News in brief

Bill blasted

An early day motion on the Psychoactive Substances Bill has been tabled by Paul Flynn MP. ‘This House regrets the depth of scientific illiteracy’ in the bill, it states, adding that the document is ‘evidence-free and prejudice-rich’. A proposed amendment to exempt alkyl nitrites, or ‘poppers’, from the legislation was defeated last month, and both houses have now agreed on the text of the bill, which is waiting for the final stage of Royal Assent before becoming an Act of Parliament.

Crack on

The number of people estimated to have started using opiates and/or crack in 2013 was between 5,000 and 8,000, according to Home Office statistics. The figures represent a fall of around a fifth compared to 2005 and are down ‘hugely’ since the 1980s and ‘90s, says New opiate and crack-cocaine users: characteristics and trends. The downward trend has ‘flattened since about 2011, but available data do not suggest that this is the precursor to a new increase’, the report states. ‘If anything, the downward trend may resume in 2014, though the situation requires further monitoring.’ Report at www.gov.uk

Ketamin call

Ketamine should not be placed under international control, the World Health Organization (WHO) has ruled. The substance ‘does not pose a global public health threat’ and controlling it could limit access to anaesthesia and pain relief in many parts of the developing world, it warns. The drug’s medical benefits ‘far outweighed’ the potential harm from recrea­tion­al use, said WHO’s Marie-Paule Kieny, adding that an international ban could ‘limit access to essential and emergency surgery, which would constitute a public health crisis in countries where no affordable alternatives exist.’

Synthetic threat

New psychoactive substances – particularly synthetic cannabinoids – are now the ‘most serious’ threat to safety and security in British jails, according a report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons. Changing patterns of substance misuse in adult prisons and service responses studies the evidence from more than 60 inspections and 10,000 survey responses from individual prisoners, and calls for the establishment of a national committee, chaired by the prisons minister, to bring together ‘cross-government and cross-sector expertise’.

Report at www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk;

Emergency measures

A&E attendance rates for alcohol poisoning doubled from 72 to 148 per 100,000 population between 2008-09 and 2013-14, according to a report from the Nuffield Trust. Rates were highest among ‘older, poorer men’, says Alcohol-specific activity in hospitals in England. ‘At a time when unprecedented efficiencies need to be made by the NHS and local authorities, preventative action must be taken seriously,’ says the trust.

Document at www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk

A dog’s life

The Dogs Trust is looking at ways to help homeless hostels become dog friendly, as less than 10 per cent currently accept dogs. ‘We know from our own experience of working with dog owners that most would rather remain on the streets than be forced to give up their four-legged friend,’ says Homeless Link.

Hostel staff can fill in a survey at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/welcomingdogs

Priced outShona Robison

The final decision on minimum unit pricing in Scotland will be taken by domestic courts, the Scottish Government has stated, following a ruling by the EU Court of Justice that the proposals could breach European law by ‘significantly’ restricting the market. ‘The Scottish Government remains certain that minimum unit pricing is the right measure for Scotland,’ said health secretary Shona Robison, despite the EU court recommending the use of tax measures – which would still allow competition between retailers – instead.

Ketamin call

Ketamine should not be placed under international control, the World Health Organization (WHO) has ruled. The substance ‘does not pose a global public health threat’ and controlling it could limit access to anaesthesia and pain relief in many parts of the developing world, it warns. The drug’s medical benefits ‘far outweighed’ the potential harm from recreational use, said WHO’s Marie-Paule Kieny, adding that an international ban could ‘limit access to essential and emergency surgery, which would constitute a public health crisis in countries where no affordable alternatives exist.’

Keep it breif

A review of the effectiveness of brief interventions in emergency department settings has been published by EMCDDA. These can provide a ‘unique window of opportunity’ for engaging with otherwise hard-to-access people, says Emergency department-based brief interventions for individuals with substance- related problems: a review of effectiveness. Available at www.emcdda.europa.eu

Smokeless funds

Around 40 per cent of UK local authorities are cutting their budgets for smoking cessation services, according to a report from Cancer Research UK and ASH, which also reveals high levels of recommissioning and reconfiguration. ‘Most local councils take their responsibility to reduce smoking very seriously, but they are facing enormous funding pressures,’ said ASH policy director, Hazel Cheeseman. Reading between the lines: results of a survey of tobacco control leads in local authorities in England at www.cancerresearchuk.org

Naloxone notes

A new Europe-wide review of the case for distributing naloxone has been published by EMCDDA. Preventing opioid overdose deaths with take-home naloxone includes good practice and training examples, and also looks at the legal barriers to distribution. ‘Each of the lives lost every day in Europe to opioid overdose is worth all our efforts to improve prevention and responses’, said EMCDDA director Alexis Goosdeel. Available at www.emcdda.europa.eu

Gang guidance

The government has promised more action to address the exploitation of vulnerable people in the drug trade, as part of new measures to tackle gang violence. Nine areas across the UK will receive targeted support from experts to help address local challenges, it said.

Social space

Many LGBT people begin drinking heavily when they first encounter the commercial gay scene, with an ‘expectation that they continue to do so’, according to a new report from Glasgow Caledonian University and Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP). Many also feel that alcohol services and peer support would not provide a ‘safe or welcoming space’, says The social context of LGBT people’s drinking in Scotland. Report at www.gcu.ac.uk

Peer pressure

Expanding peer support could be one way of lessening the impact of the government’s cut to the public health grant, according to a new RSA report. PHE should drive the development of a ‘creative commissioning for recovery’ approach to improve local outcomes, says Whole community recovery: the value of person, place and community. ‘Services are being asked to do more for less, so there needs to be a focus on doing things differently, harnessing the capacity within the system,’ said Susie Pascoe, the RSA’s whole person recovery programme lead. Report at www.thersa.org

Painkiller practicalities 

A new web-based resource to support the ‘safe and rational’ use of opioid medicines, Opioids Aware, has been launched by the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ faculty of pain medicine and PHE, aimed at prescribers, patients and carers. Nearly 23m prescriptions for opioid painkillers were written for UK patients in 2014 alone, the resource highlights.

All change

A new project to support the families and carers of change-resistant drinkers has been launched by Adfam and Alcohol Concern as a follow-up to last year’s successful ‘Blue Light’ project. The organisations are looking to roll out the initiative as widely as possible, so any local areas interested in getting involved should contact Mward@alcoholconcern.org.uk.