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Harry Sumnall

Professor, Liverpool John Moores University

Harry Sumnall is a Professor in Substance Use at the Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University. He is interested in all aspects of substance use, particularly those related to young people’s health and wellbeing. Harry’s funded research programmes have examined the evidence base for substance misuse prevention and the mechanisms for implementing evidence based practice and policy.

Harry is a member of the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), a Board Member of the European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR), and a trustee of the drug and alcohol prevention charity Mentor UK.

Ketamine: what you need to know about the UK’s growing drug problem

Sep 29, 2024 10:19 am UTC| Insights & Views Law Health

There is growing awareness of the problems caused by the use of a fast-acting drug called ketamine. Often referred to as K or ket, it was made a class B drug in the UK in 2014 and is illegal to buy or sell. Possessing the...

Death from nitrous oxide and other volatile substances – latest official data

Mar 01, 2022 10:05 am UTC| Health

Drugs such as cocaine and cannabis are seldom out of the headlines, but it is rare to read about another class of drugs - volatile substances. Volatile substances cover a range of gases and chemicals that are commonly...

Alcohol deaths in the UK – second highest since records began

Dec 04, 2019 12:15 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Its easy to forget how toxic alcohol is, although this collective lapse of memory is not accidental as the alcohol industry does all it can to curate a positive image of drink. In the UK, the industry depends on heavy...

UK law on medicinal cannabis changed six months ago – what have we learned?

May 02, 2019 17:08 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

On November 1, 2018, the UK changed the law on medicinal cannabis. Medicinal cannabis products were moved from schedule 1, meaning they have no medicinal value, to schedule 2, which allowed doctors to prescribe them under...

Aug 02, 2017 17:37 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

According to new data from the UKs Office for National Statistics (ONS), last year saw the highest number of drug-related deaths since records began in 1993. Over half of these deaths involved an opiate such as heroin....

New Home Office drug strategy, same old rhetoric

Jul 18, 2017 13:07 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

The Home Office has just published a new drug strategy. The last one was published by Theresa May (then home secretary) seven years ago. The world has changed a lot in that time not least for May and so have drugs and...

Economy

Oil Prices Climb on Venezuela Blockade, Russia Sanctions Fears, and Supply Risks

Oil prices extended their gains during Asian trading on Thursday as geopolitical tensions involving Venezuela and Russia heightened concerns over global crude supply. Market sentiment was boosted after U.S. President...

Asian Stocks Slide as AI Spending Fears and Global Central Bank Decisions Weigh on Markets

Asian shares fell sharply on Thursday as technology stocks came under renewed pressure, driven by growing investor concerns over heavy artificial intelligence spending and its impact on corporate balance sheets. Market...

Dollar Holds Firm Ahead of Global Central Bank Decisions as Yen, Sterling and Euro React

The U.S. dollar remained steady against major global currencies on Thursday as investors positioned themselves ahead of key central bank decisions in the United Kingdom, Europe and Japan. Currency markets showed cautious...

BoE Set to Cut Rates as UK Inflation Slows, but Further Easing Likely Limited

The Bank of England is widely expected to cut interest rates on Thursday as signs mount that UK inflation is easing and economic growth is weakening. Financial markets anticipate a 25-basis-point reduction, bringing the...

U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Micron Earnings Boost AI Sentiment Ahead of CPI Data

U.S. stock index futures inched higher on Wednesday evening, supported by blowout earnings and strong guidance from Micron Technology, although broader gains remained limited as investors stayed cautious ahead of key U.S....

Politics

Trump Announces $1,776 Cash Bonus for U.S. Military Personnel Ahead of Christmas

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday evening that eligible U.S. military personnel will receive a one-time cash payment of $1,776, a move he described as a special warrior dividend timed ahead of Christmas. The...

U.S. House Advances GOP Healthcare Bill as ACA Subsidies Near Expiration

A major U.S. federal healthcare subsidy expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic is set to expire at the end of the year after the House of Representatives narrowly advanced a Republican healthcare bill that does not renew...

U.S. Initiates $11.1 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan Amid Rising China Tensions

Taiwans defence ministry announced on Thursday that the United States government has formally initiated the congressional notification process for a proposed $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, underscoring Washingtons...

Union-Aligned Investors Question Amazon, Walmart and Alphabet on Trump Immigration Policies

A union-aligned investment group has urged major U.S. corporations including Amazon, Walmart and Google-parent Alphabet to explain how President Donald Trumps immigration policies are affecting their finances, workforce...

Venezuela Seeks UN Security Council Meeting Over U.S. Oil Tanker Blockade

Venezuela has formally requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to address what it described as ongoing U.S. aggression against the country, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The request...

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

Apple Opens iPhone to Alternative App Stores in Japan Under New Competition Law

Apple has announced a major shift in its App Store policies in Japan, opening iPhones and other Apple devices to alternative app stores in order to comply with new competition laws aimed at reshaping the countrys...

Micron Technology Forecasts Surge in Revenue and Earnings on AI-Driven Memory Demand

Micron Technology delivered record first-quarter results and issued a bullish forecast for the current quarter, driven by rising memory prices and strong demand linked to artificial intelligence workloads. The upbeat...

Oracle Stock Slides After Blue Owl Exit Report, Company Says Michigan Data Center Talks Remain on Track

Oracle shares fell more than 4% on Wednesday after a Financial Times report claimed that Blue Owl Capital, Oracles largest U.S. data center partner, decided not to support a planned $10 billion data center project in...

OpenAI Explores Massive Funding Round at $750 Billion Valuation

OpenAI, the company behind the widely used AI chatbot ChatGPT, has reportedly entered preliminary discussions with investors about a potential new funding round that could value the company at approximately $750 billion....

Republicans Raise National Security Concerns Over Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools

Republican lawmakers are raising alarms over potential U.S. national security risks after a Reuters report revealed that Intel evaluated advanced chipmaking equipment from ACM Research, a company with significant ties to...