Daily news - 8th November 2016 |
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Alcohol Awareness Week
14 - 20 November 2016. The theme of Alcohol Awareness Week 2016 will look focus on alcohol and health, and knowing the risks associated with alcohol | Alcohol Concern, UK
UK news
November DDN magazine out now
There is an absolute moral imperative on all of us to tackle the ‘outrageous discrimination’ against people with mental health problems, said Normal Lamb MP at a recent conference. I don’t think any of us would disagree with that – the question is, how? As our article shows, the problems are magnified for people from minority groups, and when you add the stigma of a drug or alcohol problem, it’s not surprising that people are not presenting for help. Dual diagnosis has been much talked about in recent years, but are we addressing it logically? | DDN, UK
Time for safer injecting spaces in Britain?
With a British city on the brink of establishing an authorised injecting
facility, this new hot topic examines the controversy and evidence
surrounding drug consumption rooms, bringing you up to speed on what is
turning into a touchstone issue for how serious the UK is about
extending harm reduction in the recovery era | Drug and Alcohol Findings, UK
Massive rise in nalaxone kits handed out to users across Tayside
Distribution of kits which help reverse the effects of a drugs overdose has rocketed in Tayside over the last three years | Evening Telegraph, UK
Newcastle 'drug' death: Calls to allow testing in clubs and cities following teen tragedy
Would letting ravers find out what is actually in their drugs help save lives? A scheme has already been piloted at UK festivals | Chronicle, UK
Law brings 'clarity' on smoking by playgrounds
New public health legislation will bring "clarity" to the issue of smoking near playgrounds and hospitals in Wales, says Public Health Minister Rebecca Evans | BBC, UK
Smoking causes hundreds of genetic mutations
"Research quantifies genetic damage caused by smoking," the Mail reports, saying a pack a day causes 150 mutations in lung cells.| NHS Direct: Behind the Headlines, UK
A third of councils forcing vapers to use smoking shelters
Nearly a third of councils are ignoring expert advice by forcing vapers to use the same designated spaces as smokers, according to new research | Local Gov, UK
Plans to ban pre-5pm alcohol sales would spark stockpiling, expert warns
Plans to ban shops from selling alcohol before 5pm would "rebound" on the health service and lead addicts to stockpile drink, it has been claimed | Herald, UK
More British Prisoners Have Been Filming Themselves Taking Drugs
A lot of people think prisons are supposed to be actual hell. When that ideal is challenged – i.e. when people see a prisoner with a telly or a bag of crisps – their minds rage away | VICE, UK
'Just Say No' to bad practice
Educators, professionals and policy-makers were called upon to take an evidence-based approach to drug education and prevention at the National Alcohol and Drugs Education Conference 2016, hosted by Mentor and The Alcohol Education Trust at Middlesex University London on October 19 | Mentor - ADEPIS, UK
Left or Right: Are Drugs a Political Issue?
Free event. Nov 28th. Drug policy- the divide between the political ‘left’ and ‘right’ has never been more blurred. Why does the issue of drugs cut cross the party lines? Is it about time we completely took the issue out of the realms of politics and look for a health-based approach? | Leap, UK
Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs survey
The survey is open to anyone who has or is currently using image and performance enhancing drugs | IPED, UK
MCA Legacy Essay Competition
Do the new UK Government guidelines for alcohol take gender equality too far? In 2016 the UK government announced new daily recommended maximum alcohol intake guidelines. The recommendations for males have been lowered so that for the first time they are the same for males and females. In the light of differences between male and female patterns of drinking and physiology, is this a sound recommendation or has gender equality been taken too far? | MCA, UK
Manchester Piccadilly Gardens drug dealer tackled by police
This is the moment a drug dealer unsuccessfully tries to evade undercover police officers | BBC, UK
This is how police plan to shame the Piccadilly Gardens drug dealers
Forty-four dealers have been jailed as part of Operation Mandera to clean up the city centre area | Manchester Evening News, UK
International news
Venezuelan 'narconephews' bad at drug smuggling, defense and prosecution say
Defense says pair were ‘stupid’ and set up by informants while US prosecutors claim they overestimated their power in trying to ship 800 kilos of cocaine to US | Guardian, UK
Five states can vote to legalize marijuana on Election Day
Voters in California, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada will decide on Tuesday | Independent, UK
British American Tobacco to test e-cigarette in Japan
British American Tobacco PLC (BAT) plans to test a new tobacco-based cigarette alternative in Japan next month, it said on Tuesday, taking aim at Philip Morris International Inc's popular iQOS and Japan Tobacco Inc's Ploom Tech | Reuters, UK
Graphic pictures on cigarette packs would significantly reduce smoking death rate
Using prominent, graphic pictures on cigarette packs warning against smoking could avert more than 652,000 deaths, up to 92,000 low birth weight infants, up to 145,000 preterm births, and about 1,000 cases of sudden infant deaths in the U.S. over the next 50 years, say researchers | Science Daily, USA
Flavored e-cigarettes may entice teens to smoke: study
Fruit- or candy-flavored electronic cigarettes may entice American teens to start smoking tobacco, a new study suggests | Medical Xpress, USA
GMOs and cannabis
If there's a topic even more politicized than the US presidential election, it's GMOs . (GMOs are genetically modified organisms, the products of genetic engineering, and opposition to them usually centers on GM crop plants.) | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
David Burrowes MP: The price we pay for cheap alcohol
Writing for PoliticsHome, Conservative MP David Burrowes calls for the Government to increase tax on strong ciders, saying there is no logic in a can of cider being cheaper than a bottle of water | Politics Home, UK
As a prison doctor I’ve seen the crisis in jails – half the inmates shouldn’t be there
The riots at Bedford prison show the problems facing institutions. We need to stop locking up addicts and people who are mentally ill | Guardian Opinion, UK
Parental engagement in alcohol and drug prevention (an EUSPR inspired post)
Some recent work I have done with Mentor UK saw correlation between areas with high alcohol use among young people, and high numbers reporting accessing alcohol at home | Ian Mac on PSHE Blog, UK
The Marijuana Election
On Tuesday, voters in nine states will have the chance to loosen restrictions on pot | NYTimes Opinion, USA
Australian drug policy is adrift: we need it back on course
In the past 30 years, Australia has gone from being a global drug policy leader to the back of the pack | Croakey Blog, Australia
And finally, a little early for Christmas but...
Santa Claus is trying to stop a North Pole marijuana ban
Legalising marijuana is a political hot potato in the United States - but it appears one advocate for the Class C drug is Santa | Indy 100, UK