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Weekly news - 10th March 2023

 

In date order, Monday to Friday

Press Release: APPG for Prescribed Drug Dependence welcomes new action plan by NHS England to tackle prescribed drug dependence and withdrawal

The APPG for Prescribed Drug Dependence welcomes the publication of the NHS England Framework for Action ‘Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms’ | APPG, UK

Optimising personalised care for adults prescribed medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms

NHS England working in partnership with integrated care system (ICS) leads and representatives, has devised actions to help systems develop plans that can support people who are taking medicines associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms. The actions will support ICSs to deliver on their 4 key objectives | NHS England, UK

Is alcohol heading for the same marketing curbs as tobacco?

“In my more optimistic moments, I think that is the way we’re moving,” said Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, a liver specialist and chair of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) | Herald, UK

Harm Reduction Information Hub for North Yorkshire

Launch of Drink Drug Hub website provides reliable harm reduction information for anyone in North Yorkshire | DDN, UK

Working to decriminalise people who use drugs (PDF)

Scottish Drug Forum (SDF) were commissioned by Ana Liffey Drug Project in Ireland to conduct an evaluation of the recent decriminalisation and advocacy efforts, in five international jurisdictions | SDF, UK

News story: Publication of ACMD’s review on nitrous oxide

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has on the 6th March 2023, published an updated harms assessment of nitrous oxide | ACMD, UK

UK’s drug advisory panel rejects calls for nitrous oxide ban

ACMD says sale and possession of laughing gas for recreational use should not be barred despite Home Office desire for crackdown | Guardian, UK

National drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce census findings

The findings of the first-ever national drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce census completed in 2022 by Health Education England (HEE) and NHS Benchmarking Network (NHSBN). This census – which had an 83% response rate – covered the local authority (LA)-commissioned drug and alcohol treatment and recovery, LA commissioning teams and lived experience recovery organisation (LERO) workforce from 1st July 2021 to 30th June 2022. LAs will be receiving LA-level reports and employers that responded to the census have also received reports comparing LA- and employer-level findings to national findings | NHS Health Education England, UK

DDN March 2023

Soaring rents, stagnant rates of housing benefit, and many  more families facing homelessness. The investments in the drug strategy and rough sleeping strategy are a vital intervention but  we need to heed Crisis’ call for a more preventative homelessness  system (p15). There’s a key role for drug and alcohol workers here  in making the integrated care systems a reality, right from the  commissioning stage, so in this issue we’ve had a look at some  of the excellent work going on around the country to address homelessness and the many complexities that relate to it | DDN, 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 for No Smoking Day. This year, the theme for no smoking day is “stopping smoking improves your brain health” and is supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK | ASH, UK

75,000 GP appointments could be freed every month by ending smoking – charity

Ending smoking in England would free up some 75,000 GP appointments every single month, a charity has estimated. Cancer Research UK said that the Government must do more to prevent young people starting smoking and to help current smokers kick the habit | Independent, UK

Rise in people using cannabis to treat health conditions - but doctors warn patients are putting themselves at risk

A new poll has found that 1.8 million people in the UK are using the illegal cannabis market to alleviate symptoms - up by 29% from 2019 - with around £3.57bn being spent each year on buying the drug | ITV, UK

Official Statistics: Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE): March 2023 update

In 2021, there were 20,970 deaths that were related to alcohol in England, equating to a rate of 38.5 per 100,000 population. Of these 7,872 deaths were from chronic liver disease equating to a rate of 14.5 per 100,000 population and 7,556 deaths were wholly caused by alcohol equating to a rate of 13.9 per 100,000 population | OHID, UK

Official Statistics: Local tobacco control profiles: March 2023 update

In 2021, there were 26,410 deaths from lung cancer in England, equating to a rate of 48.5 per 100,000 population. In the same period there were 21,701 deaths from COPD in England in 2021, equating to a rate of 39.8 per 100,000 population | OHID, UK

Substance Use: Birmingham's Adult Treatment Service & Young People's (12 - 25 years) Substance Use Service - Soft Market Testing Exercise

Birmingham City Council is interested in assessing the market to establish the options for the delivery of Adults Substance Use Treatment Service (18+) & Young People's (12 - 25) Substance Use Service. Birmingham City Council are looking for informal expressions of interest on the abovementioned services at this stage in order to establish the level of market interest | Birmingham City Council, UK

Press release: £5 million Innovation Fund to reduce drug use

Five projects will receive part of £5 million innovation fund to test new ways to reduce use of so-called recreational drugs | Department of Health and Social Care and Neil O'Brien MP, UK

Budget 2023: No vaping crackdown in spring statement as Jeremy Hunt rules out disposable e-cigarettes levy

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has rejected calls from health officials to introduce a new levy on single use vapes in next week’s Budget, i can reveal. The Department of Health and Social Care has been pushing for the new tax to be introduced to disposable vapes such as the extremely popular Elf Bar brand as part of the Government’s plans to crack down on their use among children. The proposals are expected to be included in the Government’s response to the Khan Review on smoking, which will also seek to clampdown on the worrying rise in vaping among under-18s | i news, UK

Small shops 'at risk of closure' under alcohol advertising plans

Changes to how alcohol is advertised would result in the closure of small shops across Scotland, according to a leading industry figure. Ferhan Ashiq, Scottish president of the Federation of Independent Retailers, said many convenience stores rely on alcohol sales to keep them afloat | BBC, UK

Women’s drug and alcohol treatment - EDM (Early Day Motion)950: tabled on 09 March 2023

This motion has been signed by 10 Members. Motion: That this House is alarmed to see the rate of both drug-related and alcohol-related deaths among women increase; notes that women face stigma, shame and many initial challenges to accessing treatment services; further notes that women have separate and specific requirements within treatment, including the need for safe, women-only spaces; recognises that, in the past, drug and alcohol treatment services have not consistently been designed or adapted for women... | UK Parliament, UK

Patients face losing noses due to cocaine use, medics warn

A rising number of people are suffering irreparable damage to their noses due to cocaine use, doctors have warned | BBC, UK