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Weekly news - 9th June 2023

In date order, Monday to Friday

UK government endorsed e-cigarette firm accused of fuelling underage vaping

Juul has been portrayed by ministers as a leader in combating youth vaping, but has settled lawsuits in the US that claim it targeted teenagers | Guardian, UK

The association of alcohol dependence and consumption during adolescence with depression in young adulthood, in England: a prospective cohort study

[Open access] The role of alcohol use in the development of depression is unclear. We aimed to investigate whether alcohol dependence, but not high frequency or quantity of consumption, during adolescence increased the risk of depression in young adulthood | Lancet, UK

Critically explaining British policy responses to novel psychoactive substances using the policy constellations framework

[Open access] A growing number of researchers are trying to provide explanations for continuity and change in drug policy in different contexts. Such research predominantly falls in the pluralist realm of public policy where various actors compete to have their policy proposals accepted. The prohibitive nature of the policy used to counter NPS can be explained with the domination of actors whose values align with the conservative constellation | DEPP, UK

Record number of young in the UK ‘at risk of exploitation’ this summer

Barnardo’s fears the cost of living crisis will leave families unable to afford holiday activities, leaving children prey to sexual predators online and criminal gangs on the street | Guardian, UK

First-ever Phase 3 trial investigating psilocybin for depression launches

A study has been launched that is investigating COMP360 psilocybin therapy – an investigational new therapy – for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) | Psychedelic Health, UK

WHO launches a single-source repository on drug dependence information

A new repository of all drug dependence technical reports and resources is launched allowing its audience to source information within a single webpage. The repository, from WHO’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD), is an important resource for health professionals, drug policy experts and policy-makers, as many of the substances reviewed by ECDD have otherwise limited information regarding their public health risk. It represents the only online, freely accessible collection of information and reports on new psychoactive substances and medicines, for medical and scientific use, comprising over 450 substances | WHO, Switzerland

Drink and Drugs News, June 2023 edition - out now

We’re in the final run-up to the annual DDN Conference on 13 July. We’ll hear from people with personal experience of all the issues reflected in our pages, including making a path from the criminal justice system – a key theme of this issue | DDN, UK

Children's doctors call for ban on disposable vapes

Children's doctors are calling for a complete ban on disposable vapes because they are likely to damage young lungs and are bad for the environment | BBC, UK

'I teach primary school pupils about the harms of drugs'

Drug harm reduction education needs to be given to primary school children, a charity has said. With You Redcar and Cleveland has provided drug and alcohol education to "more than a dozen" North East schools | BBC, UK

In May 2018, the Scottish Government introduced a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol of £0.50 (1 UK unit = 8 g ethanol) to reduce alcohol consumption, particularly among people drinking at harmful levels. This study aimed to evaluate MUP's impact on the prevalence of harmful drinking among adults in Scotland | Public Health, UK

MSPs share 'pain and loss' of their parents' alcohol use as part of new campaign

Miles Briggs MSP has opened up for the first time about his father’s alcohol use, as he backs a campaign aimed at reducing the stigma that surrounds deaths due to alcohol and drugs. In a candid and moving letter to his father Jim, as part of the See Beyond – See the Lives – Scotland campaign, Miles shares his experiences as the son of a parent who drank | University of Stirling, UK

Health and wellbeing charity WDP changes its name to Via

We are proud and excited to announce we’ve rebranded and changed our name from WDP to Via. After 30 years of providing life-changing care, we’re moving away from a name we’ve outgrown. The name Westminster Drug Project (WDP) represented our origins – a drugs project in Westminster – but it no longer speaks to who we are now, what we do or our ambitions for the future | Via, UK

Cannabis laws in Europe: questions and answers for policymaking

This publication answers some of the more frequently asked questions raised in discussions about cannabis legislation. While the primary focus is on the use of cannabis for recreational purposes, relevant legislation for other uses, including medical and commercial cannabis-derived products such as cosmetics, wellness products and foods, is included in order to provide the necessary context for various policy initiatives | EMCDDA, Portugal

Mortality among individuals prescribed opioid-agonist therapy in Scotland, UK, 2011–20: a national retrospective cohort study

[Open access] Drug-related death (DRD) rate in Scotland, UK, has increased rapidly to one of the highest in the world. Our aim was to examine the extent to which opioid-agonist therapy (OAT) in Scotland is protective against drug-related mortality and how this effect has varied over time| Lancet, UK

Support for the Anti-Stigma Network - Early Day Motion

This motion has been signed by 11 Members. Motion text: That this House recognises that people harmed by drug and alcohol use should be treated fairly, justly and with dignity; further recognises that they are, however, frequently dehumanised, marginalised and discriminated against; acknowledges that negative preconceptions and stereotypes present a major obstacle to people accessing harm-reduction and recovery services; welcomes the recent launch of the Anti-Stigma Network, whose mission is to improve understanding of the stigma and discrimination experienced by people harmed by drug and alcohol use... | UK Parliament, UK

Use of e-cigarettes among young people in Great Britain

In March/April 2023 the proportion of children experimenting with vaping had grown by 50% year on year, from one in thirteen to one in nine. Children’s awareness of promotion of vapes has also grown, particularly in shops where more than half of all children report seeing e-cigarettes being promoted, and online where nearly a third report e-cigarette promotion. Only one in five children now say they never see vapes promoted, down from 31% last year | ASH, UK

First for smokers as london’s position on vaping for adult smokers is published

A pan-London partnership for tobacco control has launched a first-of its kind position statement for London, calling for those working with adult smokers to encourage them to swap to vaping to stop smoking | London Tobacco Alliance, UK

Toolkit to help people who inject drugs look after their veins, minimise pain and prevent infections

A new toolkit to support people who inject drugs to care for their veins and make changes to prevent bacterial infections and related health problems is available for free on the University of Bristol’s express licensing portal | NIHR, UK

England on track to end new HIV transmissions by 2030

New HIV transmissions in England have fallen by almost a third since 2019, according to an update on the HIV Action Plan for England published today | Department of Health and Social Care, UK Health Security Agency, NHS England, and Neil O'Brien MP, UK

Rising drug deaths not due to ageing users, says report

The rise in drug-related deaths in Scotland is not due to users getting older, a major new report suggests. A study of nearly 50,000 people who used opiods between 2011 and 2020 found death rates increased across all age groups | BBC, UK

Families are the invisible victims of addiction forgotten by our healthcare system

The government has promised to boost funding for drug and alcohol treatment, but it also needs to offer support for families of the addicted | Big Issue, UK

The Quiet Crisis: Alcohol Deaths in England and Wales

Alcohol is a major part of British culture. From a pint at the pub after work to a night out on the town with friends, alcohol is deeply ingrained in the social fabric of the UK. However, behind closed doors, a quiet crisis is unfolding | Forward Trust, UK

The True Horror Behind Britain’s ‘Monkey Dust’ Drug Scare Story

A synthetic white powder called monkey dust is a big problem in one UK city. But lurid headlines about glass-eating zombies hide a much more shocking story of government neglect | VICE, UK

Pharmacies 'in danger' as six are set to close in Norfolk

Mansour Dadkha, who runs the independent Town Pharmacy in Great Yarmouth, said his business was "busier" - but profit margins were decreasing | BBC, UK

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