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Weekly news - 24th March 2023

In date order, Monday to Friday

UK health expert raises alarm at vaping ‘epidemic’ among teenagers

Leading respiratory doctor fears generation could end up with long-term addictions and lung damage | Guardian, UK

Teen vaping is a new pandemic, head teacher warns

Vaping and the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers has become a "new pandemic", a head teacher has warned | BBC, UK

Public health grant: What it is and why greater investment is needed

Additional but time-limited funding for drug and alcohol treatment has been allocated to local authorities. Taking account of this additional spend leaves broader public health funding 21% lower on a real terms per person basis since 2015/16. Some of the largest reductions in spend over this period were for stop smoking services and tobacco control, falling by 45% in real terms, as well as drug and alcohol services for adults (17%) and sexual health services (29%) | The Health Foundation, UK

Top secret drug report supported decriminalisation

[Paywall, but free one month trial available] The Home Office has won a battle to suppress a report from its own expert adviser that recommended decriminalising possession of drugs.A tribunal has concluded | Times, UK

David Blunkett says Labour should consider decriminalizing drugs

Former Labour home secretary says Keir Starmer should order inquiry into drug laws | Politico, UK

Report highlights the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) on deaths and hospital admissions

The study estimated a 13.4% reduction in deaths, and a 4.1% reduction in hospital admissions, wholly attributable to alcohol consumption following the implementation of MUP. The study also found that MUP reduced deaths and hospital admissions where alcohol consumption may be one of a range of causative factors. The findings cover the period from MUP implementation up to the end of 2020 | Public Health Scotland, UK

Minimum pricing averts alcohol deaths, study claims

A new report suggests the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) in Scotland has led to fewer alcohol-related deaths compared to England | BBC, UK

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol consumption and harm in Scotland and England

This report collates existing research on changes in alcohol consumption and related health harms in Scotland, England and the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic | Public Health Scotland, UK

Interim monitoring report on statutory funded residential rehabilitation placements

This is the sixth report on Residential Rehabilitation within the Monitoring and Evaluation Programme 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 December 2022 | Public Health Scotland, UK

Sober Spring signup

Shooting Up: infections among people who inject drugs in the UK

This report describes the extent of infections and injecting-related harms among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the United Kingdom | UKHSA, UK

Warning over vape misuse after children collapse

Lincolnshire Police said it was believed the children had been offered e-cigarettes containing a mix of vape juice and cannabis-based liquid. Following last week's incident, the force wrote to parents to highlight the dangers of vaping, particularly in accepting vapes from other people. All the children involved had since recovered, although some required hospital treatment, a spokesperson added | BBC, UK

Just get on with setting up drug consumption rooms, campaigners urge

The Scottish Government has been urged to “just get on” with drug consumption rooms despite concerns over their legality | Press and Journal, UK

Wastewater samples from over 100 European cities reveal latest drug-taking trends

The latest findings from the largest European project in the science of wastewater analysis are released today in Wastewater analysis and drugs — a European multi-city study, published by the Europe-wide SCORE group, in association with the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA). The analysis reveals a rise in cocaine and methamphetamine detections and describes how wastewater research can now tell us more | EMCDDA, Portugal

Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families indicators 2023: Data for 2005 to 2022

There are 9 indicators and underlying measures used to track national progress in tackling the disadvantages that affect families and children’s outcomes. One of these stated indicators is "Parental Drug and Alcohol Dependency" | DWP, UK

‘When I came to university, that’s when the real shift came’: alcohol and belonging in English higher education

[Open access] While young people’s alcohol consumption has fallen sharply in the United Kingdom and other high-income countries, universities remain places where heavy drinking is routine and normative. Drawing on interviews with undergraduate students, this article explores how heavy drinking is part of how students negotiate a sense of belonging and form personal relationships | JYS, UK

Collective Voice launch revamped website

Collective Voice is the national charity working to improve England’s drug and alcohol treatment and recovery system | Collective Voice, UK

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