DrugWise Daily |
22nd May 2026 |
Thank you to our Premium sponsors:
|
|
Could you sponsor DrugWise Daily? Please Email Harry Shapiro to discuss |
|
Have a good Bank Holiday weekend. See you again on Tuesday.
UK news
Scottish Government urged to act on ‘alarmingly high’ smoking death figures
Health campaigners called for greater investment in stopping smoking as “alarmingly high” figures on deaths and hospital admissions attributed to tobacco use were published | STV News, UK
Characteristics of deaths due to drug-related causes among individuals recently released from prison in the United Kingdom, 1997–2025
[Open access] There has been an extensive literature describing the elevated risk of drug-related death following an individual's release from prison; however, few previous studies have reported nationally representative samples or provided granular detail as to which individual drugs were deemed implicated in death. We aimed to determine the (1) case characteristics, (2) circumstances of death and (3) type of implicated drugs among individuals recently released from prison... | Addiction, UK
Top surgeon who was 'blackmailed' for drugs after having sex with patient is suspended
A neurosurgeon has been suspended for eight months for having a sexual relationship with a patient and prescribing opioid painkillers without recording it | BBC, UK
Seven arrested following series of drug raids
Five men and two women were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs after police executed warrants across seven addresses in Bolton, Salford, Stockport and Wigan | BBC, UK
Farmer finds 80 cannabis-filled bin bags dumped on his land
Rob Morgan, who runs the Gower Fresh Christmas Trees Farm near Swansea, said he had seen various items dumped on his land before, but this was a "bit of a surprise" | BBC, UK
International news
Meta settles social media addiction case with US school district
Meta has reached a settlement with a US school district which had sued the Instagram-owner over the costs of fighting a mental health crisis allegedly caused by the company's social media platforms | BBC, UK
Nigerian police bust meth lab and seize $363 million worth of drugs in largest operation of its kind
Seven suspects were arrested at the farm in Ogun state, including three Mexican meth ‘cooks’ | Independent, UK
New EUDA miniguide highlights need for integrated care for people with dual disorders
Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (‘dual disorders’) are a key concern for policy and service planning in Europe, prompting calls for more integrated and coordinated care systems. This is according to a new European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) miniguide released today, which explores how European countries are responding to the challenge | EUDA, Portugal
Dementia drug may help treat alcohol withdrawal
A new study from researchers at the University of Kentucky's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is exploring whether a drug originally developed to combat neuroinflammation in dementia could also help reduce the harmful brain inflammation associated with alcohol withdrawal—a discovery that could eventually open new treatment pathways for alcohol use disorder | Medical Xpress, USA
Does stress really lead to alcohol use?
Stress is a commonly reported precipitant to drinking; however, research studies only show an inconsistent effect of stress on alcohol consumption. This study addresses previous experimental study limitations in a rigorous test of the tension reduction hypothesis | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Not all young adults “mature out” of risky drinking and even less so in recent years
This study examining drinking trajectories among young adults identified 8 classes of alcohol use trajectories across young adulthood that were broadly characterized by stability, movement toward lower risk drinking, and movement towards higher risk drinking. Members of the higher risk drinking classes were more likely to be men, identify as White, have parents with higher education, and to report symptoms of alcohol use disorder at age 35 | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Vape Taxes Won’t Increase Smoking, Study Claims. Here’s the Problem
As a lifelong Iowan, studying public health policy and cancer prevention in a state with one of the nation’s fastest-rising cancer rates, I care deeply about reducing smoking. Cigarettes are still the leading cause of preventable cancer, disease and death in the United States. Harms of this magnitude warrant critically assessing policies related to cigarettes and safer alternatives—and that includes taxation | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
The Asymmetric War for Hearts and Minds: How Alcohol Marketing Outguns Public Health and Fuels Stigma
Walk through any high street, scroll any feed, watch any sports match, and it’s obvious that the alcohol industry is not just selling drinks, it’s shaping culture. It is technologically advanced, psychologically sophisticated, and relentlessly innovative. Its branding is everywhere, woven into the fabric of sport, music, fashion, and social life | AntiStigma Network, UK
It’s Maddeningly Difficult to Ban Smoking
A new cigarette ban in the U.K. might yield its most dramatic results decades from now, if it sticks around that long | The Atlantic, USA