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Weekly news - 13th December 2024

In date order, Monday to Friday

Cannabis use increases risk of psychosis independently from genetic predisposition

New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has shown that genetic load for schizophrenia and frequent use of cannabis have independent links to the likelihood of developing clinical psychosis | KCL, UK

The dark side of GHB: This is what the sex and party drug is doing to the UK's LGBTQ community

A lack of awareness and education paired with outdated nightlife practices is resulting in a growing number of LGBTQ people dying from accidental GHB overdoses. Jordan Page investigates how lives can be saved | Evening Standard, UK

Press Release: The Department of Health and Social Care has launched its first survey of the frontline drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce (PDF)

Closes 24th January 2025. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced the launch of a new national survey to gather crucial insights from individuals working in drug and alcohol services, support and commissioning. The survey aims to understand the experiences and support needs of the workforce, following Dame Carol Black's independent review of drugs. The DHSC is inviting all employees in local authority-funded drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services, commissioning teams, and those working in lived experience recovery organisations to participate. The survey seeks to answer critical questions such as:
*   What are the biggest challenges faced by these workers?
*   What motivates them in their roles?
*   What support do they need to thrive professionally?

Click here to take the survey | DHSC, UK

Key findings published on evaluation of National Mission on Drug Deaths

As part of the Public Health Scotland (PHS) evaluation of the National Mission on Drug Deaths, the findings of a research project interviewing key individuals in the field have been published today. The findings show a degree of consensus that the Scottish Government’s National Mission on Drug Deaths has already delivered some positive impacts, particularly, in strengthening drug treatment systems. However, the interviews also highlighted unintended negative consequences and missed opportunities in the National Mission | Public Health Scotland, UK

Specialist courts proposed to break addictions of prolific offenders in England and Wales

Exclusive: Pilots of scheme to tackle drug-driven crimes have been encouraging, says head of sentencing review | Guardian, UK

Senedd backs disposable vape ban for 2025

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said the move was a "major step forward in tackling throwaway culture and the environmental impacts of single-use vapes" | BBC, UK

Fewer retailers stocking disposable vapes ahead of 2025 ban, maker says

Chill Brands said it was focusing on developing reusable vaping products as a result of the upcoming ban | Independent, UK

Train company launches low-alcohol beer to tackle spike in Christmas accidents

The beer will be stocked on services between London Euston and Scotland | Independent, UK

The effect of proportional pricing on alcohol purchasing in two online experiments

[Open access] Price-per-drink savings from larger packs or bottles of alcoholic drinks may prompt more sales and more drinking, so perhaps eliminating quantity-based savings will lead to less of both. Evidence for just such an effect was found among UK drinkers posed hypothetical shopping scenarios | Addiction, UK

IPS for alcohol and drug dependence: data linkage outcomes

A report on the outcomes of the expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for adults in treatment for alcohol and drug dependence in England | OHID, UK

People who inject drugs: HIV and viral hepatitis monitoring

HIV prevalence among Unlinked Anonymous Monitoring (UAM) Survey participants has remained low and stable over the past decade and was 1% in 2023. Overall, the proportion of UAM Survey participants with hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies (a marker of ever HCV infection) has remained relatively stable over the past decade (from 49% in 2014 to 53% in 2023) and is higher among those aged 35 years and above | UKHSA, UK

Drugs and alcohol death stigma campaign awarded funding for next phase

A campaign looking to end the stigma that surrounds drugs and alcohol deaths has received new funding for the next phase of work. See Beyond – See the Lives – Scotland is led by the University of Stirling and has been awarded funding from the Scottish Government off the back of the national attention it has received since being launched more than 18 months ago | Herald, UK

Drug misuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2024

An overview of the extent and trends of illicit drug use. Data are from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimated 8.8% of people aged 16 to 59 years (around 2.9 million people) reported using any drug in the last 12 months for the year ending (YE) March 2024; there was no statistically significant change, compared with YE March 2023 | ONS, UK

Town has higher figures of child cannabis use

Children in Rotherham use cannabis and vape at a rate higher than the national average for their age group, a survey has revealed | BBC, UK

Glasgow drug consumption room to open within weeks

The UK's first consumption room for illegal drugs is "weeks away" from opening in Glasgow after delays caused by water supply testing. The Safer Drugs Consumption Facility on the city's Hunter Street was due to open on 21 October, but was pushed back after failing to pass a three-stage testing programme | BBC, UK

Exploring the delivery of alcohol-related health advice in dental practice settings: A scoping review

Dental Professionals (DPs) are ideally placed to support public health efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm by routinely screening patients and offering alcohol-related health advice, a scoping review commissioned by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) has found. However, the review found that while DPs are encouraged to screen patient’s alcohol consumption and provide advice in the form of alcohol brief interventions (ABIs), there is a reluctance to do this. This is due to concerns about a lack of time, training and funding | SHAAP, UK

Global State of Tobbaco Harm Reduction 2024: A situation Report

The fourth in our biennial GSTHR series, this report tracks the extent to which safer nicotine products are replacing and substituting for combustible and risky oral tobacco products. It is split into two parts, A Global Perspective and Regional and National Insights | GSTHR, UK

Data reveal U.S. overdose deaths fell 17% in just one year

In new data that suggest the U.S. opioid epidemic may be easing, drug overdose deaths fell 17% between July 2023 and July 2024. The new data released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 94,000 people died from drug overdoses (ODs) during that 12-month period, down from more than 113,000 deaths between July 2022 and July 2023 | Medical Xpress, USA