DrugWise Daily |
13th February 2026 |
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UK news
Concern over deadly drug more potent than heroin
The Well in Cumbria said a quarter of people using its services were being treated for opioid use alone and workers were seeing a dramatic increase in nitazenes | BBC, UK
‘Worrying’ rise of UK synthetic opioid deaths | BBC News video
Highly potent synthetic opioid drugs called nitazenes, which experts say can be many times more potent than heroin, have been linked to hundreds of deaths in the UK. Records show people are taking them by accident, as they are mixed in with other drugs as cheap substitutes. The National Crime Agency (NCA) believes nitazenes are being smuggled into the UK through the post. Due to their strength, they can be secreted in small volumes in parcels. Data obtained by BBC News shows almost all the deaths as a result of taking the substance were accidental, with Birmingham being a hotspot | BBC, UK
Rise in alcohol deaths in young people concerning, says doctor
Statistics published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, external (Nisra) show the number of deaths caused exclusively by alcohol has increased by 81% in 10 years | BBC, UK
Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, financial year ending 2025
Contains figures for seizures of drugs made by local police forces and the UK Border Force. Police forces and Border Force made the highest number of drug seizures in England and Wales since the time series began in 1973; there were 269,321 seizures in total, a 24% increase on the previous year (217,633); the rise was caused by a 14% increase in police force seizures and a 65% increase in Border Force seizures | Home Office, UK
Seizures of drugs in England and Wales: user guide
This user guide is intended as a useful reference with explanatory notes on the issues and classifications key to the production and presentation of the Home Office’s annual release Seizures of drugs in England and Wales statistics | Home Office, UK
Vaping in cars with children could be banned under new plans
Vaping could be banned in cars carrying children, as well as in playgrounds and outside schools, according to government plans to protect youngsters from second-hand smoking and vaping | BBC, UK
Smoke-free law could see use drop below 5% in young people
A law banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2009 could see smoking in young people drop below 5 per cent decades earlier than expected. The government plans to introduce the “smoke-free generation" law as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which would progressively raise the age of sale so that anyone born in 2009 or later can never legally be sold tobacco, starting from 2027 | Independent, UK
Better oral health for adults in Scotland: dental health access when using drugs
This comic has been designed to support oral health improvement activity for people who are actively using drugs | PHS, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to introduce mandatory alcohol labelling requirements | They work for you, UK
Driving under Influence: Rural Areas
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic and social impact on rural pubs and hospitality businesses of reducing the drink driving limit; and whether alternative measures have been considered | They work for you, UK
Estimating risk of cannabis use disorder using standard THC units with Rachel Lees Thorne and Tom Freeman
In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr Rachel Lees Thorne, a postdoctoral research associate and Professor Tom Freeman, a professor of psychology, both from the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath, UK. The interview covers Rachel and Tom’s research article estimating thresholds for risk of cannabis use disorder using standard delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) units | SSA, UK
London Recovery Network webinar
Tuesday 3 March, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm. Please join us for the next London Recovery Network webinar, bringing together voices from across London's recovery community. It's a chance to find out what's happening across the city, pick up shared learning and strengthen connections across our network. This webinar will showcase presentations and reflections from London-based services working across more than one borough. We’ll be joined by organisations including Foundation for Change, Woolwich Service Users Project, Neurodiverse Mutual Aid Groups, and more | London Recovery Network, UK
Reducing Overdose and Drug Deaths in People Facing Homelessness
Mar 4 from 5pm to 6pm GMT. Online. Reducing overdose and drug deaths in people facing homelessness and other disadvantages: breaking news from a randomised controlled trial involving NHS clinicians and third sector homeless workers on outreach | DRNS, UK
Street Drugs Discussions: Overdose Prevention Centres in the UK
Mar 13 from 12pm to 2pm GMT. Online. A deep dive into how Overdose Prevention Centre policy has changed in the UK over the past 5 years | Drug Science, UK
Norwich City Council allows tenants to use medical cannabis
City Hall officials have refused to say how they will monitor who is legally using cannabis in council-owned homes after confirming tenants can take the Class B drug for medical use | Eastern Daily Press, UK
Frankie Bridge tearfully shares ketamine therapy realisation: ‘A part of me is disappointed’
Frankie Bridge has admitted to feeling “disappointed” about one aspect of her therapy journey, after opening up about “life-changing” ketamine sessions she underwent to treat her depression | Independent, UK
International news
Troop who fell overboard becomes first American killed in drug boat targeting operation
A US Marine who fell overboard from an attack ship in the Caribbean has become the first known American casualty in the Trump administration's operation targeting drug-trafficking boats | BBC, UK
Economic disadvantage linked to tobacco addiction and lower motivation to stop smoking
A new paper in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, published by Oxford University Press, finds that people experiencing more economic disadvantages are more likely to smoke cigarettes, have higher levels of tobacco addiction, and find it harder to quit than those who are most advantaged. This pattern was consistent across different forms and severity of disadvantage | News Medical, USA
Chronic alcohol use profoundly alters gene expression in the brain's reward system
Chronic alcohol consumption profoundly alters gene expression in key brain regions involved in reward, impulse control, and decision-making, according to a study led by researchers at the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Published in the journal Addiction, the work provides new insight into the biological basis of alcohol addiction and points toward potential therapeutic targets | News Medical, USA
A glaucoma drug may help prevent opioid relapse
An existing drug currently used to treat glaucoma, altitude sickness, and seizures may also have the potential to prevent relapse in opioid use disorder, according to a study by researchers at University of Iowa Health Care | Medical Xpress, USA
In Vancouver’s DTES, Harm Reduction Moves Forward Without Decrim
In a small but sunny kitchen in the Downtown Eastside (DTES), a vat of cooked pasta and some surplus vegetables from a nearby grocer await a communal meal. Oona Krieg, interim executive director of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, remarks that it’s been a quiet day | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Comment on latest alcohol-specific death statistics for Northern Ireland
Speaking about alcohol-specific deaths statistics for 2024 published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), Dr Clodagh Corrigan, deputy chair of BMA’s Northern Ireland Council, said: “These figures are alarming. Doctors see first-hand the devastating effects of prolonged alcohol abuse on the health of their patients as it is one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovascular health, cancer and mental health. This is why Minimum unit alcohol pricing (MUP) legislation is needed in Northern Ireland | BMA, UK
Helping people to live and survive co-use of benzodiazepines/z-drugs and opioids: the importance of asking how and why people co-use
In a recent webinar, we shared findings from our research study to understand the relationships between co-using benzodiazepines (e.g., diazepam) or z-drugs (e.g., zopiclone) and opioid use (for example, heroin or methadone) and drug-related deaths. In this blog, we highlight findings around how and why people use benzodiazepines/z-drugs and opioids together | DRNS blog, UK
Working Towards More Accessible and Inclusive Services for LGBTQ+ Clients at Forward
I was saddened to read last week that new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals stark disparities in causes of death among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB+) adults | Forward Trust, UK
How International Drug Policy Is Increasingly Fragmented
For many years, international drug policy seemed stuck in tired rhetoric about a ‘drug-free world’. International discussions repeatedly called for consensus, compliance and conformity with prohibition, while the global number of people who use drugs continued to rise to record-high numbers. In recent years – as first spotted by the late Professor Dave Bewley-Taylor in 2012 – this conservative consensus seems to have fractured. What’s happened, and why? | Talking Drugs, UK
Addiction affects your brain as well as your body – that’s why detoxing is just the first stage of recovery
Addiction is one of the most common and consequential chronic medical conditions in the United States. Nationwide, more than 46 million people met the criteria for a substance abuse disorder as of 2021, the most recent data available | Conversation, USA