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Weekly news - 6th September 2024

A BIG thank you to Phoenix Futures for generously renewing their sponsorship to DrugWise Daily!

In date order, Monday to Friday

UK MPs urged to give up freebies from tobacco, alcohol and junk food firms

Health groups challenge Starmer to ban ‘unhealthy products’ firms from lobbying MPs by giving them gifts | Guardian, UK

Will Labour resist the ‘killer tactics’ of industry’s enemies of public health?

A new report lays down a challenge to Keir Starmer to take on vested interests of food, drink and tobacco companies | Guardian, UK

Call for crackdown on illegal youth vaping sales

Public health officials from across the East Midlands have called for a regional crackdown on the “concerning” and “inappropriate” illegal sale and marketing of vapes to under 18s | BBC, UK

Oregon: drug possession to be a crime again as decriminalization law expires

First-in-nation trial comes to an end, as new law gives those caught with hard drugs option of charges or treatment | Guardian, UK

Trump signals backing for Florida marijuana legalisation

Donald Trump has signalled that he will vote in favour of legalising marijuana for personal use in his home state of Florida, ahead of a ballot on the issue in November | BBC, UK

Healthcare utilisation and associated costs for methadone versus buprenorphine recipients: Examination of interlinked primary and secondary care electronic health records in England

[Open access] Overall health care costs of patients in England prescribed methadone were slightly higher than those prescribed buprenorphine, but the difference was so small that it "should not determine treatment decisions", and may have been due to differences between the patients on the two types of opioid addiction treatments | DAR, UK

Naloxone: 'Miracle' anti-overdose drug used in Northamptonshire Police pilot to prevent deaths

A former drug addict - who nearly overdosed twice - is training police to use a "miracle" anti-overdose drug to help save lives | ITV, UK

Killer tactics

This report from the Alcohol Health Alliance, Action on Smoking and Health and Obesity Health Alliance highlights common strategies and tactics used by the tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food and drink industries to delay and disrupt public health policymaking and protect their business models | AHA, UK, UK

Recovery Month (September 2024) – a time to celebrate everyone’s journey from addiction to recovery

Now in its 34th year, Recovery Month celebrates the success of those in recovery from all addictive behaviours | Forward Trust, UK

DDN Magazine September 2024 - out now

‘We already knew what works.’ This statement referred to peers mobilising with urgency around nitazenes – but it came up again and again throughout the DDN Conference. As each individual or team stepped forward we heard the passion, the evidence and the impact of people with lived/living experience being the lifeblood of services | DDN, UK

Estimated numbers of people prescribed opioid substitution therapy in Scotland

These figures estimate the number of individuals prescribed Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) drugs for the treatment of opioid dependence from legacy British National Formulary (BNF) subsection 04.10.03. This includes methadone hydrochloride, buprenorphine, buprenorphine & naloxone and long-acting buprenorphine (including Buvidal© slow-release formulations) | PHS, UK

LSE researchers assessed the gains made by individual spending decisions relative to their returns in terms of cash savings and wellbeing benefits in terms of their money equivalent. They calculated that targeted spending on mental health and addiction services would not only help those affected, but also reduce the overall cost of health and welfare services while returning money to the exchequer as people returned to the workplace | Guardian, UK

How Keir Starmer’s pub garden smoking ban would work

Everything you need to know as Labour refuses to rule out major new smoking laws | Independent, UK

[Open access] This scoping review maps literature on the development and/or evaluation of mass media interventions intended to reduce stigma towards people who use drugs. We systematically searched seven databases for reports about: (i) people who use drugs, (ii) stigma, (iii) mass media. We charted data about intervention (i) subjects and recipients, (ii) format, (iii) authors, (iv) content; and (v) conceptualisation and measurement of stigma. We narratively synthesised findings with qualitative content analyses | IJDP, UK

Britain takes decisive action to ban 'zombie drug' xylazine

Legislation has been laid in Parliament to ban xylazine and 21 other dangerous drugs | Home Office and The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP, UK

National Mission on Drugs Annual Report

Sets out the progress made between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 by national government, local government and third sector partners towards reducing drug deaths and improving the lives of those impacted by drugs in Scotland | Scottish Government, UK

The Use of Prescription Cannabis in Buildings: Guidance for tenants and landlords (PDF)

This position paper aims to provide guidance for landlords, housing associations, property managers, and tenants regarding the use of prescribed medical cannabis in properties and premises in the UK. The focus is on tenants, sub-tenants, leaseholders, individuals part of a commonhold, and the general public | Cannabis Industry Council, UK

Warning over drugs that can kill in tiny doses

Police and public health leaders have warned it has "never been" more dangerous to take drugs thanks to the arrival of super-strength man-made opioids | BBC, UK

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