Annual update on the number of cases of HIV (Public Health England)
Archives for October 2015
Bibliography: All Publications
Opioid substitution therapy, especially in combination with needle exchange, reduces transmission of hepatitis C
A pooled analysis of 25 studies has shown for the first time good evidence that methadone and other forms of opioid substitution therapy substantially reduce new hepatitis C infections. Previously, this had been clearly demonstrated for HIV, but not hepatitis C (Aidsmap)
Consensus statement on drug use under prohibition released
This is the International Network of People who Use Drugs’ (INPUD) Consensus Statement on Drug Use Under Prohibition. It focuses on human rights, health, and the law in relation to people who use drugs
The Negative Impact of Drug Control on Public Health
The Global Crisis of Avoidable Pain (Global Commission on Drug Policy)
Evaluation supports take-home naloxone Australia-wide
The Australian Capital Territory’s opioid overdose management program, which makes take-home naloxone (THN) available to potential opioid overdose victims, has been overwhelmingly endorsed by an independent evaluation team (NDARC)
Factors affecting repeated cessations of injecting drug use and relapses during the entire injecting career among the Edinburgh Addiction Cohort
OST was associated with reduced time to cessation, and there was some suggestion of increased time to relapse too. The likelihood of prolonged cessation is greater for women, increases with age, and decreases with time since last relapse (Drug and Alcohol Dependence)
Ice use increases by six per cent among people who inject drugs but remains stable among ecstasy users
Crystal methamphetamine use among people who inject drugs (PWID) increased by a further six per cent in 2015, with more than two thirds of the sample reporting regular use of the drug (NDARC)
People who inject drugs should have access to hepatitis C treatment, expert panel recommends
New recommendations on hepatitis C treatment and care for people who inject drugs encourage physicians to offer treatment to all people who inject drugs diagnosed with HCV, and to offer a comprehensive package of social support and harm reduction to enable people to adhere to treatment (Aidsmap)
Potential fiscal impacts of introducing a regulated cannabis market in the UK
This note considers the potential net savings and the potential tax revenue associated with introducing a regulated cannabis market, drawing on the examples of Colorado, Washington State and Uruguay (TDPF)
Drug-Related Hospital Statistics Scotland
This publication reports on hospital stays in relation to a drug misuse diagnosis and the patients admitted to hospital for such treatment (ISD)
Prescribed drugs associated with dependence and withdrawal – building a consensus for action
Analysis report (BMA)
Alarming number of countries flout international law by executing for drug-related crimes
The death penalty continues to be used as a tool in the so-called “war on drugs”, with an alarming number of states across the globe executing people convicted on drug-related charges, in clear violation of international law (Amnesty International)
The Death Penalty for Drug Offences: Global Overview 2015
While the report notes that there still are a troubling number of governments with capital drug laws, in practice very few states actually execute people for drugs (Harm Reduction International)
Statistics from the Northern Ireland Drug Misuse Database
This bulletin summarises information on people presenting to services with problem drug misuse and relates to the 12-month period ending 31 March 2015 (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety)
Naloxone – what the new legislation changes mean
Kate Halliday, SMMGP Programme Lead, discusses the recent legislation changes which make naloxone more readily available for those that need it
PHE announces new capital funding for drug and alcohol recovery services
Public Health England has today announced the availability of £10 million of capital funding for services that are helping people in England with drug or alcohol problems to recover from their addiction
Naloxone – what the new legislation changes mean
Kate Halliday, SMMGP Programme Lead, discusses the recent legislation changes which make naloxone more readily available for those that need it (SMMGP)
New NDARC resource provides heroin dependence treatment information
A new information kit developed by researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW provides a step by step guide to the evidence for medically assisted treatment for heroin dependence as well as answering commonly asked questions (NDARC )
Tackling the issue of New Psychoactive Substances in prisons
This series of RAPt research and policy briefings aims to synthesise over 20 years of practical experience, combined with data and analysis from our in-house research team, to improve our understanding of how to effectively tackle drug- and/or alcoholrelated crime
The drug situation in Europe
an overview of data available on illicit drugs and new psychoactive substances from European monitoring in 2015 (Addiction)