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Weekly news - 15th November 2024 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
Parents ‘losing their children’ over misinterpreted drug tests: Open letter calls for reform of how hair strand tests are used in court
Children are at risk of being wrongly removed from their parents’ care by the family courts because drug tests are being misinterpreted, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) can reveal | TBIJ, UK
Death in UK immigration removal centre is the first believed to be linked to the drug spice
Staff at Brook House had warned it was ‘only a matter of time’ before someone died as a result of taking the drug | Guardian, UK
ACMD advice on 2-benzyl benzimidazole and piperidine benzimidazolone opioids
Updated. A fifth addendum has been added, recommending the proposed generic definition be further updated to capture the newly identified compound aminoisotonitazene and any structurally related compounds to it that may appear in future. This generic definition has also been expanded to capture carbamoyl derivatives of 2-benzyl benzimidazole (nitazene) opioids | ACMD, UK
Evaluation of the hepatitis C: patient re-engagement exercise
To enable people previously diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV) to be treated for their infection, NHS England (NHSE) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) organised a national patient re-engagement exercise. The aim of the exercise was to offer testing and treat people with a HCV infection, many of whom may have been lost to follow-up after being diagnosed at a time when knowledge of HCV-related liver disease was limited, and treatment options and outcomes were suboptimal | UKHSA, UK
NHS trust plans smoke-free grounds by 2026
Hospital bosses have said they will ban smoking in their grounds by 2026, after accepting there is a "serious problem" at building entrances | BBC, UK
Cheers or tears? WHO playbook exposes alcohol’s true cost to health
Alcohol consumption is draining economies in the WHO European Region, costing billions annually in health care, early deaths and lost productivity, as well as social harm. In 2019 alcohol was responsible for almost 1 in every 3 injury deaths in the Region, 42% of all homicides, 37% of suicides and 35% of road deaths. Despite this enormous social and financial burden, the true costs of alcohol are often obscured by profit-driven narratives. Today, WHO/Europe launches the Alcohol Policy Playbook, designed to help policy-makers navigate the ever-present debates around alcohol harms and alcohol policy with a view towards safeguarding public health | WHO, Austria
NHS offers 'improved' stop smoking pill
The NHS will start offering an "improved" stop smoking pill to tens of thousands of people in England who want to quit cigarettes. Varenicline, a daily tablet given over a few months, is as effective as vapes and more effective than nicotine replacement gum or patches, NHS England says | BBC, UK
Now hear this
Nitazenes have been a topic of conversation for well over a year in the UK, as we have had multiple instances of clusters of lives lost in short periods due to contaminated drug supplies. Treatment providers have responded to fears of a nitazene-adulterated drug supply by increasing naloxone provision, providing nitazene testing strips, warning opiate users that they risk overdose even when smoking, as well as issuing alerts when nitazenes are detected locally | DDN, UK
Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADP) 2023/2024 Annual Survey
This publication reports on responses to the annual survey of Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) in Scotland for 2023/24. Its main aim is to evidence progress of the National Mission by providing information on the activity undertaken by ADPs. Responses were received from all 30 Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in Scotland. The survey included sections relating to cross cutting priorities and outcomes in the National Drugs Mission outcomes framework and covered activity over 2023/24 | Scottish Government, UK
Welsh Overdose Awareness Day 2024
Friday 13th December marks ‘Welsh Overdose Awareness Day’, an opportunity to raise awareness of overdose, how to reduce the risk and what can be implemented to help mitigate against various issues associated to drug-related overdoses, here in Wales | Barod, UK
Patients find it useful to receive quit smoking help while at hospital accident and emergency
A University of East Anglia led study in collaboration with Exeter and other partner institutions has looked at how well a smoking cessation program worked when offered to people unexpectedly in emergency departments | University of Exeter, UK
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024
Information relating to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which was introduced in the House of Commons on 5 November 2024. Newly published information includes a factsheet and an Impact Assessment | DHSC, UK
The Scottish Health Survey 2023 - volume 1: main report
This report presents results for the Scottish Health Survey 2023, providing information on the health and factors relating to health of people living in Scotland. Includes chapters on smoking, alcohol and other drugs | Scottish Government, UK
Breaking Klad
There has been a groundbreaking shift in the global drug trade, pioneered in Russia and now spreading globally. Unlike traditional drug trafficking models, this system leverages darknet markets and cryptocurrency for anonymous transactions, allowing buyers to retrieve drugs from hidden physical locations, or “dead drops,” rather than direct exchanges. Driven by large platforms such as Kraken, Mega, and Blacksprut, Russian darknet markets control 93% of the global share, generating approximately $1.5 billion in revenue in 2023 alone. This dominance marks a new era for organized crime, with Russia’s digital drug economy vastly surpassing traditional Western darknet markets in scope and influence | Global Initiative, Switzerland
NCD Prevention: A Commercial Determinants of Health Approach
A coalition of health organisations reducing the health burden of non-communicable disease (NCD) through action on alcohol, tobacco, and high fat, salt and sugar products, have published a 10-year strategy for a healthier, fairer future for Scotland | NCD Alliance Scotland, UK
Research contract: evaluation of the Scottish Government’s National Mission on Drug Deaths
Documents and guidance to support submissions for PHS programme evaluation of the Scottish Government’s National Mission on Drug Deaths: incorporating a financial and economic perspective | Public Health Scotland, UK
Coroner's ketamine warning after man's death
A coroner has written to the Home Secretary calling for urgent action over the classification of ketamine after a man's death | BBC, UK
Prison officers deal drugs and ask inmates for sex, BBC told
Next to a vandalised wire fence opposite HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, 28-year-old Beatrice Auty brushes away tears. The memories of her time inside the jail are too much to bear | BBC, UK
Children's voices used to shame hospital smokers
People lighting up outside four hospitals will be urged to put out their cigarettes by the voices of schoolchildren. Buzzers have been installed at Cardiff and Vale health board sites, with visitors and patients urged to press them if they see anyone smoking | BBC, UK
The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2024: A Situation Report
A Global Perspective uses the latest evidence and new data projections to report on the current global THR situation and its potential to rapidly reduce the burden of disease and mortality associated with risky tobacco use. Measuring changes in SNP uptake, policy and regulation, it considers how these factors interrelate to support or undermine progress. Profiles for Norway, Aotearoa New Zealand, Japan, and the UK are available. A broader regional focus is applied to Latin America and Eastern Europe and Central Asia | GSTHR, UK