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Weekly news - 22nd March 2024

In date order, Monday to Friday

[Open access] Deaths of Despair (DoD) are socially patterned fatalities encompassing those attributable to drug and alcohol misuse and suicide. DoD occur much more frequently in socially deprived communities. This ecological study aimed to yield new knowledge on the spatial distribution of DoD, and socioeconomic factors that predict DoD risk in England | Social Science and Medicine, UK

Trying to stay alive in a town tormented by drugs, alcohol and suicide

Blackpool has the highest rate of deaths linked to alcohol, drug abuse and suicide in England, a recent study found. BBC News met a team of former addicts trying to turn around the lives of people in the town | BBC, UK

Shops flouting planned UK disposable vape ban need harsher fines, LGA says

Proposed £100 charge could be seen as a price worth paying to continue to sell the products | Guardian, UK

Scientology-linked UK rehab centre investigated by charities watchdog

Case opened after Observer investigation found that vulnerable people were allegedly subjected to psychological drills at Narconon UK that left them ‘broken’ and ‘traumatised’ | Guardian, UK

MSPs urged to increase minimum alcohol pricing to 65p per unit

Over 80 organisations across Scotland and beyond are calling upon the Scottish Government to increase the minimum pricing for alcohol ahead of a Holyrood vote. The Scottish Parliament must vote as a whole by the end of April to pass the new regulations on minimum pricing or the policy will come to an end | STV News, UK

Non-cigarette tobacco smoking soared over last decade

There are around five times more people smoking non-cigarette tobacco in England now than there were a decade ago, according to a new study led by UCL researchers | UCL, UK

Reduced sentences for pregnant women and new mothers convicted of most crimes - video

Pregnant women and new mothers who are convicted of most types of crime will be considered for reduced sentences. The new rules mean judges will be able to treat pregnancy and postnatal care as a mitigating factor when deciding a sentence. Campaigners said the change – in England and Wales – was long overdue. In this video, Channel 4 talks to mothers at Phoenix Future's Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centre in Sheffield | Channel 4, UK

[Open access] This exploratory study highlights the potential for innovative harm reduction interventions such as HAT (Heroin Assisted Treatment), co-located with primary care services, to improve healthcare access and engagement for a high-risk population. Increased uptake of primary healthcare services translated to reductions in emergency healthcare use and associated costs. Although costs of HAT provision are substantial, the notable cost-savings in health care should be an important consideration in service implementation planning | IJDP, UK

Correspondence: 001/2024: The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2024 and The Misuse of Drugs and Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (England and Wales and Scotland) (Amendment and Revocation) Regulations 2024

This release draws attention to 2 statutory instruments which amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and associated regulations to control and schedule 20 new drugs. These are: 15 synthetic opioids, 14 of which are nitazenes, which are now controlled as Class A drugs; Diphenidine, ephenidine and methoxyphenidine which are controlled under Class B; Cumyl-PeGaClone, a type of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist which is controlled under Class B; And Remimazolam, a type of benzodiazepine, which is controlled under Class C | Home Office, UK

UK too slow to act on lethal drug threat - doctors

The UK government is behind the curve in tracking the spread of new super-strength drugs, a doctor who has treated patients has said. More than 100 deaths have now been linked to synthetic opioids called nitazenes since the summer, according to the National Crime Agency. Dr Mark Pucci says flawed data collection methods mean the numbers are a significant underestimate | BBC, UK

Estimated Prevalence of Opioid Dependence in Scotland 2014/15 to 2019/20 (PDF)

This report describes the findings from a public health surveillance collaboration between Public Health Scotland, the University of Bristol, and Glasgow Caledonian University. The report describes estimates of the number of people with opioid dependence who are at risk of drug-related harm (such as overdose poisoning and other causes of premature mortality, hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV), with the potential to benefit from opioid agonist therapy (OAT ), whether they are/were in receipt of OAT or not. Estimates of prevalence are also provided | Public Health Scotland, UK

Alcohol related hospital statistics: Scotland financial year 2022 to 2023

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides information on alcohol-related inpatient and day case activity within general acute and psychiatric hospitals in Scotland. This release covers general acute hospital activity for the financial years 1981/82 to 2022/23 and psychiatric hospital admissions from 1997/98 to 2022/23. Please note that for this March 2024 release the 2022/23 rates analysis figures are based on 2021 mid-year population estimates | Public Health Scotland, UK

More evidence needed to understand consumer behaviour around no and low-alcoholic drinks

There is not yet enough data on consumer behaviour around no-and-low alcoholic (NOLO) drinks to position them as the ‘healthy’ alternative to alcoholic beverages, say researchers | University of York, UK

News story: More synthetic opioids banned to protect communities

Fifteen additional synthetic opioids are now under the strictest controls to prevent drug related deaths and ensure anyone caught supplying them faces tough penalties | Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, The Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK

Press release: Smokefree generation one step closer as bill introduced

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will deliver on the Prime Minister's commitment to create a smokefree generation, saving thousands of lives and billions for the NHS | Department of Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, and The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, UK

Impact assessment: Tobacco and Vapes Bill: impact assessment

Impact assessments relating to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill introduced in the House of Commons on 20 March 2024 | DHSC, UK

Tobacco and Vapes Bill: factsheets

These factsheets provide more information about the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which was introduced in the House of Commons on 20 March 2024 | DHSC, UK

How to save a life: emergency response to an overdose

RADAR (Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response) and the Simon Community Scotland worked together to create this resource on how to respond to a drug overdose, and how to reduce the harm from drugs | Public Health Scotland, UK

Study shows people will choose low-alcohol options

Making alcohol-free beer more available on draught in pubs and bars may help people switch from alcoholic beer, a study has shown. A group of 14 pubs and bars across Bristol temporarily changed the drinks they offered. The study was carried out by Bristol City Council and the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group (TARG) of the University of Bristol | BBC, UK

Drugs in municipal wastewater in Europe: source data

Analysing communal wastewaters for drugs and their metabolic products in order to estimate their consumption in the community is a developing field, involving scientists working in different research areas, including analytical chemistry, physiology and biochemistry, sewage engineering, spatial epidemiology and statistics, and conventional drug epidemiology. This data is collected by scientitistand experts in a Europe-wide network (Sewage analysis CORe group — Europe (SCORE)). Data from a range of cities is available and has been collected since 2011 | EMCDDA, Portugal

Correspondence: Response to the ACMD's report on xylazine and related compounds

Government response to the report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on xylazine, medetomidine and detomidine | Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK

Correspondence: Response to the third addendum to the ACMD report on 2-benzyl benzimidazole and piperidine benzimidazolone opioids

Government response to the third addendum to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' report on 2-benzyl benzimidazole and piperidine benzimidazolone opioids | Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK

Nitazenes: the powerful synthetic opioids adding 'severe concern' to Wales’ drugs crisis

Nitazenes are synthetic opioids that can be 500 times stronger than morphine. They can be injected, inhaled or swallowed, in tablet form. Their incredible strength makes them extremely dangerous - and health officials are also seeing evidence of them being mixed in with other drugs. According to the National Crime Agency they have been linked to eight deaths in Wales, since June 2023 | ITV, UK

Nitazenes the 'main concern' for Norfolk drug support service

A new super-strength drug linked to scores of deaths in the UK has become a main concern for a support service. Change Grow Live, Norfolk's alcohol and drug "behaviour change service", has warned of the danger of a new type of synthetic opioid called nitazenes | BBC, UK

Research and analysis - Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families indicators 2024

'Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families' indicator data used to track progress in tackling disadvantages affecting families’ and children’s outcomes | DWP, UK

The impact of introducing alcohol-free beer options in bars and public houses on alcohol sales and revenue: A randomised crossover field trial

[Open access] The study aimed to estimate the impact of introducing a draught alcohol-free beer, thereby increasing the relative availability of these products, on alcohol sales and monetary takings in bars and pubs in England | Addiction, UK

Plymouth children hospitalised after using illegal vapes

Two children in the Plymouth area have been hospitalised as a result of using illegal vapes, Devon and Cornwall Police has said. The force said the liquid in some vapes could be replaced with Class B drugs, which posed a "significant risk" to people's health | BBC, UK

Sudden deaths at Welsh prison 'linked to zombie drug' as third inmate named

At least four of the six deaths are believed to be related to spice | Wales Online, UK

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