Thank you to our Premium sponsors:
|
|
Could you sponsor DrugWise Daily? Please Email Harry Shapiro to discuss |
|
|
In date order, Monday to Friday
PM rejects drugs decriminalisation after Swinney backs it
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he does not support decriminalising drugs for personal use, days after Scotland's first minister backed it | BBC, UK
Public support alternatives to prison according to new Forward Trust polling
Forward Trust has today released major new polling showing public support for the use of rehabilitation programmes as an alternative to prison sentences | Forward Trust, UK
Lived experience recovery organisation development and resilience project opportunity
The Department of Health and Social Care is inviting tenders to deliver a 3-year national 'Lived experience recovery organisation (LERO) development and resilience project' from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2030. The project will support the development and resilience of emerging and established LEROs and local authorities looking to support and sustain LEROs and recovery communities in their locality. The tender submission deadline is 30 Oct. 12pm. Full details can be found on and submissions can be made via the Health Family Single eCommercial System | DHSC, UK
New sniffer dog team to detect drugs used in spiking
Two police forces have teamed up to form a dog team tasked with identifying people involved in spiking. Thames Valley Police and Hampshire police say the specially trained dogs will help protect students across the region's university cities | BBC, UK
Tobacco dependence in pregnancy: Short-life working group report - September 2026
Around eight in ten women give birth at some point in their lives, meaning maternity services reach a large proportion of the population. Ensuring high-quality treatment for tobacco dependence in pregnancy is an opportunity to improve health and reduce inequalities in Scotland. This short report looks at what helps, and the barriers to, providing effective treatment for tobacco dependence during pregnancy. It also sets out practical actions that can be taken now to improve treatment | PHS, UK
National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times
This quarterly release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports on waiting times for people accessing specialist drug and alcohol treatment services between 1 April and 30 June 2026. Data are presented by NHS Board of treatment | PHS, UK
From Amazon retreats to clinical research: The rise of psychedelic therapy
From retreats in the Amazon to clinical trials in Newcastle, psychedelic therapy is attracting growing attention as a possible treatment for depression. Could hallucinogenic drugs one day become part of mainstream NHS care? | BBC, UK
Stoptober 2026
Stoptober is back with a new suite of resources to encourage people who smoke to make a quit attempt this October! With a whole calendar of both 'ready to use' and localisable resources, you will have the means to tailor this campaign to your specific audiences, from mid-September through to 1st November | DHSC, UK
Sober October
Challenge yourself to go alcohol-free for 31 days this October and feel the benefits and make a difference | Alcohol Change UK, UK
Why is there a ketamine crisis in the UK? | BBC News
The NHS is seeing an increase in young people with bladder damage from ketamine use. Prolonged use of the drug can lead to incontinence or uncontrolled peeing, and even kidney failure. The BBC visits a specialist NHS clinic designed to help people with signs of ketamine damage, and speaks to trained medical staff, and young people who have struggled with addiction to the drug | BBC, UK
Alcohol advertising puts people at risk of relapse say members of recovery community - New Report
People with lived experience of alcohol harm have called for a new approach to alcohol advertising and marketing, saying that its ubiquity acts as a potential trigger that puts them at risk of relapse | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK
New Vaping Products Duty comes into effect
New Vaping Products Duty comes into force from 1 October 2026 | HMRC et al, UK
New vape tax needs careful monitoring to protect children without deterring smokers from quitting
A new tax on vaping products comes into force on 1 October, but Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) says consumers should not necessarily expect vape prices to rise overnight | ASH, UK
£650k opportunity to develop digital support for people affected by substance use
The Scottish Government's CivTech Accelerator is offering a
poential contract worth up to £650,000 for innovators to develop a digital solution which could transform how people affected by substance use access support | CivTech, UK
Children and young people's alcohol and drug services: framework
This framework sets out guidance for designing, commissioning and providing alcohol and drug support for children and young people in England | DHSC, UK
Safeguarding children affected by a parent's alcohol or drug use
Updated guidance to reflect current safeguarding policy and programmes. It also focuses more on workforce expectations and ways of working, the effects of stigma and trauma, and pregnancy and the perinatal period. The page also now includes a self-assessment checklist to support commissioners and service providers to assess and improve current performance | DHSC, UK
Beer and wine in Wales costs more as minimum alcohol price rises by 30%
The minimum price of alcohol (MUP) in Wales has risen by 30%, to bring the rate in line with Scotland. Some people in Cardiff welcomed the change on Thursday, which means low-cost alcohol will now be more expensive to buy, while others feared it could impact a hospitality industry which is "already in a state of crisis". Alcohol Change UK supported the rise and said there would be "little or no change" for moderate drinkers, as the policy would not change the price of a pint | BBC, UK
Preliminary findings show that 1720 people - including 51 children - died while homeless in 2025
Independent research found that deaths rose 6.8% in 2025 vs the previous year. Over 30% of the deaths in 2025 were either on the streets or in rough sleeper’s accommodation. Bristol, Brighton and Hove, Edinburgh, Camden and Stirling had the five highest rates of reported deaths per 100,000 population across the UK. ‘Deaths of Despair’ caused by drugs, alcohol or suicide are the most common (52%). Recovery, harm reduction and mental health services need urgent investment | Museum of Homelessness, UK
Researchers explain the three things that could prevent half a million children from vaping
Ministers previously announced a raft of measures to ‘crack down on vapes targeting kids’ | Independent, UK
MDMA Adulteration Warning
Since late July 2026, drug checking services in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland have found PMMA in pills sold as MDMA (ecstasy), either alone or mixed with MDMA. PMMA is much more dangerous than MDMA. Seven logos are affected so far, and the same logo can have a different content depending on the batch | TEDI Network, UK et al