish Drugs Forum welcomed the findings, “Of course we were pleased when the campaign won an advertising industry award but this evaluation shows the real value and impact of the campaign. The findings show the immediate positive impact of 27,000 naloxone kits distributed via community methods during the campaign | SDF, UK
Open consultation: Visiting in care homes, hospitals and hospices
Providers of residential and inpatient services should contribute to the national consultation on visiting guidance and legislation by DHSC Visiting in care homes, hospitals and hospices to help ensure that the operational needs of residential and inpatient drug and alcohol services are fully considered and supported. The closing date is the 16th August | DHSC, UK
Non-fatal overdose risk associated with prescribing opioid agonists concurrently with other medication: Cohort study conducted using linked primary care, secondary care and mortality records
An apparently protective effect of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) on all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk has been widely reported. Non-fatal overdose (NFO) often precedes subsequent drug-poisoning deaths. We hypothesized that benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids, antipsychotics, antidepressants, Z-drugs or opioids increase the NFO risk when co-prescribed with OAT | SSA, UK
Drug deaths spike as synthetic opioids detected in Scotland
Synthetic opioids believed to be behind a spike in drug deaths have been detected in Scottish prisons, a leading academic has said | Herald, UK
Correspondence: The use and harms of diphenidine
Letter from the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), responding to the ACMD advice on the use and harms of diphenidine. Diphenidine is a stimulant and was added to schedule II of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 during the 64th Commission on Narcotic Drugs meeting in April 2021. The government commissioned the ACMD to provide advice on the appropriate classification and scheduling of diphenidine under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, to which they responded in May 2023 | Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK
The Scottish Drug Checking project
Crew is delighted to support and host the new Scottish Drug Checking Project Online Hub. Sharing the results of this research will raise awareness and understanding of the potential for drug checking to help Scotland respond better to emerging drug trends and prevent drug-related harms more effectively. It will also help provide evidence to ensure services and budgets are developed to meet changing needs | Crew, UK