DrugWise Daily |
1st April 2026 |
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UK news
DDN April 2026
Our cover story this month challenges a familiar narrative – that knowledge and willpower are enough to keep people alive. They’re not. Too many drug deaths are happening because people are alone. Looking at why people might take drugs in isolation, I was struck by how relatable these reasons are – wanting control over the situation, avoiding judgment, not wanting to be seen, as well as the more obvious one of having nowhere else to go. But the problem with drugs is that when no one’s around to notice something going wrong, survival becomes a matter of chance | DDN, UK
Estimated prevalence of opioid dependence in Scotland
The estimated number of people with opioid dependence in Scotland was 43,400 (95% CrI: 42,000 to 45,400). This represents an estimated prevalence of 1.13% (95% CrI: 1.09% to 1.18%) of 15- to 69-year-olds | PHS, UK
National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times
10,863 referrals were made to community-based specialist drug and alcohol treatment services, a decrease of 10.9% from the previous quarter (12,195). Lower numbers of referrals in each quarter ending December reflect reduced service availability during the festive period | PHS, UK
‘Should never have been prescribed’: private UK cannabis clinics face call for tighter regulation
Family pushing for greater controls after inquest finds Oliver Robinson’s prescription was ‘obstacle’ to proper care | Guardian, UK
Buckinghamshire Uncovered -Shining a spotlight on our county of contrast: Alcohol misuse in our community (PDF)
Alcohol use is of particular concern in Buckinghamshire. 1 in 4 Buckinghamshire adults drink above the government guidelines for lowrisk alcohol consumption (more than 14 units per week) – higher than the national average. This proportion has not reduced for a number of years. Alcohol is also the number-one cause of death and premature death in Buckinghamshire’s 15-49 year-old population. In terms of overall harm (to self and to others), alcohol is identified as the most harmful drug | Heart of Bucks, UK
Uber says drivers won't deliver alcohol to drunk customers after death of dad
The family of an alcoholic who spent thousands of pounds on delivery apps to order alcohol have called for more safety measures. Former firefighter Glenn Perkins would spend up to £60 a day on Uber Eats getting cider and other drinks. The easy access to alcohol accelerated the Gillingham man's death, his daughter has claimed, as she calls on more to be done to restrict the sale of alcohol | Mirror, UK
Weight loss medications linked to reduction in both food and alcohol consumption latest research reveals
The increased use of weight loss drugs is reshaping not only the nation’s eating habits but may also change our relationship with alcohol | Drinkaware, UK
New campaign launched to challenge the proposed public vaping ban
The New Nicotine Alliance has launched a new campaign website to encourage supporters to respond to the government’s consultation on a proposed ban on vaping in public places. We have also produced a supporting press release | NNA, UK
‘Everybody’s making money’: how two backstreets become the vape capital of Britain
In Cheetham Hill, Manchester, there are more than 50 shops specialising in vapes and vaping paraphernalia. Why did they open here? And how long can they last? | Guardian, UK
Council calls for more regulation on vape shops after Union St fire
Glasgow City Council is set to push for greater regulations on vape shops and storage of lithium-ion batteries following the devastating Union Street fire that wrecked a historic building | BBC, UK
Reduced consumption of supermarket alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and confectionery would be unequivocally good for the UK economy - podcast
New research has dealt a significant blow to the alcohol, tobacco, and gambling industries' core economic argument against regulation, finding that the sector's claims that reduced consumption would harm the economy and cost jobs do not stand up to scrutiny when the full picture of consumer spending is considered | IAS, UK
Emerging Novel Synthetic Opioids & Other Drugs
Tuesday, Apr 7, 2026 from 1 pm to 4:30 pm GMT+1. Online. £34. This is a rebranded and expanded version of our Nitazenes: Deep Dive course, now incorporating a broader range of emerging drugs | The Loop, UK
International news
Injectable peptides are touted online as a ‘glow up potion’. Here’s why experts warn against unapproved use
Claims of benefits have been amplified by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr. How does the evidence actually stack up? | Guardian, UK
EUDA webinar: International drug checking day
A recording of the recent webinar which aimed to demonstrate the benefits of drug checking for a variety of stakeholders, including consumers, public health authorities and monitoring bodies | EUDA, Portugal
Every step to improve lives is worth fighting for — Martin Jelsma on a 30-year drug policy struggle
The global drug control system is under growing pressure, as countries experiment with regulation and long-standing assumptions are being challenged. Martin Jelsma, who is stepping down from the Transnational Institute this year after decades of work, has been at the forefront of these debates. In this interview, we discuss the WHO’s coca review, inter se treaty reform, and what these shifts mean for the future of global drug policy | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Nicotine E-cigarettes More Successful in Helping Smokers Quit
A new analysis of existing studies co-led by Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, assistant professor of health policy and management, finds that nicotine e-cigarettes consistently help adults quit smoking, a conclusion that emerges with striking agreement across nearly a decade of studies | UMass, USA
ASHES, Vol. 22(4) – Stepping up substance use: An analysis of the Gateway Theory
The Gateway Theory of substance use posits that the use of more socially acceptable substances encourages the use of harder and less socially accepted drugs. Perhaps teens who spend more time with rule-breaking peers are likely to vape nicotine, which, in line with the Gateway Theory, increases the likelihood of future marijuana use. This week, ASHES reviews a study by Thomas Wojciechowski that explored this possibility | CHA, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Gambling, alcohol and smoking – all for one and one for all
Previous research in England has shown strong links between gambling risk, higher-risk drinking, and smoking, but much of this evidence is based on data collected before major changes in the gambling landscape such as the rapid growth of online gambling in recent years. With new data from the recently re-launched Gambling Survey for Great Britain, we took the opportunity to revisit these relationships using a large, nationally representative sample of almost 10,000 adults | IAS blog, UK
Will medicinal cannabis help my mental health? Here are the evidence and the risks
For anxiety alone, there are almost three times more approvals for the products containing the highest levels of THC than for products containing only CBD (cannabidiol) | Conversation, Australia