DS Daily - 23rd July2013 |
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Drug charity raises concerns about drug deaths and harms linked to PMA
DrugScope today highlights the high number of suspected ecstasy related deaths which have taken place in the UK recently. The common factor appears to be the presence of an ecstasy-like drug PMA in the tablets, although it is still too early to establish the precise cause of death in these cases | DrugScope, UK
The Challenge of Change: Improving services for women involved in prostitution and substance use - DrugScope blog
DrugScope, with AVA (Against Violence and Abuse), has recently published ‘The Challenge of Change: Improving services for women involved in prostitution and substance use’, the report of a research project that encompassed an evidence review, interviews with women with a history of prostitution and substance use, an online survey of services, and observational site visits | DrugScope, UK
Consultation on prescription drug tramadol
The government wants to make tramadol a Class C drug but ensure it is available to those who need it as a prescription medicine | Home Office and Department of Health, UK
Leading coalition of charities announces new Chair
The Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) coalition is delighted to announce the appointment of Baroness Tyler as Chair | MEAM, UK
Hospitalisations and deaths associated with estasy-like tablets
The purpose of this alert is to offer advice on recognising and managing individuals who present to health services for help after taking ecstasy-like tablets, and which may have contained PMA, MDMA or other similar stimulants | Dept of Health, UK
PMA: 'not just another drug scare story'
Otherwise known as pink ecstasy, paramethoxyamphetamine has been linked to a spate of recent deaths of young people | Guardian, UK
Ecstasy death toll rises to 14 as women, 27 and 29, die after taking pills sparking police warning to users
Two young women have died after apparently overdosing on ecstasy after a weekend of drug-related tragedy which has left three families mourning young women. A 27-year-old woman died in Greater Manchester after taking pills police believe were the Class A drug, and a 29-year-old, named locally as mother-of-one Gemma Hirst, died in hospital in Newcastle this morning | MailOnline, UK
Banned 'legal high' Benzo Fury linked to Sale woman's death
The death of a 27-year-old woman from Greater Manchester is thought to have been related to a banned "legal high", police have said | BBC, UK
Smoking prevalence among England's adults set to drop below 20%
Rising tobacco prices, mass media campaigns and services to help people quit, all help to cut smoking | Guardian, UK
Plain cigarette packs 'encourage smokers to quit'
Selling cigarettes in unbranded packs seems to make tobacco less appealing and encourages smokers to quit, suggests a study | BBC, UK
Largest US study yet favours naltrexone as alcoholism medication
Reanalyses of major US study confirmed that either naltrexone or psychological therapy improved outcomes more than medical care and placebos, while the two in combination or acamprosate added little. They also revealed previously invisible benefits when certain types of patients received certain treatments - and some hidden negatives | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK
Integrating parenting support with treatment helps mums help the children
First systematic review of whether integrating parenting support with treatment improves the parenting of problem substance using mothers found remarkably few quality studies, but enough to suggest that such programmes can improve the prospects of often highly at-risk children | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK
Cut in residential treatment for female alcohol abuse has taken toll - letter
Your leader on alcohol death rates ("Deadly risks in drinking culture", The Herald, July 19) commented on the research that revealed the serious increase in the death rate of young women due to alcoholism | Scottish Herald, UK
The pressure on GPs, by drug addict doctor
A GP who became addicted to morphine while coping with a huge workload has urged fellow doctors to admit their own frailty and seek help if they need it | Belfast Telegraph, UK
NHS hospital to give private patients alcohol
Hospital patients will be able to have alcohol delivered to their bedsides under plans at one NHS trust | Telegraph, UK
Stimulants: treatment approaches and organising services - Online learning module
Stimulants are the most commonly used substances for recreational purposes worldwide | RCPsych CPD Online, UK
Is the Internet a good prevention tool?
When young people are asked about where they would go for information and advice about drugs they quite often say ‘the internet’, for example in this survey of young people across Europe almost two thirds (64%) said they’d search the internet for advice | Mentor, UK
Why do writers drink?
Does it help writers to drink? Certainly Jack Kerouac, Dylan Thomas, John Cheever, Ernest Hemingway and F Scott Fitzgerald thought so. But, wonders Blake Morrison, are the words on the page there despite and not because of alcohol? | Guardian, UK
Disabled benefits claimants test: Atos reports found 'unacceptably poor'
DWP to get additional providers to administer work capability assessments after review finds assessors' reports wanting | Guardian, UK
Why Needle Exchange Is Good for Your Community
A lot of people seem to believe that if they allow a needle exchange program to operate in their community that they will see huge increases in the number of used syringes discarded on their streets as well as increases in drug use and in drug related harms in their communities | Psychology Today, USA
'Crack baby' study ends with unexpected but clear result
Jaimee Drakewood hurried in from the rain, eager to get to her final appointment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Ever since her birth 23 years ago, a team of researchers has been tracking every aspect of her development - gauging her progress as an infant, measuring her IQ as a preschooler, even peering into her adolescent brain using an MRI machine | Philly.com, USA