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Weekly news - 20th January 2023

A few words about Maggie Telfer OBE

Harry and Jackie are very sorry to hear of the death of Maggie Telfer, Chief Executive of the Bristol Drug Project. Maggie was a true pioneer in the field and someone who worked tirelessly to help people affected by the use of drugs and alcohol. She was also a good friend and supporter of DrugWise Daily. Thank you for all you did, Maggie.

A very big thank you to ESH Community for kindly renewing their sponsorship to DrugWise Daily for another year. Very much appreciated.

In date order, Monday to Friday

Bristol drug and alcohol campaigner Maggie Telfer dies

Maggie Telfer OBE founded the Bristol Drug Project in 1986 after realising there was a lack of support for drug and alcohol users at that time | BBC, UK

What’s really in your weed vape?

A couple of months ago, someone in Hampshire got their weed vape juice lab-tested, after it made them feel agitated and nauseous. The results, published by the Welsh government-funded testing service Wedinos, showed that the vape liquid in question actually “contained two nitazenes, synthetic opioids; a benzodiazepine; a gabapentinoid and nicotine”. With the exception of the latter, all these substances are central nervous system depressants | The Face, UK

Methadone alternative to help heroin addiction prescribed in Glasgow

Buvidal is being prescribed to 700 people and has been hailed as successful in supporting recovery | Glasgow Times, UK

Brain health conditions: Excellence in psychedelic treatments

Psychedelic treatments open up an unparalleled window of opportunity, but we need to get ready for their roll-out | Open access government, UK

Whisky expert 'livid' over alcohol advertising report

A whisky expert has criticised a Scottish government report that suggests banning the sale of alcohol-branded merchandise | BBC, UK

MUP Evaluation stakeholder engagement report

This report captures the views expressed by participants at an online workshop that took place on 6 October 2022. The workshop aimed to draw on the knowledge and experience of a range of stakeholders who were asked for their feedback on the way the MUP evaluation had been completed. The PHS evaluation team will use these responses to inform final decisions on how they bring together the evidence collected through the MUP evaluation studies | PHS, UK

The extraordinary wait for treatment in Wales' worst hotspot for drug deaths

Getting help with addiction is a courageous and difficult step. But in a Welsh city hit hard by drug deaths the wait for support can take many months | Wales Online, UK

Wolverhampton sees drug-related deaths halve, figures show

More use of a treatment for drug overdoses and better therapy are some of the reasons a city's recorded drug deaths have halved, a council said | BBC, UK

Should I Stay or Should I Go? A Qualitative Exploration of Stigma and Other Factors Influencing Opioid Agonist Treatment Journeys

[Open access] The harm-reduction benefits of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) are well-established; however, the UK government’s emphasis on “recovery” may be contributing to a high proportion of people leaving treatment and low retention rates. We wanted to develop a rich and nuanced understanding of the factors that might influence the treatment journeys of people who use OAT | IJERPH, UK

Prevention in health and social care - inquiry

The Health and Social Care Committee is launching a major new inquiry into prevention. For the first stage of this inquiry, we want to hear from researchers, organisations and individuals interested in or working in preventative healthcare. This is your opportunity to get involved and suggest what specific issues we should be exploring. The topics that the inquiry could seek to cover include alcohol use and smoking. Deadline for submissions: Wednesday 8 February 2023. | UK Parliament Committees, UK

Illegal vapes are biggest threat on High Street, say Trading Standards

Shops selling illegal vapes and the sale of vaping products to children are the top threats on the UK's High Streets, according to Trading Standards officials | BBC, UK

What's behind Canada's drastic new alcohol guidance

In Canada, it should be Dry January all year round, according to new national recommendations that say zero alcohol is the only risk-free approach | BBC, UK

Substance misuse treatment for adults: statistics 2021 to 2022

Statistics on alcohol and drug misuse treatment for adults from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) | OHID, UK

Government Alcohol Strategy 2012

Parliamentary debate brought by Dan Carden MP. I beg to move, That this House has considered the 2012 Alcohol Strategy | They work for you, UK

Local councillors from across England have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, urging the government to bring forward a new Tobacco Control Plan for England and to introduce a ‘polluter pays’ levy on tobacco manufacturers | ASH, UK

Disposable vapes ban to be considered for Scotland

It follows a campaign against the cheap e-cigarettes, which contain lithium batteries, because of the threat they pose to the environment | BBC, UK

[Open access] Public support makes an important contribution to drug policy development but there are high levels of public stigma towards people who use drugs (PWUD), and this is partly shaped by media representations. We investigated whether depiction of the characteristics of decedents represented in news articles about DRD was associated with differences in stigmatising attitudes and support for harm reduction policy | IJDP, UK

Medical cannabis company Hilltop Leaf secures £2m investment

A medical cannabis company based in the south of Scotland has secured a £2m investment that will allow it to make its first commercial sales | BBC, UK

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