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Weekly news - 30th June 2023 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
Warning after rise in Shropshire ketamine hospitalisations
Families are being warned to talk about the dangers of ketamine after a increase in those admitted to hospital. Shropshire Council said it has coincided with the "spell of hot weather and the end of exam season" | BBC, UK
Fatboy Slim backs appeal to allow onsite festival drug testing
Exclusive: Musicians and MPs say banning tests for harmful pills without onerous licence puts festival-goers at risk | Guardian, UK
Scheme to curb cannabis fumes could be rolled out across Lincolnshire
A scheme to reduce fumes from people smoking cannabis may soon be implemented across Lincolnshire. The Noxious Odour Pilot was initiated in the Boston area in March and has received up to three reports each week | BBC, UK
Recovery cafes expand across Scottish Borders
A recovery cafe, where people dealing with drug or alcohol addiction can gather in a safe space, first came to the Scottish Borders in March 2022. Every Friday the Focus Centre in Galashiels opened for two hours and would offer hot food, tea and coffee, and the chance to talk to others going through the same journey to sobriety | ITV, UK
Fentanyl: More people injecting drugs worldwide, says UN
More people are injecting illegal drugs than previously thought, says a United Nations report on worldwide drug use. In all, 13.2 million people injected drugs in 2021, 18% more than previously estimated, said the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime | BBC, UK
Health Research Board reports latest drug-related deaths figures
New preliminary figures from the Health Research Board (HRB) on drug-related deaths show there were 409 poisoning deaths in 2020. There were also 397 non-poisoning deaths, with hanging the most common cause of these deaths. The findings were presented at the Citizens Assembly on Drug Use on Saturday 24 June 2023 | HRB, Ireland
UNODC World Drug Report 2023 warns of converging crises
as illicit drug markets continue to expand
Vienna, 26 June 2023: Continued record illicit drug supply and increasingly agile trafficking networks are compounding intersecting global crises and challenging health services and law enforcement responses, according to the World Drug Report 2023 launched by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today. New data put the global estimate of people who inject drugs in 2021 at 13.2 million, 18 per cent higher than previously estimated. Globally, over 296 million people used drugs in 2021, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous decade. The number of people who suffer from drug use disorders, meanwhile, has skyrocketed to 39.5 million, a 45 per cent increase over 10 years | UNODC, Austria
Minimum unit pricing reduces alcohol-related harm to health
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has today published the final report on the independent evaluation of the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland. Evidence shows that MUP has had a positive impact on health outcomes, including addressing alcohol-related health inequalities. It has reduced deaths directly caused by alcohol consumption by an estimated 13.4% and hospital admissions by 4.1%, with the largest reductions seen in men and those living in the 40% most deprived areas | Public Health Scotland, UK
Call to raise 'life-saving' minimum alcohol price in Scotland
Scotland should increase its minimum unit price for alcohol from 50p to 65p, campaigners have said | BBC, UK
Further response to the ACMD's report on barriers to research on synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists
Updated with another response sent concerning definition of a research organisation | Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK
Festival drug tests: Artists and MPs write open letter to government
A group of musicians and MPs has urged the government to allow on-site drug testing at UK festivals to go ahead. The open letter calls on ministers to "reconsider" the Home Office requirement for a special licence | BBC, UK
National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times
This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports on waiting times for people accessing specialist drug and alcohol treatment services between 1 January and 31 March 2023. In 2011, the Scottish Government set a Standard that 90% of people referred for help with problematic drug or alcohol use will wait no longer than three weeks for specialist treatment that supports their recovery | Public Health Scotland, UK
Interim monitoring report on statutory funded residential rehabilitation placements - Placements approved by Alcohol and Drug Partnerships between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2023
This is the seventh report on Residential Rehabilitation within the Monitoring and Evaluation Programme largest led by Public Health Scotland. The report presents information on the number of Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) statutory funded placements into residential rehabilitation, with estimated costs, that were approved between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2023 | Public Health Scotland, UK
Drug and alcohol information system (DAISy) - Overview of initial assessments for specialist drug and alcohol treatment 2021/22 and 2022/23
This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports on people presenting initial assessment for specialist drug and alcohol treatment services in Scotland during 2021/22 and 2022/23 | Public Health Scotland, UK
National naloxone programme Scotland - Quarterly monitoring bulletin
This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents information on the number of take-home naloxone kits issued by the National Naloxone Programme (NNP) in Scotland. Figures are presented separately for kits issued from community outlets, kits issued in prisons at the point of liberation, kits dispensed via community prescription, and kits issued by Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) | Public Health Scotland, UK
Boots to close 300 UK pharmacies over the next year
The company behind Boots the Chemist is to close 300 of its branches throughout the UK over the next 12 months. The US-owners of the pharmacy chain said they will shut down stores in close proximity to each other as part of plans to "consolidate" the business | BBC, UK
How much nicotine is in a cigarette compared to a vape?
Many people are still unsure how e-cigarettes compare with smoking in terms of nicotine – we break it down | Guardian, UK
Statement from Shropshire Council: Increase in hospitalisations of CYP related to ketamine use
Families and professionals who work with young people are being asked to start supportive conversations with young people following a rapid increase in those admitted to hospital after using class B drug, ketamine | Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, 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 - GOV.UK 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
The effects of the cost of living crisis on families and friends of someone with a substance use problem (PDF)
Recent research by Adfam found that a quarter of families affected by substance use considered themselves to be financially disadvantaged. Adfam wanted to uncover therefore, how families coping with both the impact of drug and alcohol problems and the cost-of-living crisis, are faring | Adfam, UK
ASH [urges] the Health & Social Care Committee to call Government to account for years of inaction on vaping
ASH [has] set out for the Committee our top 3 recommendations to Government: 1) Put a £5 excise tax on disposable vapes: making them less affordable for children and giving more powers to Border Force and HMRC for preventing illegal vapes flooding into the UK. 2) Prohibit branding with appeal to children: no more bright colours, sweet names and cartoon characters 3) Prohibit promotion of e-cigarettes in shops: putting vapes out of sight and out of reach of children | ASH, UK
Psilocybin: Government urged to ease restrictions on magic mushroom drug for mental health
The Home Office has been accused of "institutional cruelty" in failing to ease restrictions on a drug that could help those with serious mental health conditions | ITV, UK
Drug and drink abuse costs Lincolnshire £264m a year
The cost is incurred by health services, social care, prison, law enforcement and emergency services. County councillors discussed the issue at a meeting about plans for substance misuse treatment and recovery services | BBC, UK
Adverse childhood experiences are ‘strong predictor’ for adolescent cannabis use
A new study from psychiatric epidemiologist Dr Lindsey Hines calls for greater support to help young people avoid problematic drug use | University of Bath, UK
Views on minimum unit pricing for alcohol before its introduction among people with alcohol dependence in Scotland: A qualitative interview study
[Open access] Scotland implemented a minimum price per unit of alcohol (MUP) of £0.50 in May 2018 (1 UK unit=10mL/8g ethanol). Some stakeholders expressed concerns about the policy having potential negative consequences for people with alcohol dependence. This study aimed to investigate anticipated impacts of MUP on people presenting to alcohol treatment services in Scotland before policy implementation | Drug and Alcohol Review, UK
Alcohol Awareness Week - 3rd - 9th July
This year's Alcohol Awareness Week is on the theme of 'Alcohol and cost'. Alcohol Awareness Week is managed and hosted by Alcohol Change UK. There are a number of free resources for the week available | Alcohol Change UK, UK