DrugWise Daily |
5th August 2026 |
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UK news
Drinking culture embedded in cricket - Stokes
Ben Stokes says "cricket has a drinking culture and that has not changed", but does not believe the England team has a problem with alcohol | BBC, UK
Fashion brand Jaded has ad banned for 'glamourising smoking'
Jaded London, whose clothes have been worn by Beyoncé and Kylie Jenner, used a picture of a woman on holiday holding a cigarette in one of its marketing emails. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the advert was "heavily stylised and presented the model in a fashionable and attractive manner", which made smoking seem appealing | BBC, UK
From client to colleague: how a WithYou recovery worker is helping others by sharing her own story
A woman who once feared asking for help with her alcohol use is now supporting others to do exactly that. Mum-of-three Toni Glancy, from Ayr, became alcohol dependent in her 20s, after losing her mum who had struggled with alcohol since Toni was a child. Growing up and raising her family in a small, close-knit community, she was afraid to seek support. She worried about being seen to struggle, about being judged, and about what asking for help might mean for her family | WithYou, UK
Reflecting on an Inspiring DDN Conference
The DDN Conference is always one of the highlights of the year for Red Rose Recovery, bringing together staff, volunteers and beneficiaries from across all our localities to celebrate recovery, learn from others, and strengthen connections | Red Rose Recovery, UK
Red Rose Recovery Annual Review 2025/26
As we reflect on the past year at Red Rose Recovery, I am filled with both pride and renewed determination. This has been a year of continued growth, resilience, and collective action, where our commitment to building a vibrant, inclusive recovery community has never been more important | Red Rose Recovery, UK
Drones with drugs pose 'major challenge' to prison
The rise in sophisticated drones has created a "major challenge" at a prison, a report has found. The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) said the number of prisoners collapsing after taking drugs smuggled with the device into HMP The Mount in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, remained high | BBC, UK
Shops' alcohol sales plans spark concerns
Plans by two shops in Scarborough to sell alcohol from 07:00 every day have been criticised by some local residents ahead of a meeting to discuss the proposals | BBC, UK
Drugs dog sniffs out cocaine at licensed premises
A dog has helped to sniff out cocaine and cannabis after 12 pubs and clubs were visited by police as part of a crackdown on drugs | BBC, UK
International news
Drugs worth €8.5m seized in Garda operation
Suspected cocaine and cannabis hauls estimated to be worth €8.5m (£7.3m) in total have been seized by gardaí (Irish police) at locations in counties Meath and Louth | BBC, UK
Rise in adulterated sexual enhancement supplements could mean users are getting stiffed
Often sold as ‘herbal’ solutions for sexual prowess, research has found many supplements are cut with prescription medications that could harm the people who take them | Guardian, UK
Moment pilot caught with 70,000 ecstasy pills at Indonesian airport - video
CCTV footage released on Monday showed the moment a pilot was caught at Jakarta airport trying to smuggle 70,000 ecstasy pills in his suitcase | BBC, UK
Wastewater Analytics: A Powerful Window into Shifting Drug Use Trends (PDF)
This newsletter examines trends in the use of three major drugs, fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine; and highlights seven additional substances whose rising prevalence has become increasingly concerning. National wastewater levels of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine are falling, yet several states are charting a very different path. Emerging substances add another layer of complexity. Inside this issue, we break down where these concerning trends are and which emerging substances deserve greater attention | The White House, USA
What's in kratom products? Tests find 85% conflict with labels
What's listed on a kratom product label may not tell the full story. Researchers in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy have found that commercially available kratom products, including many kratom-derived products, contain chemical compositions that differ from their labels, highlighting gaps in product transparency and the need for stronger regulation | Medical Xpress, USA
MOTAA 2.0 Is Not Real Methadone Reform
The Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA) is back. An updated version was reintroduced by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) in June | Filter Magazine, USA
Drug Trends output: Trends in drug-related hospitalisations in Australia, 2004-2024
This report presents the latest national analysis of drug-related hospitalisations in Australia, covering the period from 2004-05 to 2023-24. It examines trends by age, sex, jurisdiction, remoteness, diagnosis and drug type to identify emerging patterns of drug-related harm | NDARC, Australia
A day in the life: An ecological momentary assessment of people’s experiences with vaping
[Open access] Curbing the use of vapes among young people is a public health priority. Understanding people’s vaping experiences and the contextual factors influencing use is key to informing effective behavioural interventions. Using ecological momentary assessment, this study aimed to explore the daily vaping-related experiences of young Australians who vape | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Is It Time to Dump “Substance Misuse”?
Within the drug and alcohol sector, “substance misuse” remains one of the most common labels used in policy documents, commissioning frameworks, government reporting, regulatory systems and treatment services. It’s the language of the institution that looks down on us wagging the finger of disapproval, it is so familiar that many of us barely notice it anymore | AntiStigma Network, UK
Alcohol harm is not inevitable. But reducing it requires us to act differently
Alcohol is woven into life across Greater Manchester. It is part of our economy, our high streets and our social lives, tied to how we relax, socialise and celebrate. As we’ve seen again during this summer’s World Cup, alcohol is often presented as part of the occasion. But when something becomes so normalised, the harm it causes can become harder to see | IAS blog, UK
JTI’s illicit tobacco claims don’t add up
Last week, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) published findings from its latest survey, generating headlines in the retail press such as ‘Research shows illegal tobacco offered to nearly a third of UK public’. The headline claim made by JTI is that 31% of people in the UK have been offered illicit tobacco. This appears to refer to the general population, rather than just smokers, although it isn’t entirely clear. It’s possible that the figure refers specifically to smokers, but it has been presented in a way that inflates the size of the problem | ASH blog, UK
Why targeting guerrilla groups and cartels doesn’t stop violence in Latin America – but focusing on geography might
Environmental features and geography may be a better predictor of homicides in Latin America than the prevalence of organized crime gangs. That’s what we found in a recent study that analyzed homicide patterns across Colombian municipalities between 2010 and 2020 | Conversation, USA
Ghana’s drug policy reform must move beyond law into practice
Ghana has taken significant steps towards rethinking its drug policy. The passage of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019) marked an important shift away from custodial sentencing as the default response to drug use. By introducing alternatives to incarceration, including fines, the Act created a legal basis for a public health, human rights and evidence-based approach to drug policy | IDPC blog, UK