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Weekly news - 3rd March 2023 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
Illegal tobacco offered to a third of child smokers
The Action on Smoking and Health Wales (Ash) study comes as the charity launches a campaign [see item below] to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco to children | BBC, UK
No ifs, no butts
Want to report illegal tobacco or vape sales?. You have come to the right place. The sale of illegal tobacco and illegal vapes is a big problem in Wales. These sales put cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the hands of children, as well as harm public health, local businesses, and can contribute to serious organised crime | ASH Wales, UK
No Smoking Day: Smokers unaware that quitting smoking will reduce risk of dementia - Press release
March 8th. Smokers are being urged to give quitting a go ahead of No Smoking Day, as research shows those who smoke are more likely to develop dementia | ASH, UK
Jess Phillips and Iain Duncan Smith lead calls to criminalise ‘cuckooing’
Practice of taking over people’s homes should be included in an overhaul of the Modern Slavery Act, say MPs | Guardian, UK
Patterns in alcoholrelated violence: exploring recent declines in alcohol related violence in England and Wales (PDF)
This report examines possible explanations for the decline seen in alcohol-related violence – drawing on existing literature exploring: changing patterns in violence (e.g., Farrell et al. 2014), alcohol’s relationship with violence (e.g., Graham & Livingston 2011), and the measurement of violence (e.g., Reiner 2016) | IAS, UK
Increasing drugs services
Three organisations supporting people with problem drug use will receive more than £14 million to increase the number of residential rehabilitation placements. The funding will create an extra 225 placements each year and is part of the £100 million allocated to residential rehabilitation as part of the national mission on drug deaths | Scottish Government, UK
Alcohol related hospital statistics
This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides information on alcohol-related inpatient and day case activity within general acute and psychiatric hospitals in Scotland. This release covers general acute hospital activity for the financial years 1981/82 to 2021/22 and psychiatric hospital admissions from 1997/98 to 2021/22 | Public Health Scotland, UK
Surge in nitrous oxide abuse: New guidelines to help clinicians recognise cases and prevent spinal cord damage
Recommendations from a research paper on the diagnosis and treatment of spinal cord damage caused by nitrous oxide abuse have been simultaneously adopted as official clinical practice guidelines by the Association of British Neurologists. The unprecedented speed in translating research into practice is necessary as medical cases of nitrous oxide abuse surge in parallel with increased use of what is now the second most popular recreational drug among young people in the UK | University of Nottingham, UK
‘Professional adverts’ for county lines ensnaring children on Instagram and Snapchat
Drugs traffickers changing methods to recruit children as young as seven, parliamentary education committee hears | Guardian, UK
Sunak says laughing gas review being carried out more quickly after Sky News investigation into spike in hospital admissions
The prime minister made the revelation after an MP raised Sky News's investigation that found a sharp rise in hospital admissions and an increase in the size of nitrous oxide canisters available from 8g to 620g, with growing numbers of young people using the potentially life-changing drug | Sky News, UK
Alcohol assertive outreach: a handbook
The experience of Alcohol Change UK’s Blue Light approach has shown that if people need support but don’t come into services, services may need to go out and find them through assertive outreach. That means making time to work with people in their own settings and build engagement with them through persistent and consistent interactions. This handbook is based on a recognition that identifying an alcohol problem does not always lead smoothly and naturally to treating it | Alcohol Change UK, UK
Belfast councillors support safe injecting facility proposal
Belfast city councillors have voted to pass a motion to set up a safe injecting facility to help prevent overdoses among drug users | BBC, UK
Young people’s explanations for the decline in youth drinking in England
Young people’s explanations for the decline in youth drinking in England aligned well with those generated by researchers and commentators in prior literature. Our findings suggest that changing practices of socialisation, decreased alcohol affordability and changed attitudes toward risk and self-governance may be key explanations | BMC Public Health, UK
Response to the ACMD's report on remimazolam (Byfavo)
The government responds to a report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) regarding the classification and schedule of remimazolam (Byfavo) | Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK
Calls for ‘robust’ health measures as one in 10 15-year-olds now vape
Campaigners are demanding immediate action from the Scottish Government to address health measures for young people after it was revealed more than one in 10 15-year-olds now vape | Press and Journal, UK