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Weekly news - 28th July 2023 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
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UK news
New support for Somerset hospital patients with alcohol issues
Hospital patients who also have struggles with alcohol are being supported by a new service. A team of nurse specialists at Musgrove Park Hospital work with patients who are dependent on alcohol, as well as those with a high alcohol intake. Alcohol-related hospital admissions in Somerset are significantly higher than the national average | BBC, UK
Avon & Somerset Police trained to use life saving drug naloxone
In a new collaborative project, we have trained up nearly 200 police officers from Avon & Somerset Police to carry and use naloxone. Naloxone is a medication that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose allowing time for the person to receive emergency medical care | BDP, UK
Codeine linctus: public consultation on the proposal to reclassify to a prescription-only medicine
MHRA have launched a public consultation on the proposal to reclassify codeine linctus to a prescription-only medicine | MHRA, UK
Humankind approaches to drug-related offending and dual diagnosis showcased in first national drug strategy report
Two Humankind services, Calderdale Recovery Steps and Staffordshire Integrated Co-occurring Needs (ICoN) have been featured in the first annual national drug strategy report for their innovative approaches to supporting people with a drug related support need | Humankind, UK
Psilocybin offers “paradigm shift in mental health treatment”
Psilocybin – the active ingredient in so-called magic mushrooms - offers “a paradigm shift in mental health treatment” for traumatised veterans, according to experts | Herald, UK
Older people and drugs: health and social responses
This miniguide is one of a larger set, which together comprise Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide. It provides an overview of the most important aspects to consider when planning or delivering health and social responses for older people using drugs, and reviews the availability and effectiveness of the responses. It also considers implications for policy and practice | EMCDDA, Portugal
Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report
The Drugs Team at Public Health Scotland has compiled this report of drug-related indicators in order to inform action to prevent drug harms and deaths. Benzodiazepines were the most prevalent drug type detected in the Scottish Prisons Non-Judicial Drug Monitoring Project between January and March 2023, detected in 21% of samples, with bromazolam being the most prevalent benzodiazepine detected. Synthetic cannabinoids were the second most prevalent, detected in 19% of samples | Public Health Scotland, UK
Correspondence: The use and harms of Cumyl-PeGaClone
Government response to the ACMD's review of the evidence on the use and harms of Cumyl-PeGaClone | Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK
Transformation to children's social care to put families first
The first local areas have been selected to test an initial set of transformational programmes within children’s social care, supporting families through early help. The programme aims to ensure early help and intervention is available for families with challenges such as addiction, domestic abuse or poor mental health, to help them overcome adversity and stay together where possible, and to identify when to intervene to protect a vulnerable child when needed |
Department for Education and Claire Coutinho MP, UK
Hundreds of hospital patients quit smoking in NHS plan
Hundreds of hospital patients across the Humber and North Yorkshire have stopped smoking thanks to a new treatment plan, care providers said. More than 2,000 patients have attended since the rollout in August 2022, with a third now "completely smoke-free" | BBC, UK
Medical experts call for new service to save lives of alcohol frequent hospital attenders
New research with people who are repeatedly hospitalised due to alcohol (Alcohol Frequent Attenders – AFAs) highlights the need for improved services. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of the West of Scotland alongside medical colleagues at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Renfrewshire and was commissioned by expert alcohol medical group, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) | SHAAP, UK
Scotland alcohol advertising ban: Campaigners clash over effectiveness of proposed ban
A free market think tank has claimed there is “little evidence” to support a ban on alcohol advertising, saying marketing is aimed at encouraging current drinkers to switch brands. However, proponents of a ban said there is in fact “strong evidence” to suggest that alcohol advertising has a marked effect on underage drinking | Yahoo News, UK
Correspondence: Preventing drug use in young people: commissioning letter
Letter commissioning the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to work on a project to prevent drug use in children and young people | Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK
Drivers of powder cocaine use in young people and adults: call for evidence
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has issued a call for evidence on the prevalence and drivers of powder cocaine use by young people and adults. The ACMD’s Drivers of Cocaine Use Working Group has been formed in response to a commission from the Home Secretary | Home Office and Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, UK