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Weekly news - 1st September 2023

 

In date order, Monday to Friday

Pregabalin: What is it and why can it be dangerous?

The prescription drug pregabalin has been linked with a growing number of deaths in Northern Ireland. But what is it and why can it be deadly? | BBC, UK

Drug Testing on Arrest (DToA): programme data

An updated summary of the activity of the Drug Testing on Arrest (DToA) programme has been published | Home Office, UK

Press release: £5 million fund to tackle fatal drug deaths across the UK

People at risk of drug deaths could be saved by overdose detecting artificial intelligence or antidote dispensing drones after the government awarded a share of £5 million to projects aimed at tackling fatal overdoses. As part of the Reducing Drug Deaths Innovation Challenge which aims to reduce drug related deaths across the UK, Office for Life Sciences is investing in 12 promising projects to develop technologies aimed at improving detection, response, or intervention in potential drug related deaths | Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman MP, and Will Quince MP, UK

Alcohol-specific deaths

There were 1,276 alcohol-specific deaths registered in Scotland in 2022, an increase of 2% (31 deaths) on 2021. Female deaths increased by 31 to 440 deaths in 2022, with the number of alcohol-specific male deaths unchanged from 2021. Male deaths continue to account for around two thirds of alcohol-specific deaths. The rate of mortality for alcohol-specific deaths was 22.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, similar to the rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people in 2021 (the increase is not statistically significant). This measure takes into account the size and age-structure of the population | National Records of Scotland, UK

Alcohol deaths rise to highest level in 14 years

The number of people in Scotland whose death was caused by alcohol has risen again to the highest level in 14 years | BBC, UK

Response from Sir Robert Chote to Sandesh Gulhane MSP – minimum unit pricing

Dear Dr Gulhane, Thank you for your letter of 3 July regarding publications about the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland. You raised concerns about the communication of Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) evaluation of the MUP policy, which concluded in a final report published in June (that synthesized evidence from a number of studies)... | UK Statistics Authority, UK

‘Beer goggles’ study finds alcohol does not make people seem better looking

US research casts doubt on anecdotal evidence, but suggests drinking may give you ‘courage’ to approach attractive people | Guardian, UK

Hundreds of children thrown out of school in English county lines hotspots

Gangs target minors who are out of school and BBC report shows rise in exclusions and suspensions in biggest drug-exporting areas | Guardian, UK

Drugs: Third Report of Session 2022–23

In this report the Committee calls for a new legislative and funding framework that enables practical, risk-reducing interventions such as establishing a pilot drug consumption facility and drug testing at festivals. It further calls from a move away from an abstinence-only approach towards harm reduction with improved cross-working between police, health and social services.  The Committee found that law enforcement should continue to do all it can to stamp out the illicit trade of controlled drugs, but will need to be bolstered by a stronger public health response that helps people escape drug addiction and related criminality | Home Affairs Committee, UK

Allow drug testing at festivals to cut deaths, MPs urge ministers

Drop ‘abstinence-only approach’ and focus on public health, report by home affairs select committee says | Guardian, UK

Scotland should pilot drug consumption rooms, say MPs

Efforts to run similar facilities in Glasgow have so far been blocked by the Home Office. However, the Home Affairs Committee said the power to introduce them should be devolved if the UK government would not back a pilot jointly funded with Holyrood | BBC, UK

Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas ban could harm users, experts warn

In a letter to the government, seen by BBC Newsnight, 15 neurologists and related health experts say possession of the drug should not be criminalised | BBC, UK

Cranstoun Launches Report in Response to Escalating Opioid Crisis, Backed by Cross-Party Parliamentarians and Leading Academics

Cranstoun has launched a report containing 8 key recommendations on how to address the escalating drug crisis. The report is in response to emerging accounts of nitazenes – a potent, synthetic opioid similar to fentanyl – contaminating the UK’s heroin supply | Cranstoun, UK

Powder cocaine use in young people and adults: call for evidence

Call for evidence from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on the prevalence and drivers of powder cocaine use by young people and adults. Deadline extended till 2nd October | Home Office and Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, UK

Estimated numbers of people prescribed opioid substitution therapy in Scotland: Scottish Public Health Observatory August update

In 2022/23, the number of paid items for OST drugs was 423,814. In 2022/23 the dispensing of methadone was equivalent to 10.28 Defined Daily Doses per 1,000 population per day. Buprenorphine dispensing (including Buvidal© slow-release formulations) was equivalent to 1.75 DDDs per 1,000 population per day in 2022/23. In 2022/23, the dispensing of buprenorphine and naloxone combined (Suboxone) was equivalent to 0.20 DDDs per 1,000 population per day | Public Health Scotland, UK

Life-Saving Nalox-Home Intervention Announced to mark International Overdose Awareness Day 2023

Marking International Overdose Awareness Day 2023, the HSE in collaboration with St James’s Hospital is introducing Nalox-Home: a new pilot initiative designed to save lives and promote harm reduction among people who use drugs. Nalox-Home provides free naloxone kits to patients who attend the St James’s Hospital Emergency Department (ED) and have experienced or are at risk of an opioid overdose | HSE, Ireland

Drugs contaminated with synthetic opioids: an updated collective message

To anyone that uses drugs or cares for someone who does: The drugs available in the UK seem to be changing lately. As services that provide support to people who use drugs and their loved ones, we have come together to issue a shared statement about some of the new drugs being used by the people we support and the risks they present | With You, UK

Harm reduction flyers on nitazenes

There has been an increase of nitazenes detected across the UK drug supply. These substances are a class of synthetic opioids that are believed to be as strong (or stronger) than fentanyl | Release, UK

Naloxone and NSP Click and Deliver Map

31-08-23 UPDATE. In the top left hand of this map is an icon you can click to show or hide the list of 'layers' on this map. You can turn on the 'Naloxone Click and Deliver' layer to see where you can mail order naloxone. Clicking an area where display a description which includes a link to the necessary website to place your order | Release, UK

Police led alcohol intervention checklist and toolkit

[Published 20th July 2023] A toolkit to provide additional support to police forces across England and Wales | Home Office, UK

Nottingham's alcohol team cutting admissions, say hospital bosses

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust's (NUH) nurse-led Alcohol Care Team (ACT) was set up in 2021. In its first full year the trust said it helped more than 2,500 patients by providing advice and specialist assessments for those with alcohol and drug dependency | BBC, UK