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Weekly news - 9th February 2024 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
Rapid improvement of alcohol care teams urged as review finds ‘postcode lottery’
More than 35,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions were recorded from 2021 to 2022 | STV, UK
‘My mind had been shattered into a million pieces’: inside the Scientology-linked UK rehab centre
It’s listed on the NHS website and claims to be a ‘world leader’ in tackling substance abuse. But there is a shocking side to the Narconon addiction facility – as our nine-month investigation reveals | Guardian, UK
Charities warn of ‘devastating knock-on impact’ of English councils’ financial crisis
Exclusive: Local voluntary groups forced to cut services or close as council funding pulled | Guardian, UK
DDN February 2024 issue - out now
Whats our problem with tackling smoking? Smoking is the elephant in the room for drug and alcohol services, David MacKintosh tells DDN (p6). Many staff are smokers themselves and ‘if you’re trying to engage with a guy on a cardboard box in a shop doorway then a cigarette isn’t a bad way of doing it.’ When we started DDN 20 years ago you could spot a drugs conference venue from the large group of smokers outside. The difference is that many of us with a choice are vaping these days | DDN, UK
Levy on supermarkets could raise £57 million a year
New research (PDF) from the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde shows that a levy on shops and supermarkets that sell alcohol could raise £57 million a year. Scotland’s national alcohol charity, Alcohol Focus Scotland, who commissioned the research, say this could provide much-needed additional funding for local alcohol treatment, recovery support and prevention | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK
Guidance: Public health ring-fenced grant financial year 2024 to 2025: local authority circular
This circular sets out: allocations of the local government public health grant for the financial year 2024 to 2025 / the conditions that will apply to that grant /guidance intended to assist local authorities. In the financial year 2024 to 2025, the total public health grant to local authorities will be £3.603 billion | DHSC, UK
Drugs minister Elena Whitham quits due to post-traumatic stress
Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham has resigned from the Scottish government for health reasons. The SNP MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley said she was receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress | BBC, UK
Official Statistics: Alcohol Profiles for England: short statistical commentary, February 2024
In 2022, there were 7,912 alcohol-specific deaths (wholly due to alcohol) in England which was an increase of 56.7% from 5,050 deaths in 2006 and a 4.7% increase since 2021. The trends in alcohol-related deaths (deaths wholly or partly due to alcohol) and deaths from chronic liver disease are similar | OHID, UK
As Health and Social Care Select Committee take evidence, new study finds that 2 million people in England at risk of serious illness through alcohol and smoking
A new study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors has demonstrated the scale of people experiencing combined harms from alcohol and tobacco. The study, conducted by researchers at University College London, the University of Bristol and King’s College London in collaboration with Action on Smoking and Health, surveyed over 150,000 adults in England between March 2014 and March 2022 | ASH, UK
Support system failures trapping vulnerable women in cycles of harm, finds new report
A hard-hitting report has outlined five key priorities to radically improve support for women facing homelessness, addiction and involvement with the criminal justice system in the UK. Hard Edges: The Reality for Women Affected by Severe and Multiple Disadvantage, written by the Institute of Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE) at Heriot-Watt University and funded by the Oak Foundation, exposes the trauma and exclusion endured by this vulnerable group | Scottish Housing News, UK
The fight against Scotland’s drugs death crisis
Talk of Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is nothing new. But as new policies are introduced, those affected believe there’s reason to be hopeful | The Face, UK
The easiest win
‘There’s so much to be gained by getting tobacco harm reduction to the highest-risk groups,’ says David MacKintosh, director at Knowledge·Action·Change, which runs the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction project. And one of the highest-risk groups of all is the rough sleeping population | DDN, UK
Tuesday 6 February 2024, Health and Social Care Committee: Oral evidence, Prevention in Health and Social care - video
On Tuesday 6th February, the Health and Social Care Select Committee heard evidence from Hazel Cheeseman, Deputy Chief Executive, Action Against Smoking; Asma Khalil, Vice President for Academia and Strategy, The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG); Professor Peter Hajek, Director of Health and Lifestyle Research Unit, Wolfson Institute of Population Health Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary University of London about preventing the harms caused by tobacco | UK Parliament, UK
Psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat anxiety disorders
Parliamentary briefing. How are anxiety disorders treated, how successful are current treatments and what is the potential role for psychedelic-assisted therapy? | UK Parliament, UK
Vapes could contain 'Spice' type drug, warn Public Health Wales
Vapes could contain a 'Spice' type drug, health experts warn. Public health officials claim there are "dangers" from illegal vape liquids and "highly potent" counterfeit prescription drugs | North Wales Live, UK
Illegal drugs: Progress mixed on Government harm reduction efforts, PAC report finds [Reducing the harm from illegal drugs]
Government’s efforts to reduce the harm from illegal drugs are seeing mixed progress. In a report published today, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), while welcoming achievements including drug worker recruitment and disruption to supply, finds less clear progress in reducing drug use and related harms. Particularly concerning is that drug use is rising fastest in younger people as the number of under-18s in treatment has fallen sharply | Public Accounts Committee, UK
Minimum alcohol unit price in Scotland to rise to 65p
The minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland is to be raised from 50p to 65p, it has been announced. Deputy First Minister Shona Robison announced the plan on Thursday in a statement to Holyrood | BBC, UK
Social media adverts impact vaping behaviours among young people, study shows
Viewing e-cigarette adverts and content on social media - often endorsed by celebrities and social media influencers - is fueling the popularity of vaping among young users, according to a study from researchers at the University of York | University of York, UK
Mayor of London urged to roll out drug testing service across Capital
City Hall Conservatives said Sadiq Khan should follow the example set in Bristol last week, where the UK’s first regular drug testing service was introduced | City Matters, UK