DrugWise Daily |
30th October 2026 |
Thank you to our Premium sponsors:
|
|
Could you sponsor DrugWise Daily? Please Email Harry Shapiro to discuss |
|
UK news
Under-18 sales ban extended to nicotine products and all vapes
Government implements new restrictions on the sale and promotion of vapes and nicotine products across the UK | DHSC, UK
Under-18 sales ban on nicotine products and all vapes
Chief Medical Officer responds to restrictions on the sale and promotion of vapes and nicotine products | Department of Health and Social Care and Professor Chris Whitty, UK
Vulnerable at risk as 'life-saving' drug needle site closes
A drug needle exchange in Belfast is set to close within days because the charity which runs the service is losing its city centre premises. The exchange, run by Extern, allowed people who inject heroin or cocaine to safely dispose used needles, receive clean needles and access health services. The service will shut on 2 November and move to a "significantly reduced street-based service" following the loss of Extern's Royal Avenue premises | BBC, UK
Hull pledges to become 'Inclusive Recovery City' to help tackle drug addiction
The aim is to weave recovery directly into community life through public events, Hull role models, and better access to jobs and stable housing | Hull Live, UK
SARG Director Professor John Holmes to deliver prestigious MCA Max Glatt Memorial Lecture
Professor John Holmes, Director of the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG), will deliver the prestigious Max Glatt Memorial Lecture at the Medical Council on Alcohol's (MCA) Annual Symposium on Wednesday 18 November 2026 | SARG, UK
Complaint upheld against 99 Liqueur Shots Ice-Cream Van Promotion
A complaint against a promotional activity featuring an ice-cream van distributing different flavours of ’99 liqueurs’ has been upheld by the alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel (Panel) | Portman Group, UK
International news
Heroin overdose risk profiles following long-term heroin dependence: Findings from the 18- to 20-year follow-up of the Australian treatment outcome study
The Australian Treatment Outcome Study cohort with long-term heroin dependence can be classified into high, moderate and low risk of heroin overdose based on overdose history and polydrug use. People with higher rates of heroin, cannabis, amphetamines, benzodiazepines and other opioid use are more likely to belong to the high- and moderate-risk class | Addiction, UK
EUDA-ECDC webinar: From guidance to action: preventing HIV and viral hepatitis among people who inject drugs in the Eastern European region
11th November 2026. The objectives of the webinar are to: present the EUDA–ECDC public health guidance (2023) and its recommendations for preventing and controlling infectious diseases among people who inject drugs; discuss current challenges and opportunities for expanding access to harm reduction, testing, treatment and care, including the integration of infectious diseases and drug treatment services; reflect on the relevance and practical application of the guidance in Eastern Europe, drawing on regional perspectives and experience from countries including Ukraine | EUDA, Portugal
Ireland Is Banning Vape Flavors. This Shop Owner Warns It Could Cost Lives
The government says it's protecting children, but the restrictions could drive adults back to smoking and hand business to the black market | Reason, USA
Nicotine pouches gain rapid popularity among adult tobacco users
A national survey study conducted by the University of Cincinnati found that nicotine pouch use increased sharply in the United States between 2021 and 2024 among adult tobacco users | News Medical, USA
Words matter: Changing the language of care
The words healthcare providers use to describe people who use drugs can shape how patients are perceived and potentially how they experience care. Researchers tested whether a system-wide “Words Matter” campaign combining brief education with changes to electronic health records could reduce the use of stigmatizing language in clinical notes | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Self-reported recovery capital, but not an objective marker of community resources, associated with lower youth substance use
Recovery capital is made up of personal, social, and community resources that can help people initiate and sustain recovery. This study added much needed research on the potential link between adolescent recovery capital and substance use, while also using a novel approach to examine self-reported recovery capital alongside county-level recovery resources among students attending recovery high schools | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
This is a story about numbers
This week, I spent a lot of time talking about a new number. 1,152. That’s how many people died of alcohol in Scotland last year. It tells us something straight away, doesn’t it? It’s a story of loss. Heartbreak. Families left behind, questions unanswered, lives cut short. It’s an awful story | Alcohol Focus Scotland blog, UK