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Weekly news - 17th May 2024

In date order, Monday to Friday

Smoking ban: Why are young people still taking up smoking?

Smoking has been on the decline for two decades. In fact, more young people now vape than smoke tobacco. But one recent estimates suggests that about 350 young people still take up smoking each day in the UK. Among 15-year-olds, nearly one in 10 say they sometimes smoke. So why does this deadly habit still hold appeal? | BBC, UK

ASH Ready Reckoner

The ASH Ready Reckoner is an easy-to-use cost calculator, allowing you to see the costs of smoking to society. The tangible wider societal costs of smoking in England are £46.3 Bn and these are broken down into individual local authorities, combined authorities, regions, and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). Estimates are also available for parliamentary constituencies and wards | ASH, UK

Press release: Expansion of life-saving opioid overdose treatment

More professionals such as nurses, paramedics, police officers and probation workers will be able to supply a life-saving opioid overdose antidote without a prescription to save the lives of the most vulnerable, the government has announced. More professionals such as nurses, paramedics, police officers and probation workers will be able to supply a life-saving opioid overdose antidote without a prescription to save the lives of the most vulnerable, the government has announced | Department of Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP, and The Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, UK

Life-saving overdose drug to be given without prescription

Opioid-related deaths – for example from heroin or powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl - make up the biggest proportion of drug fatalities across the UK. There is an average of 40 deaths a week across the country. But administering the drug naloxone to someone who is overdosing can be life-saving, by easing potentially fatal breathing difficulties | BBC, UK

Children’s exposure to vape marketing at all-time high – poll

Children’s exposure to vape marketing is at an all-time high, with youngsters overwhelmingly opting for fruit and dessert-flavoured vapes, new data shows. Annual survey results from Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) show children in Great Britain are increasingly aware of vape marketing, including in shops and via social media sites such as TikTok and YouTube | Evening Standard, UK

10-year strategic plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce (2024–2034)

Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs called for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce to be rebuilt to deliver better outcomes for the people it serves. In response, the government committed to developing a comprehensive workforce strategy and invested an additional £532 million between 2022 and 2025 to improve the capacity and quality of drug and alcohol treatment. This additional funding is supporting the expansion of the workforce by the end of 2024/25 with: 1) 800 more medical, mental health and other regulated professionals. 2) 950 additional drug and alcohol and criminal justice workers. 3) additional commissioning and co-ordinator capacity in every local authority | NHS England, UK

Consultation outcome: Proposals to expand access to take-home naloxone supplies

Responses to the consultation were overwhelmingly supportive of the UK Government and devolved administration’s proposals for enabling more organisations and individuals to supply take-home naloxone. There was widespread agreement that the proposed list of named services and professionals should be able to supply take-home naloxone without a prescription. Responses agreed with the need for training requirements, including on the storage and supply of naloxone, as well as how to support those people supplied with naloxone | Department of Health and Social Care, Department of Health (Northern Ireland), The Scottish Government, and Welsh Government

Six synthetic opioids to be banned

The Government will place 6 new synthetic opioids under the strictest level of control to help prevent drug related deaths in the UK and ensure anyone caught supplying these substances faces tougher penalties. This comes after 15 other synthetic opioids (including 14 nitazenes) were controlled as Class A drugs earlier this year | Home Office and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK

Correspondence: Government response to the ACMD's report on novel benzodiazepines

The Government responds to the ACMD's report on recently encountered novel benzodiazepines and related compounds | Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK

Correspondence: Government response to ACMD report on acyl piperazine opioids

Government response to the report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on acyl piperazine opioids, including 2-methyl-AP-237 | Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, UK

Government response to the ACMD's fourth addendum on nitazenes

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

New figures show youth vaping has plateaued while adult vaping is at an all-time high

The latest findings from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH’s) annual surveys of young people and adults find that 11% of British adults vape, up from 9% in 2023. However, rates of vaping among 11–17-year-olds have not increased, with 7.6% of young people vaping occasionally or regularly, and 17% of young people having ever vaped, similar to the levels reported in 2023. The new data is being presented at the International E-cigarette Summit in Washington today | ASH, UK

Mixed messages? Exposure to reports about alcohol’s suggested cardiovascular effects and hazardous alcohol use: a cross-sectional study of patients in cardiology care

[Open access] Hazardous alcohol use is a leading risk factor for disability and death, yet observational studies have also reported reduced cardiovascular disease mortality among regular, low-level drinkers. Such findings are refuted by more recent research, yet have received significant media coverage. We aimed to explore: (1) how patients with cardiovascular diseases access health information about moderate drinking and cardiovascular health; (2) the perceived messages these sources convey, and (3) associations with own level of alcohol use | BMC Public Health, UK

[Open access] We explored the early impact of changes to the UK alcohol tax system, implemented in August 2023, on the strength and price of alcoholic products available for sale on the website of the largest supermarket in England | Public Health, UK

I was dying but still couldn’t get a bed in rehab

Stephanie Ritchie says she was at the point where doctors were about to amputate her leg because of her drug use, but still could not get a rehab place | BBC, UK

Public health expert lambasts UK government as fund to tackle inequality launches

Sir Michael Marmot wants cuts reversed as fund backed by L&G and his research institute opens to support local initiatives | Guardian, UK

Vape adverts on football shirts set to be banned in bid to protect kids

Health Minister Dame Andrea Leadsom confirmed she will be bringing forward proposals to address concerns around vape advertisements as young people increasingly take up the habit | Mirror, UK

Association of time spent on social media with youth cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use in the UK: a national longitudinal study

[Open access] Social media use is associated with increased risk of cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use. There is a need for greater research on this issue as well as potential policy responses | BMJ Thorax, UK

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