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Slight fall in ‘ staggeringly high ’ US drug deaths
There were 107,543 fatal drug overdoses in the US in the 12-month period to December 2023 – the equivalent of 300 people a day – according to the latest provisional figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ). Although the figure is 3 per cent down on 2022 ’ s total , the numbers remain ‘ staggeringly high ’ says the New York-based Drug Policy Alliance ( DPA ), with more than a million people dead since the country ’ s drug death crisis began .
The data also shows increases in fatalities in a number of states , ‘ particularly on the west coast where fentanyl has more recently entered their drug supply ’, the organisation points out . Overdose deaths in Oregon were up by almost 30 per cent , Nevada by 29 per cent , Washington state by 27 per cent , and Alaska by more than 44 per cent .
While the reported provisional count shows the number of deaths processed in the 12-month period , overdose deaths are ‘ often initially reported with no cause of death , pending investigation ’, CDC points out , as they can require lengthy investigations . ‘ Reported provisional counts may not include all deaths that occurred during a given time period ,’ it states .
A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health ’ s ( NIH ) National Institute on Drug Abuse found that more than 115m pills containing illicit fentanyl were seized in the US last year , 2,300 times more than in 2017 . A study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry , meanwhile , showed that between 2011 and 2021 an estimated 321,566 children in the US lost a parent to drug overdose .
‘ We can do more to expand access to evidence-based tools that work by reducing barriers to medications for opioid use disorder , opening overdose prevention centres , expanding syringe service programmes , and increasing access to culturally competent harm reduction programmes and treatment options ,’ said DPA executive director Kassandra Frederique . ‘ It is our collective responsibility to ensure evidence-based services that keep people alive and barrierfree treatment options that meet people ’ s needs are available to all .’
Many in the UK fear that the Taliban ’ s crackdown on opium production in Afghanistan and increasing numbers of highly potent synthetic opioids entering the UK ’ s drug supply could lead to dramatically increased drug death numbers here , with
More young people vaping
‘ It is our collective responsibility to ensure evidencebased services that keep people alive .’
KASSANDRA FREDERIQUE
researchers at King ’ s College recently warning that the powerful non-opioid tranquilliser xylazine had also now infiltrated the UK ’ s drug supply – and was not limited to heroin supplies ( DDN , May , page 5 ).
Provisional drug overdose death counts at https :// www . cdc . gov / nchs / nvss / vsrr / drugoverdose-data . htm
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KEEP CLIMBING Via has teamed up with the Reach Climbing Wall in South London to offer free climbing experiences to users of its Capital Card scheme . ‘ Climbing is proven time and time again to have massive benefits on not only physical health , but mental and emotional health too ,’ said The Reach ’ s Hakon McEvilly . ‘ We believe that Via ’ s service users will get so much out of being here .’
EXPANDING HORIZONS The telephone recovery service operated by Humankind ’ s North Yorkshire Horizons has now helped more than 100 people . ‘ It allows people who are accessing our support the opportunity to speak with someone who has been in a similar place as themselves ,’ said community asset coach Kevin Rafferty . ‘ It gives people extra reassurance that we are here for them .’
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RESEARCH FROM UCL shows that the proportion of 18- to 24-yearolds who vape has ‘ tripled since disposable e-cigarettes entered the market ’ – up from 9 per cent in May 2021 to 29 per cent in May last year . However , smoking in this age group has fallen from 25 per cent to 21 per cent over the same period , says the study , which is published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe .
Older age groups saw smaller increases in vaping and ‘ smaller
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or no declines ’ in smoking . ‘ While action is needed to counter the rise in vaping among young people who otherwise would not use nicotine , policies should avoid signalling that e-cigarettes are a worse alternative to smoking tobacco ,’ said senior author Dr Sarah Jackson . ‘ Vaping may not be risk-free , but smoking is uniquely lethal .’
The government ’ s tobacco and vapes bill , which aimed to create a ‘ smoke-free generation ’ by
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raising the legal age of smoking by a year each year until it applied to the whole population has been shelved following the announcement of a July election . However , both Labour and the Conservatives have stated they intend to introduce the legislation if elected .
Trends in vaping and smoking following the rise of disposable e-cigarettes at https :// www . thelancet . com / journals / lanepe / article / PIIS2666-7762 ( 24 ) 00091-7 / fulltext
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WELSH WALK The Pen Y Fan recovery walk will take place in the Brecon Beacons National Park on Thursday 11 July , organisers Barod have announced . Full details and registration form at https :// barod . cymru / recovery _ walk _ 2024 / |
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