DrugWise Daily |
29th September 2026 |
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UK news
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
Bin lorry fire prompts vape disposal warning
A bin lorry fire believed to have been sparked by a discarded vape has prompted a warning not to dispose of battery-powered items in household rubbish | BBC, UK
Illegal cigarettes and tobacco shop closed down
The Golden Vape shop in Newport, Shropshire, was visited three times over a 12-month period by Telford and Wrekin Council, and the local authority said 4,120 cigarettes and 3.1kg of tobacco had been removed | BBC, UK
International news
Major review finds nicotine pouches considerably less toxic than cigarettes
Nicotine pouches are considerably less toxic than cigarettes and could offer smokers a less hazardous alternative, a major review has found | Clearing the air, UK
FDA Hearing on Psychedelics: Concerns, But Overwhelmingly Positive
Last week, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a public hearing on the potential future use of psychedelics. The hearing, which gave two minutes to randomly selected speakers from a pool of 200 submissions, is the latest step in American psychedelic policy, which is increasingly exploring the potential applications of these substances | Talking Drugs, UK
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-related fatal poisoning in Australia, 2016 to 2025: Trends, characteristics and toxicology
[Open access] While death rates in Australia from methylenedioxymethamphetamine-related poisoning have declined from 2019, case characteristics have remained relatively stable | Addiction, UK
EUDA Executive Director to address European Parliament on current drug situation
On Sept 28th, EUDA Executive Director, Dr Lorraine Nolan, will present the key findings of the European Drug Report 2026 to members of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) | EUDA, Portugal
EUDA webinar: Cannabis and mental health - recording
This webinar provided an overview of mental health risks associated with cannabis use. Participants heard about how cannabis use is linked to anxiety, depression, psychotic symptoms and cannabis use disorder, and how cannabis type, potency, and use patterns might increase the risks | EUDA, Portugal
Afghanistan Reduced Opium Production: What Was The Impact On Drug Trafficking? – Analysis
Afghanistan reduced the area devoted to opium poppy cultivation from approximately 232,000 hectares in 2022 to 10,200 in 2025. The scale of this decline raises three related questions that require different answers | Eurasia Review, USA
Frequent cannabis use tied to more severe epilepsy
Adults with hard-to-treat epilepsy who used cannabis most days had more than twice as many convulsive seizures per year and became resistant to antiseizure medications more quickly than nonusers, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis | Medical Xpress, USA
Heated tobacco users had more hypertension, but the story is not that simple
A nationwide analysis of more than 30,000 Japanese adults examines how emerging tobacco products relate to blood pressure risk, while exposure history and sensitivity analyses complicate the picture | News Medical, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Where next for human enhancement and harm reduction? From steroids to peptides
[Open access] Harm reduction for human enhancement must evolve beyond previous models to reflect changing drugs, markets, and consumer populations. There is a clear need for approaches that integrate surveillance, product testing, clinical care, digital outreach, and peer expertise while respecting autonomy and recognising both the benefits and risks of enhancement | Addiction comment, UK
Thirty years of the Portman Group guiding responsible alcohol marketing and labelling
As the Portman Group marks 30 years of its Code of Practice, its success in shaping responsible marketing in the UK is clear. Meanwhile, government plans on alcohol labelling must reflect the effectiveness of existing widespread voluntary industry standards | Politics Home, UK
How smoking makes Australians poorer – and what we can do about it
Australia has some of the world’s highest cigarette prices. Smoking half-a-pack a day costs about A$7,000 to $12,000 per year at prices of around $38–66 a pack in the legal market. Buying from the illegal market costs about $3,500 per year | Conversation, Australia