DrugWise Daily |
6th October 2026 |
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UK news
Dangerous animal tranquiliser with no human antidote found in UK street drugs
Medetomidine can significantly increase the risk of overdose | Independent, UK
Medical Cannabis For Endometriosis: What Does The Evidence Tell Us?
Faced with minimal pain relief using existing therapies, people are increasingly considering how medical cannabis could help manage symptoms. The body’s endocannabinoid system is involved in processes including pain signalling, inflammation and immune function, and research suggests it may also play a rolein endometriosis | Drug Science, UK
Smoking - Chris Goreham - audio
Chris finds out more about the impact of smoking and the Stoptober campaign this month | BBC Sounds, UK
The Big Addiction Conversation Comes to Sober Comedy London
Events like Sober Comedy London demonstrate that conversations about addiction don't always begin in formal settings. Sometimes they start through shared experiences, community and connection. The Next Show at The London Alcohol-Free Comedy Club hosted at Backyard Comedy Club Bethnal Green is on Sunday 15th November at 3.30pm | Forward Trust, UK
'Thriving drugs market' at prison due to drones
"There was a thriving drugs market within the prison, with random drug tests showing a 28% positive rate," the report said, external. The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment | BBC, UK
Prison report highlights violence, drugs and rats
An Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) noted a number of concerns at Rutland's Stocken Prison in a report, covering a 12-month period between May 2025 and April 2026 | BBC, UK
Man admits cannabis smuggling plan after teens arrested in Thailand
A man has admitted conspiring to smuggle cannabis after two teenagers were suspected to have been trafficked to Thailand as part of an international drug ring | BBC, UK
International news
Evaluating Harm Reduction Advice From Large Language Models
[Open access] If as a drug user you asked an AI system for advice on local harm reduction services and filtering oral medications for injection, how much could you trust the responses? Sometimes, not very much: "We identified responses that, in some cases, were harmful." Gemini from Google did however get high scores, the best of the four systems tested | Addiction, UK
One in Nine Older Adults Who Use Cannabis Meet Criteria for Cannabis Use Disorder
A new study from University of California San Diego School of Medicine finds that among the estimated 8.9% of adults age 65 and older who used cannabis in the past year, more than one in nine (11.4%) met the criteria for cannabis use disorder (CUD), a pattern of cannabis use that causes problems or interferes with daily life | UCSD, USA
Cocaine Boatmen Are Being Blown Up By US Airstrikes, But The Drugs Keep Flowing From Colombia
In the remote Colombian smuggling hub of La Guajira, locals say a year of U.S. airstrikes has left behind wrecked vessels and bodies, but done little to stop cocaine-laden speedboats from heading out to sea | OCCRP, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
30 Years, 30 Decisions -Bubbly and Bear Gift Pack
The Code of Practice has always applied to the packaging of an alcoholic drink. In some cases, producers can be surprised to learn that the definition of ‘packaging’ in the Code also extends to secondary packaging and other products enclosed within the external wrapping. In the early 2000s, the Portman Group received numerous complaints about gift packs which included teddy bears, chocolates, newborn baby sets and celebration themed packaging | Portman Group blog, UK