Cannabis is in the spotlight in the United States due to increased levels of acceptance of its use for medical treatment, and for recreational use. Increasingly, states are proposing changes to their laws through legislative action or voter initiative to decriminalize and legalize its use. One of the major concerns shared by both opponents and proponents of greater access to cannabis ( Foundation for Traffic Safety)
Bibliography: Prevalence
‘Legal high’ usage soars as ban implementation date announced
The number of people using new psychoactive substances (NPS) in England has surged over the last few years, new data has revealed – just weeks before a ban on the drugs is due to come into effect (Police Professional)
Recent changes in Europe’s MDMA/ecstasy market
This report explores the recent resurgence in use of MDMA in Europe and increased availability of high-strength MDMA tablets, crystals and powders. It notes that the picture is not uniform across European countries, and while overall the region’s MDMA market is now in a period of consolidation, there are some temporal ripple effects as latecomer countries catch up (EMCDDA)
Deaths from ‘legal highs’
A blanket ban of so-called ‘legal highs’ is due to come into effect this spring, following long-running concerns over how quickly they are being created and the potential harms they pose (Office of National Statistics)
Crime in England and Wales: Year ending December 2015
Includes: Drug offences, Trafficking of drugs, Possession of drugs (ONS)
The Challenge of Being Young in Modern Britain
Includes substance abuse (YMCA)
EU Drug Markets Report
The 2016 EU Drug Markets Report provides a unique insight into the operation of illicit drug markets in the EU. The report assesses the impact of the drug market on society and the factors driving it. It explores the market for cannabis, heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA and new psychoactive substances (EMCDDA)
Trends in drug misuse deaths in England, 1999 to 2014
This report presents year-by-year data on drug misuse deaths in England from 1999 to 2014. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a 17% increase in drug misuse deaths registered in England in 2014, following an increase of 21% in 2013 (PHE)
The National Drug-Related Deaths Database (Scotland) Report: Analysis of Deaths occurring in 2014
This is the sixth report from the National Drug-Related Deaths Database (NDRDD) for Scotland which presents data for the calendar year 2014 and trend data back to 2009
Local Alcohol Profiles for England
Mortality indicators, 2016 annual data update (Public Health England)
Drug-related deaths in Ireland, 2004–2013
The latest figures from the National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) show that a total of 679 deaths in Ireland during 2013 were linked to drug use
Data on clients seen at drug and alcohol treatment agencies
July to September 2015. Quarterly data are published on StatsWales. These include data on quarterly activity, case closures by reason for closure and the time between referral and start of treatment (Welsh Government)
Report on an announced inspection of HMP Ranby
The prison was attempting to combat a surge in the availability of new psychoactive substances (NPS); 58% of prisoners told us it was easy to get drugs in the prison. Health services were at risk of being overwhelmed by the need to treat the most seriously affected and as we walked round the prison, we saw a number of prisoners who were clearly under the influence of NPS (HM Chief Inspector of Prisons)
Club Drug Use Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) People
This document focuses on LGBT populations and is intended to guide improved service and treatment planning. It describes patterns of club drug use among these sub-populations (Neptune)
Investigating the role of benzodiazepines in drug-related mortalit
A systematic review undertaken on behalf of The Scottish National Forum on Drug-Related Deaths (ScotPHO)
Use of opioid painkillers increases fourfold in Australia in 10 years while most of the world lacks access to basic painrelief
Use of common opioid painkillers such as codeine, morphine and oxycodone has more than quadrupled in Australia over the past decade and doubled worldwide over the same period a report published today in the Lancet (3rd February 2016) by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) reveals (NDARC)
Drug health harms – national intelligence
Notes reflecting presentations and discussion from the ninth meeting of the National Intelligence Network on the health harms associated with drug use, held in London on 2 December 2015. These notes are for directors of public health, commissioners, service providers and needle and syringe programmes (PHE)
New opiate and crack-cocaine users: characteristics and trends
This report uses available data to estimate the number of new users of opiates and, or crack-cocaine (OCUs) between 2005 and 2013 (Home Office)
Drug health harms – national intelligence
Notes reflecting presentations and discussion from the ninth meeting of the National Intelligence Network on the health harms associated with drug use, held in London on 2 December 2015 (PHE)
Cannabis in Indonesia
Patterns in consumption, production, and policies (TNI)
Local perspectives in Ending Gang and Youth Violence Areas
Perceptions of the nature of urban street gangs (Home Office)
Indicators of an increase in heroin availability in Western Australia
In recent years there have been increases in the proportion of IDRS respondents reporting recent use of heroin and in increases in the number of days of use of the drug in the previous 6 months (NDARC)
Indicators of an increase in heroin availability in Western Australia
In recent years there have been increases in the proportion of IDRS respondents reporting recent use of heroin and in increases in the number of days of use of the drug in the previous 6 months (IDRS)
Ice report marks a welcome shift in thinking towards prevention and treatment
The federal government on Sunday released the final report of, and its response to, the taskforce established in response to growing community concern around crystal methamphetamine, or ice (The Conversation)
Merseyside Annual DIP Report: Drug Testing (April 2014 – March 2015)
The Annual Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) Report series aims to complement the existing monthly DIP reports that are produced at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) by providing an annual snapshot of the criminal justice data provided by Merseyside police and the treatment agencies for DIP across Merseyside
Comorbidity of substance use and mental disorders in Europe
This publication looks at the co-occurrence of drug use problems and mental health disorders, taking in the theoretical background of psychiatric comorbidity, the tools for clinical diagnosis and the prevalence and clinical relevance of the problem in Europe (EMCDDA)
The extent and nature of addiction to medicines in Cheshire and Merseyside
The aim of this study was, therefore, twofold: (1) to investigate health professionals’ experiences of ATM and (2) their understanding of optimally identifying and addressing ATM (CPH)
Four charts — property crime and the availability of drug treatment
Today the ONS have produced an analysis of property crime. As the chart above shows the long term trend in falls for these crimes continues. One of the theories as to why there have been such sustained falls is about the prevalence of problematic drug use. Analysis of available data for the Home Office found that heroin and crack use (Andrew Brown)
Drug health harms – national intelligence
Notes reflecting presentations and discussion from the eighth meeting of the National Intelligence Network on the health harms associated with drug use (PHE)
Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, financial year ending 2015
This release contains the number of drug seizures made and quantity of drugs seized (Home Office)
Shooting Up: infections among people who inject drugs in the UK
This Public Health England report describes the extent of infections among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the United Kingdom
National Student Drug Survey
Participants of various third level institutions around Ireland took part in a national online anonymous and randomised survey about their substance use between October and December 2014
Smoking, drinking and drug use amongst young people in England
Survey Consultation Findings (HSCIC)
HIV in the United Kingdom
Annual update on the number of cases of HIV (Public Health England)
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)
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)
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)
The drug situation in Europe
an overview of data available on illicit drugs and new psychoactive substances from European monitoring in 2015 (Addiction)
Homelessness: an unhealthy state
Mental health issues were very common, with over half reporting a diagnosis of depression. Almost half of the sample had both a mental health problem and an addiction problem (Partnership for Health Equality, Ireland)
Alcohol Related Deaths Registered in Northern Ireland, 2004-2014
Tables include data on cause of death, gender, age group, geographical area and deprivation quintile (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency)
