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Weekly news - 8th March 2024 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
Oregon undoes groundbreaking drug decriminalization law
Measure 110, an experiment approved in 2020, gets overhauled as state grapples with fentanyl crisis and growing public drug use | Guardian, UK
DDN March 2024 - out now
The vice chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners says that addiction involves many complex problems and ‘the solutions won’t come from medicine alone’. She was speaking at the RCGP’s joint conference with Addiction Professionals... Prof Dame Carol Black tells us that we need to make our case for why a boost in funding has not had the desired impact on drug-related deaths. We have the evidence to fight for more funding – synthetic opioids are flooding the market, prison aftercare is under-resourced and inadequate, alcohol strategy is in its infancy, mental health and addiction services are not working in harmony as they should be, vital specialisms are draining away when they’re more needed that ever, the workforce is demoralised… to say there’s a lot to do is an understatement| DDN, UK
Cancer warning after big rise in people smoking pipes, shisha and cigars in UK
Greatest increase in non-cigarette tobacco in past decade was among young adults, researchers say | Guardian, UK
Four in five billboard ads in England and Wales in poorer areas
Exclusive: campaigners say outdoor ads pushing fast food, alcohol and more risk deepening health inequalities | Guardian, UK
Smoking profile: March 2024 update
An overview of the extent of smoking, smoking-related harm and the measures being taken to reduce this harm at a local level in England | OHID, UK
Northern Ireland could be part of smoking ban bill
Northern Ireland could be included in a Westminster bill which aims to phase out the sale of cigarettes | BBC, UK
Scottish Public Health Observatory update: Estimated quarterly numbers of people prescribed opioid substitution therapy in Scotland (12-month period)
In the 12-month period ending 30 September 2023 (the end of 2023/24 Q2), Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) was prescribed to an estimated minimum of 30,190 people in Scotland. In the 12-month period to the end of the previous financial year quarter (2023/24 Q1) an estimated minimum of 30,133 people were prescribed OST | Public Health Scotland, UK
N-desethyl isotonitazene detected in polydrug users admitted to hospital in Birmingham, United Kingdom
This is an observational case series of patients with suspected or declared substance use who were admitted to hospitals in the Sandwell and West Birmingham National Health Service Trust between July and October 2023. All patients were found on toxicological screening to have been exposed to N-desethyl isotonitazene | Clinical Toxicology, UK
Vaping worsens sleep quality and the mental health of young people
Vape use significantly impacts the sleep quality and anxiety levels of young adults, suggests a new study from the University of Surrey. Mindfulness was also found to help reduce the risk of young people taking up vaping | University of Surrey, UK
Jeremy Hunt plans to tax vaping products and raise tobacco duty
Campaigners say measure will help tackle ‘pocket money’ pricing that attracts young children to vaping | Guardian, UK
Vape shop fears new tax could put customers off
A Worcestershire vape shop has admitted it has concerns that some customers could give up vaping due to a new tax | BBC, UK
San Francisco appears to pass measure for welfare recipients to be drug-tested
Proposition F would require single adults without dependents who receive welfare benefits and use illegal drugs to undergo treatment | Guardian, UK
Spring Budget 2024: What does it mean for alcohol and e-cigarettes?
Following the Spring Budget on 6th March 2024, SARG experts Colin Angus and Duncan Gillespie take a look at what it means for alcohol and e-cigarette taxes | University of Sheffield, UK
National statistics: Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, financial year ending 2023
Updated: Amendment to 'Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, financial year ending 2023: data tables' - The number of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue seizures made by Border Force in 2017 to 2018 was missing from Appendix Table 3. This has now been corrected | Home Office, UK
EMCDDA and Europol spotlight drug-related violence in latest market overview: EU drug markets analysis from the EMCDDA and Europol
Extreme drug-related violence is putting a strain on local communities and society, and corruption is facilitating drug trafficking and undermining the rule of law. These are among the insights shared in EU Drug Markets: Key insights for policy and practice, released by the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) and Europol | EMCDDA, Portugal
‘In a way, stigma is the leading cause of death’: the radical plan to tackle British Columbia’s overdose epidemic
A ‘compassion club’ was blocked from buying pure drugs on the dark web to supply to users – now they are taking on Canada’s government in court | Guardian, UK