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Weekly news - 27th September 2024

In date order, Monday to Friday

Press release: Public wants higher alcohol duties to save the NHS

As the Government nods to alcohol as part of its public health drive, a new poll finds support for action to address the harm it causes | Alcohol Change UK, UK

Initial reflections on the Darzi Report

Big set piece reports often capture the headlines for a day or two, then fade from view when the next story comes along. But a report like Lord Darzi’s from last week deserves more attention and influence. So over the past few days I’ve been thinking about what this report might mean for the treatment and recovery sector | Collective Voice blog, UK

Risk of lung cancer from radiotherapy doubles for breast cancer patients who smoke

Non-smokers found to have 1% chance of treatment leading to disease compared with between 2% and 6% for smokers | BBC, UK [Original study here]

Europe must continue to lead on harm reduction

Europe has been at the forefront of harm reduction since its inception. These important early steps were in part a response to the dramatically expanding HIV epidemic, and investing in these innovative interventions early and robustly had a transformative effect. This brought about not just pioneering services but also pioneering policy changes. However, while Western Europe and Member States in the European Union often have been at the vanguard of harm reduction innovation..., the situation has been different in the “wider” WHO European region, which also includes Eastern and Southeastern Europe as well as Central Asia | Harm Reduction Journal, UK

Pink cocaine: the party drug cocktail putting a growing number of lives at risk

A synthetic drug cocktail known as pink cocaine, has rapidly become a major concern in Spain, the UK and beyond. Earlier this month, Spanish authorities carried out their largest ever synthetic drug bust, seizing a large quantity of pink cocaine alongside more than a million ecstasy pills. The operation targeted drug networks across Ibiza and Malaga | Conversation, UK

Over 10 percent of deaths in Wales due to smoking

New analysis from Public Health Wales shows that were an average of 3,845 deaths in Wales in 2022 were due to smoking in Wales every year between 2020 and 2022: more than one in ten of all deaths amongst those over 35 | Public Health Wales, UK

National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times

10,688 referrals were made to community-based specialist drug and alcohol treatment services: 5,432 (50.8%) were for problematic use of alcohol, 3,770 (35.3%) for problematic use of drugs, and 1,486 (13.9%) for co-dependency | Public Health Scotland, UK

NHS stop smoking services quarterly

This release presents information on NHS Stop Smoking Services in Scotland and their progress towards their annual Local Delivery Plan (LDP) Standard. The LDP Standard for NHS Scotland in 2023/24 is to achieve at least 7,026 self-reported successful twelve-week quits through smoking cessation services in the 40% most deprived areas (60% in NHS Island Boards) | Public Health Scotland, UK

Alcohol Injustice: position paper on people with an alcohol disorder in the Justice system

This paper sets out why and how people with alcohol use disorders who come into contact with the justice system should have the best opportunities to access treatment and support. This approach would reduce reoffending and tackle inequalities – improving the health and lives of the people concerned and the lives of their families and wider communities, as well as alleviating pressure on the justice system | IAS, UK

64% of operators would install a non-alcoholic draught beer

Three in five operators would install a non-alcoholic draught beer at their pub, new data has revealed | Morning Advertiser, UK

[Open access] Review amalgamating findings from studies reporting first-person accounts from homeless substance users. What was it about service providers which aided their recovery: “empathy, person-centredness, humility, acceptance, and respect for service users’ autonomy” | IJDP, UK

Take-home naloxone administered in emergency settings: feasibility of intervention implementation in a cluster randomized trial

It seems an obvious tactic: offer naloxone kits and training to patients known to already have problems related to opioid use, attended by emergency medical staff. But at British sites in a trial, just 60 of 277 suitable patients were issued with the kits | BMC Emergency Medicine, UK

Caffeine supplements advice after overdose death

The food safety watchdog has issued new guidance over caffeine in food supplements after a man died miscalculating the amount he was meant to use | BBC, UK

Preventing drug and alcohol deaths: partnership review process

Guidance for local partnerships on how to review adult drug and alcohol related deaths and near-fatal overdoses to prevent future deaths. This guidance updates, expands and replaces much older guidance by the NTA, which was archived some time ago but continued to be used by some areas. This new guidance better reflects the breadth of issues to be considered by local review processes. It also better reflects health and social care, and integrated systems as they are now | OHID, UK

National Mission evaluation: Lived experience survey

PHS has launched a survey aimed at individuals with experience of using drugs. This survey will help improve our understanding of what it is like for individuals with experience of using drugs in Scotland to try and get the support they need. The survey also asks people whether they feel that their experience of trying to access support has improved or worsened over the last two years | Public Health Scotland, UK

Scottish Parliament: Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Debate - video

This short debate in the Scottish Parliament marking Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder awareness month, took place on Thursday 26 September | BBC, UK

Ketamine: what you need to know about the UK’s growing drug problem

There is growing awareness of the problems caused by the use of a fast-acting drug called ketamine. Often referred to as K or ket, it was made a class B drug in the UK in 2014 and is illegal to buy or sell. Possessing the drug can lead to a maximum five-year prison sentence and supplying the drug up to 14 years in prison | Conversation, UK

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