DrugWise Daily |
28th August 2026 |
Thank you to our Premium sponsors:
|
|
Could you sponsor DrugWise Daily? Please Email Harry Shapiro to discuss |
|
UK news
Tackling the 'war on drugs': Could testing at gigs work?
Bars, chip vans and portaloos are all common sights at classic outdoor gigs in Northern Ireland. But in the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, some also have dedicated facilities that allow for the rapid testing and identification of harmful drugs and substances | BBC, UK
Drinkaware Monitor 2026: Drinking trends
In this report we explore moderation and the moments that matter. This includes drinking occasion, unit consumption, drinking frequency and riskier drinking behaviours | Drinkaware, UK
25 Years of International Overdose Awareness Day: WithYou calls for action on preventable drug-related deaths
Held every year on 31 August, International Overdose Awareness Day is a time to remember and honor the lives lost in our communities and a collective call to end drug-related deaths. As the campaign reaches its 25th anniversary, the need for systemic change, education, and wider access to naloxone has never been more urgent | With You, UK
Devon NHS trust protects hospital patients' medical cannabis access
Hospital patients prescribed medical cannabis are being given formal protection to continue taking their legal medication during inpatient care under an NHS policy described as the first of its kind in England | Exmouth Journal, UK
Postnatal Smoking: Health Visitor Support Keeps Mothers Smoke-free
Women who receive health visitor support along wiith smoking relapse prevention advice are more likely to remain smoke-free after childbirth, according to research published in BMJ | Respiratory Therapy, UK
New UK data on drink spiking
New figures show a rise in spiking figures: over 30% of those spiked are male and there is a worrying increase in vape and e-liquid spiking. As incidences of spiking have increased significantly in 2025, raising awareness and how to report and support has never been more important | Talk About Trust, UK
Power, polluters and public health – inside the world of a Director of Public Health - podcast
This month we’re joined by Peter Roderick, Director of Public Health for the City of York, for a wide-ranging conversation on what the job really involves – from advocating for marginalised communities to steering a local system through political change. We dig into the rise of the ‘commercial determinants of health’ agenda, why the alcohol, gambling and food industries increasingly find themselves in public health’s sighs | IAS, UK
Top private school teacher banned for smoking crystal meth says he only did it to ‘relax’
After police discovered evidence of Charles Richard Miles’s habit at his flat, he told his employer, the international Dwight School, that he only used the drug to “relax”. He also claimed that he was “pretty controlled” with his use | Independent, UK
Arrests after drone and drugs found near prison
An officer spotted a black Volvo S60 parked on a dirt track near HMP Lindholme at about 22:15 BST on Tuesday before it was driven off and failed to stop, with items being seen thrown from the car during a pursuit, according to police | BBC, UK
County lines heroin and cocaine dealers jailed
According to South Yorkshire Police, Shamas Mahmood, known as Curly, and Amaad Zahoor would travel from West Yorkshire to Barnsley to deal heroin and crack cocaine | BBC, UK
Border Force seizes record 1,300kg of ketamine in first three months of 2026, new figures reveal
Border Force officers seized almost 1,300kg of ketamine in the first three months of 2026, the highest amount recorded in 15 years, according to figures obtained exclusively by ITV News | ITV, UK
International news
Drugs in pastries, months on the run: the double-life of Lebanese influencer Dr Food
Known to his 8.7m TikTok followers as Dr Food, Georges Dib was a popular Lebanese food influencer. But Lebanese authorities allege that when the camera was off, the chef was living a double life. For months they sought his arrest on charges of international drug trafficking and production, accusing him of hiding narcotics in his pastries | Guardian, UK
‘Scromiting’ From Cannabis Left a Teen With a Life-Threatening Vitamin Deficiency
Doctors in Georgia described a patient, a 15-year-old boy, who was vomiting so violently for so long that it eventually caused a severe vitamin B1 deficiency. He lost around 25 to 30 pounds. He was confused; his speech was slurred, and he had problems walking, and his movements were uncontrollable. He could barely function | VICE, USA
Location, location, location: Recovery coaches can help connect people to opioid use disorder medications, but outcomes may differ across settings
Medications for opioid use disorder, such as methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone), reduce opioid use and overdose risk, yet many who could benefit never receive them. Peer recovery coaches have the potential to help bridge this gap by connecting individuals to medication, but where coaching is delivered may impact outcomes. This study examined whether people were more likely to initiate medication for opioid use disorder across different types of recovery coach settings | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Syringe litter did not increase after a needle exchange ban was overturned in Pueblo, Colorado, but health services suffered
The City Council of Pueblo, Colorado, voted to ban the distribution of syringes through syringe service programs starting in May 2024. Also called needle exchanges, these programs are run by community organizations that provide healthcare services. The impetus for the ban, as council members noted, was syringe litter in public spaces | Conversation, USA
Vaping is better than patches or gums for quitting smoking – updated review
If you’ve ever been a smoker, you’ll know how hard it is to quit. It can take as many as 30 attempts to finally break the habit. An updated Cochrane review assessed the evidence of which common tools are most effective to help people quit smoking for six months | Conversation, Australia