Industry News – W/C 21/3/22

Latest quarterly report on suspected drug deaths

The Scottish Government have recently released figures on suspected drug deaths which indicate that during 2021 drug deaths fell 8% (116 fewer than the same period in 2020). The latest quarterly report on suspected drug death Management Information from Police Scotland shows there were 1,295 deaths last year. This number is still extremely high, and DRNS will continue to support essential research to help the development of essential treatment, harm reduction and support. Access the full Government report here.

Police officers in Scotland to carry naloxone

In February, new good practice guidance on the provision of injecting equipment in Scotland was published. This document has been developed by the Scottish Drugs Forum and Public Health Scotland to offer guidance to local planners, commissioners, service providers and other stakeholders on how best injecting equipment provision and related harm reduction interventions may be developed and delivered in response to the local need and situation.

Access the guidance here.

‘In Conversation With’ Lancet Podcast: Mortality trends in opioid users in England

This episode of the ‘In conversation with..’ podcast includes a discussion with Dan Lewer on recent mortality trends in people who use illicit opioids in England, and whether these have any association with ageing of this patient population. You can listen to the podcast here as well as access the associated paper.

Mental Health and Substance Use Pathfinder Programme

Healthcare Improvement Scotland have recently published a report detailing the test of change project which aims to redesign care pathways to improve quality of care and health outcomes for people with mental health and substance use support needs. The project is building on work already underway in Dundee and Tayside, and is currently moving from the ‘Discover’ and ‘Define’ phase to the ‘Design’ phase. Access the report here.

NHS Addictions Provider Alliance: Stigma Kills campaign

The NHS Addictions Provider Alliance have launched their anti-stigma campaign ‘Stigma Kills’. The campaign aims to highlight the damaging effects of stigmatising language and attitudes to those who experience addiction. In addition, the campaign is seeking to breakdown the common misconceptions around addiction. Visit the campaigns website to access video and case study content, as well as the campaign paper.

Life with Alcohol and Drugs podcast: Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs (SFAD)

The latest episodes of SFAD’s podcast, Life with Alcohol and Drugs, are available to listen to here. Recent releases include discussions on newly published books relevant to the field, fundraising challenges, and alcohol and relationships.

Infections and other injecting-related harms among people who inject drugs in the UK: Update report

This report from the Department of Health & Social Care describes the extent of infections and injecting-related harms among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the UK in 2020. The report includes findings relating to the impact of COVID-19, chronic Hepatitis C virus prevalence, and HIV levels. To access the full report, visit the Government website.

NIHR News: Psilocybin and its effects in healthy people

The NIHR bring us news on the findings of a research project which has shown that psilocybin, a psychedelic drug isolated from the Psilocybe mushroom, can potentially be safely administered at doses of either 10mg or 25mg for therapy to treat mental health conditions. The study, led by researchers at Kings College London, is a first step in demonstrating the feasibility of using psilocybin for use within controlled settings for a range of conditions such as treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Read the full article here.

SSA Addictions Edited podcast

The latest episodes from the Society for the Study of Addiction podcast are available to listen here . Recent contributions include features on smoking cessation in mental health settings, ketamine for alcohol use disorders, pregnancy and drug use, and ADHD and maternal substance use.

Injecting equipment provision: good practice guidance

New good practice guidance on the provision of injecting equipment in Scotland has been published. This document has been developed by the Scottish Drugs Forum and Public Health Scotland to offer guidance to local planners, commissioners, service providers and other stakeholders on how best injecting equipment provision and related harm reduction interventions may be developed and delivered in response to the local need and situation. Access the guidance here.