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Weekly news - 9th May 2025

In date order, Monday to Friday

University wins national award for drug overdose training partnership

The University of Bradford and New Vision Bradford/Waythrough have won a Student Nursing Times 2025 award for Partnership of the Year for an innovative drug overdose training programme | University of Bradford, UK

MP urges rethink on football stands booze ban

Football needs a "modern approach" to alcohol being drunk in the stands, an MP has said. Legislation from 1985 bans fans from consuming alcohol in view of the pitch in the top five tiers of the men's game in England | BBC, UK

[Open access] Overdose prevention centres (OPCs) have been implemented as a harm reduction response in around 20 countries; with one just opened in the UK. In a context of rising rates of drug-related deaths, this study aimed to assess the need for an OPC in Sandwell, England, by examining the experiences and perspectives of local people who use drugs | IJDP, UK

How much does the absence of the ‘hidden population’ from United Kingdom household surveys underestimate smoking prevalence?

[Open access] Sampling frames used by population surveys may result in an underestimation of smoking prevalence as those not residing in households, also known as the ‘hidden population’, are not sampled. This includes people living in care and residential homes, populations experiencing homelessness, as well as those who have an “absent or “temporary” household status (e.g. bed and breakfasts, unsupported temporary accommodation, and those in prison). This study estimated the impact of including these populations on smoking prevalence in the UK | Addiction, UK

Coming soon: European Drug Report 2025 to be released on 5 June

What are the main drug-related threats today? What substances are causing the most concern? How are countries responding to Europe’s changing drug problems? Find out more, on 5 June, when the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) launches its European Drug Report 2025: Trends and Developments | EUDA, Portugal

DDN May 2025 - out now

‘I allowed what I thought was my friend into my property to stay… I’ve never felt so scared and powerless.’ Our cover story (p6) looks at cuckooing – a situation terrifying for victims and largely invisible to the outside world. It’s also a long-hidden crime that, after much campaigning, is about to be recognised as a specific criminal offence. Surrey’s Catalyst Support team help us identify the signs of this devastating form of exploitation and give guidance on helping victims. Meanwhile in Essex, we hear how lived experience has gone right to the heart of the commissioning process, with Essex Recovery Foundation directly influencing how services are designed and run (p10) | DDN, UK

The landscape of ketamine use disorder: Patient experiences and perspectives on current treatment options

[Open access] Often patients studied in the UK are appreciative of the treatment they receive, but many treatment-seeking ketamine users recruited online (three-quarters from the UK) felt at best lukewarm, 43% seeing services as “only somewhat effective” | Addiction, UK

Addiction Healthcare Goals

The Addiction Healthcare Goals programme, led by the Office for Life Sciences, worked with the James Lind Alliance to enable healthcare professionals, people with experience of addictions or who use alcohol or drugs problematically, carers and families, to work together to identify and prioritise the questions for future research that will make the most difference to people. The aim was to identify important questions for future research regarding harm reduction, treatment of, and recovery from addictions from the perspective of those who are expert by experience, and professionals. The Addiction Healthcare Goals PSP Top 10 has just been published | James Lind Alliance, UK

Official Statistics: Health trends in England

This report presents trends in data on the health of people in England, including risk factors, disease prevalence and outcomes. Includes data on smoking prevalence and hospital admissions for alcohol-related admissions | DHSC, UK

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