Archive for the ‘News’ Category
GW Pharmaceuticals launches world’s first prescription cannabis drug in Britain
GW Pharmaceuticals, the British biotech company, today announced the UK launch of the world’s first prescription cannabis medicine.
Sativex, a ground-breaking cannabis-based drug for treating symptoms of multiple sclerosis, was approved in Britain on Friday, lifting GW Pharma’s shares 11pc to a four-year high of 141p.
GW Pharma said the drug, which will be sold in Britain by its licensee Bayer, would cost the National Health Service (NHS) £125 for a 10 millilitre vial – enough to last the average patient just over 11 days, Reuters reports.
Dr Geoffrey Guy, chairman of GW Pharma, said today’s launch was the culmination of eleven years of research.
Sativex uses compounds extracted from marijuana plants. Clinical trials have shown that Sativex, which is sprayed under the tongue, reduces spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients who do not respond adequately to existing therapies.
It became the world’s first cannabis medicine to win regulatory clearance when it was approved in Canada in 2005 for neuropathic pain, but its roll-out in Britain – and other European markets thereafter – is a larger sales opportunity.
Last month, GW Pharmaceuticals indicated that the medicine would be approved by the end of June, with the final stages of the approval process involving only finalising product’s packaging.
At the time, Dr Geoffrey Guy, chairman of GW, said: “The first six months of this year have proven the most important in GW’s history, in which we have made material progress towards Sativex’s launch in Europe and generated positive cancer pain data.”
A regulatory green light in Spain is expected shortly after the British approval. Sativex is to be marketed in the rest of Europe by Spain’s Almirall.
Approval of the drug in Britain has triggered a £10m milestone payment from Bayer, the company said.
However, GW Pharma and Bayer must still convince Britain’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) that Sativex is a cost-effective treatment for use on the NHS. Until that happens, its sales may be slow, analysts believe.
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DARE to Go Green!
DARE has found an innovative way to combine the challenges for environment with the impact of the recession. Recycling!!
The charity has taken steps to reduce the amount of paper used in its operation by using as far as possible IT and sees recycling as an additional way of contributing to the environment. CEO David Gilbert said “We see this new measure as an ecologically friendly way for people to support DARE.”
DARE can now arrange for the recycling of old printer cartridges through a national recycling centre, and by doing so is helping to make a few pennies in what are challenging times for those in the charities sector.
The main benefits are:
• Recycle cartridges to reduce landfill
• Manufacture in the UK, reducing CO2 emissions
To recycle your old cartridges through DARE you can find their website at www.dare-uk.org and order your freepost return recycle bag or box. Just enter a few details and your items will be shipped out straight away and free of charge.
Posted in General, News, Press Release | 
Tags: Campaigns, DARE (UK), DARE in the News | 
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We must help our children connect with nature
The lack of direct experience of nature is impoverishing children – and adults – in ways that scientists are only beginning to understand, says Cassandra Jardine.
By Cassandra Jardine
One noise that children are guaranteed to hear this half term is not the cuckoo, or the sound of wind rustling through the trees, but that of parents moaning, “Get off that computer, and play outside.” Forceful mums and dads will try loading their “screenagers” in the car to take them for a walk. More certainly would, if they had been reading the new edition of Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods.
Five years ago, when the book was first published, Louv’s was the first voice heard in what is becoming a dawn chorus of concern about the way children are deprived of nature. He went so far as to call this disconnect an illness – Nature Deficit Disorder – the symptoms of which include depression, hyperactivity, boredom and loneliness. All of these problems have been increasing, along with obesity rates, as children spend more time either indoors, or in cars, glued to screens and divorced from nature. According to a survey by Natural England, less than a quarter of children (24 per cent) visit a local patch of green weekly, whereas 53 per cent of their parents did.
Louv’s concerns were echoed last week by Sir David Attenborough. Speaking at the tenth anniversary of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, the presenter of numerous wildlife series lamented the various obstacles – parental fear, health and safety rules, and laws against collecting fossils or wild flowers – that prevent children from “roaming the countryside” in the way that he did eighty years ago, as a child in Leicestershire.
One of those obstacles, it must be said, is the hours that children spend watching his television programmes about nature, which make them feel that they have seen, and know, it all. “I daresay they know more about East African lions and game than they do about foxes,” he acknowledges. Entrancing though it is to watch the wildebeest migration or wheeling shoals of sardines, lack of direct experience of nature is impoverishing children – and adults – in ways that scientists are only beginning to understand.
We are profoundly ignorant of our own surroundings. In a recent poll conducted by the Natural History Museum, less than a quarter of Britons could identify a sycamore, two thirds failed to recognise a peacock butterfly, and less than a fifth correctly labelled a frog: they either thought it was its warty relative, the toad, or had no idea at all.
Such findings are shaming, but they are also worrying. Louv has drawn together all the various strands of research that add up to a mental and physical health disaster not just in the US, where Louv lives, or western Europe. “Worldwide, in 2008, for the first time more people were living in cities than in rural areas,” says Louv, who is currently touring Britain. “People are worried about NDD in Nairobi as well as London and Los Angeles.”
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Suspected Mephedrone Deaths
Three arrested over suspected mephedrone deaths
Drug has become increasingly popular among young club goers despite fears about side-effects
Police have arrested three people following the deaths of two teenagers who are believed to have taken mephedrone, a legal drug which gives users a similar experience to ecstasy or cocaine.
Humberside police said last night that men aged 26 and 20 and a 17-year-old boy were in custody in connection with an investigation into the case of Louis Wainwright, 18, and Nicholas Smith, 19.
The teenagers are believed to have been drinking together in Scunthorpe until the early hours of Tuesday morning. Wainwright was found dead at his home in Winteringham, North Yorkshire, later that day. Several hours later, police found Smith dead at his home in Scunthorpe.
One of the arrested men was treated in hospital after also apparently taking the drug, known as “meow meow” or “M-cat”, which has become increasingly popular among young club goers despite fears about side-effects that can include nose bleeds, joint pains, paranoia, heart palpitations, insomnia and memory problems.
Detective chief inspector Mark Oliver said: “We have information to suggest these deaths are linked to M-cat. We would encourage anyone who may have taken the drug or knows somebody who has taken the drug to attend a local hospital as a matter of urgency.
“Anyone who knows somebody who has possession of the drug, we would encourage them to either hand it in to a local police station or dispose of the substance and contact Humberside police.”
Police investigating the deaths found empty mephedrone packets and packages marked “herbal highs” when they searched a property, the force said.
The drug, which comes in the form of a powder, tablets, crystals or liquid, is often sold via the internet, where it can be marketed as plant food, another name for the substance. Health and drug workers and police have become increasingly concerned at its use but are unable to do anything as it remains legal.
In December, Jersey banned the substance, making it a class C drug. Authorities on Guernsey said they were considering classifying mephedrone as class A.
The Home Office has asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to look into whether a nationwide ban is needed.
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According to the BBC, The National Association of Head Teachers has called for urgent action to be taken over the drug.
You can also read about it on the local ITV news here…
For more information on what exactly mephedrone is, the effect is has on the human body and the current laws surrounding it, check out Drugscope (below)
Posted in Drugs, New Drugs, News |
Tags: Campaigns, Death by Drugs, Drugs, Mephedrone |
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Gordon Brown’s biggest health failing?
Gordon Brown’s refusal to ban cheap booze is biggest health failing, claims chief doctor
Gordon Brown’s refusal to clamp down on cheap alcohol is the biggest public health failing of the last decade, England’s chief medical officer has said.
By Laura Donnelly, Health Correspondent
Sir Liam Donaldson, who is about to retire as Whitehall’s most senior doctor, said the Government’s rejection last year of his proposal for minimum prices constituted his biggest disappointment in the role.
He spoke out in an interview ahead of his final annual report, to be published on Mar 15, in which he will say that grandparents are often the best people to instill healthy habits into a younger generation, giving advice to their grandchildren on diet, exercise and the dangers of smoking and drugs.
Last year Sir Liam, 60, said that supermarkets and shops should not be allowed to sell alcohol for less than 50 pence per unit. His recommendation would have doubled the price of many beers and placed a minimum price of £4.50 on a bottle of wine.
Gordon Brown rejected the proposal instantly, saying the “sensible majority” of moderate drinkers should not be punished for the excesses of binge drinkers. The Conservatives also ruled out the idea.
Sir Liam’s proposal had the backing of many senior doctors, including the British Medical Association.
In January the Commons health select committee criticised Mr Brown’s decision, saying: “It is time the Government listened more to the Chief Medical Officer and the President of the Royal College of Physicians and less to the drinks and retail industry.”
The medical adviser said the rejection of his proposal had been his greatest disappointment during his 12 years in post, all with Labour in power.
The majority of his most significant recommendations – including a ban on smoking in workplaces, allowing embryonic stem cell research, and changes to the way doctors are regulated – have been introduced, though some involved major battles.
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Cannabis use in under 15s linked to psychosis
Using cannabis for the first time under the age of 15 is linked to an increased risk of hallucinations or delusions, a new study has found. However, the findings are still not definite.
What do we know already?
Previous studies have found that using cannabis at a young age is linked to psychosis, a condition where someone loses touch with reality. Someone with psychosis might hallucinate or have false beliefs called delusions. Schizophrenia is one cause of psychosis.
Although cannabis use seems to have a link with psychosis, it’s harder to find out whether it’s the cause of the problem. The sheer number of things that could influence someone’s mental health makes it difficult for researchers to investigate whether cannabis really has an effect. Some doctors think people at risk of psychosis may be more likely to use cannabis because of problems in their lives, or to help them cope with their mental illness.
A new study solves some of the research problems by looking at siblings. Siblings usually grow up in a similar environment, and they also share many of the same genes. So, if siblings have a different pattern of cannabis use, researchers can be more confident that it caused other differences between them, such as differences in their mental health.
What does the new study say?
The study looked at nearly 4,000 Australian people born in the early 1980s. At 21 years of age they were asked about whether they’d used cannabis, and also completed questionnaires asking if they’d ever had symptoms like hallucinations or delusions.
People who’d started using cannabis before age 15 were more likely to have had symptoms of psychosis by the age of 21. Of the people who’d used cannabis at an early age, 3.9 percent had developed a psychotic illness. This compared with about 3 percent of people who’d started using cannabis after age 15, and 2.1 percent of people who’d never used cannabis.
The study included 10 pairs of siblings among whom one had developed a psychotic illness but not the other. Within these pairs, there wasn’t a big difference in cannabis use. However, among the 218 pairs of siblings where neither had developed a psychotic illness, siblings who’d used cannabis at a younger age tended to score higher on a questionnaire measuring “delusional-like experiences”.
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Article taken from
McGrath J, Welham J, Scott J, et al. Association between cannabis use and psychosis-related outcomes using sibling pair analysis in a cohort of young adults. Archives of General Psychiatry. Published online 1 March 2010.
‘Grossly irresponsible’
‘Grossly irresponsible’ Robbie Williams blasted after describing cannabis as ‘lovely’ during an interview
By Liz Thomas
Robbie Williams was yesterday accused of being ‘grossly irresponsible’ for encouraging his young fans to try cannabis after he described the illegal drug as ‘lovely’ during an interview.
The controversial singer, who has battled addictions to cocaine and prescription drugs, said he was still smoking the illegal substance last year and claimed it was ‘a shame’ that it ‘did not mix well’ with him.
But charities and campaign groups have reacted with fury at his comments and claim he is effectively promoting a Class B drug that has been linked to the development of mental illness and psychosis.
The majority of the stars fans are in their teens and his new song Morning Sun has just been selected as the official Sport Relief song, which aims to raise money for disadvantaged people – many of whom will have been affected by drug abuse.
In an interview in the Radio Times Williams told how the tendency to binge eat after smoking marijuana had caused the pounds to pile on.
He said: ‘Have a look at [me] last year. Yep. Year of the Munchie 2009.
‘Weed, it’s such a lovely drug. It is such a lovely drug. But it doesn’t mix well with me – at all.
‘It doesn’t take much to trigger – I mean, I’ll get psychosis from having this cup of tea! Seriously. The caffeine in that is enough. A cup of tea will make me feel like s***. But it’s just a shame about weed, because I did love it.’
David Gilbert, chief executive of drugs education and awareness charity DARE, branded Williams comments ‘disgusting’.
He said: ‘This is grossly irresponsible. He is a role model. Young people look up to him, they admire him, they want to emulate him so saying something like this is thoughtless.
‘His comments make it sound like he is promoting cannabis use – even though it is known that it is harmful and has links to mental illness.
‘In saying cannabis is a ‘lovely drug’ young people who had not previously tried it – may be tempted to – and others may believe that there are no ill effects.
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Mephedrone
Mephedrone: classifying ‘legal highs’
Until we know the real harm of legal recreational drugs such as mephedrone, they should be put into a holding ‘class D’
By David Nutt
A couple of weeks ago, seven students from Lancaster University were arrested for possession of a drug, even though the policeman leading the arrest team made it clear that the drug was not illegal. This was not the first time the police had exhibited such behaviour in relation to this drug, so what is leading to this apparently irrational police behaviour? The drug in question is mephedrone [not to be confused with the opioid substitute treatment methadone], a synthetic stimulant drug that is relatively new on the UK drug scene although it has been popular in Israel for a number of years.
Mephedrone is one of a number of so-called “legal highs” – these are drugs that users find pleasurable but which are not yet illegal, and indeed may never be. Mephedrone goes under various trade names such as “meow meow”, “plant food” and “bubbles”, terms derived from its chemical structure, commercial uses and subjective effects respectively. It is readily available from “head shops” and is popular with university students and other groups of clubbers. Its pharmacology is hardly studied but it is chemically related to the amphetamines. Users describe effects that suggest its actions are between those of amphetamine (speed) and MDMA (ecstasy); it activates, energises and makes them feel good but is relatively short-lasting.
There are several reasons for its current popularity. Mephedrone is sold as the pure substance, so users know what they are getting. This contrasts with current street supplies of ecstasy and speed, which are often very low quality after being cut with inactive agents and may even contain some other, more dangerous, drugs such as methylamphetamine. Another reason for its popularity is that it is legal, so can be purchased without having to make contact with drug dealers who may pressure buyers towards other drugs, and currently there is no risk of a criminal record from being caught with it. In contrast, being caught in possession of MDMA and other class A drugs means one risks up to seven years in prison, and for amphetamines [class B], five years. Users see benefits in avoiding the limitations to their careers that a prosecution for drug possession would bring. Prior to the rise of mephedrone, another stimulant known as BZP was popular, but the government has recently made this a class C drug, which may have displaced users to mephedrone…
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For more information, check out this informative article on the Metro website.
The Press have recently started the Mephedrone Menace campaign to raise awareness of the effects it can have. To check it out or sign the petition to make it illegal, hit the banner below.
More children ‘need drug treatment’
Growing numbers of children are being treated for cocaine addiction, figures revealed.
Since 2005, the number of under-18s being helped to get off the drug has increased by more than 65%, NHS figures show. Treatment numbers for 18 to 24-year-olds doubled in the same period.
The study by the National Treatment Agency in England found three-quarters of users combined the drug with alcohol.
Mixing is thought to boost the high but also causes more damage to the heart and makes users more violent.
After six months of treatment with cognitive behavioural therapy, four in 10 addicts were clean, but nearly a quarter had dropped out of treatment.
Paul Hayes, chief executive of the NTA, said: “More people are using powder cocaine, more people are seeking help for dependency, and more are being successfully treated.
“Powder cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug which induces psychological rather than physical dependence.
“Most users will be treated locally in their communities with talking therapies rather than medication, and our message to users is that if they need help, they can get it and it works.”
Last year 12,354 people were treated for cocaine addiction in England.
Between 2005-06 and 2008-09 the number of under-18s in treatment went from 453 to 745 and the number of 18 to 24-year-olds doubled from 1,586 to 3,005.
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Plan to put tobacco in curriculum
Lessons about tobacco should be in a range of school subjects and take in more than the physical impact of smoking, say public health advisers.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) wants to stop youngsters from starting to smoke.
It wants information about tobacco to be taught more broadly and to include the legal, economic and social issues.
But Simon Clark of the smokers’ lobby group, Forest, warned “no-one likes to be nagged, least of all teenagers”.
The guidance from Nice is intended to encourage intervention before young people start to experiment with smoking.
By the age of 15, more than one in six young people are regular smokers, according to Nice.
Smoking advice
The guidance calls for a concerted range of approaches – with advice on stopping smoking being given a higher profile in the curriculum.
Information about tobacco should be integrated into subjects such as biology, chemistry, citizenship and media studies, suggests the guidance – looking beyond the health advice about the physical consequences of smoking.
There are also calls for “whole school” smoke-free policies, for anyone visiting or using school premises and support for anyone associated with the school who wants to break the habit.
And anti-smoking efforts in schools and colleges should be led by both adults and young people, the advisers say.
“The earlier children become regular smokers, the greater their risk of developing life-threatening conditions, such as lung cancer and heart disease, if they continue smoking into adulthood,” said Mike Kelly, director of the Nice Centre for Public Health Excellence.
Mr Clark, director of Forest, said: “It’s important that young people are well educated about the risks of smoking, but if tobacco is featured across a range of subjects there is a real danger of warning fatigue.
“If they include tobacco in subjects such as citizenship and media studies, I sincerely hope that they discuss issues such as freedom of choice, personal responsibility and the role of government in changing people’s behaviour. There are strong arguments on both sides of the debate.”
Earlier this month health ministers announced a target of halving the number of smokers in England in the next decade.
The number of people smoking has fallen by a quarter in the past decade to 21%, and the proposed target is for this to be 10% by 2020.
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