DrugWise Daily |
15th September 2026 |
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UK news
Digital ID comes of age as pubs and bars get go-ahead for biometric scan tech
New laws coming into force this week aim to streamline age checks although old-style plastic IDs will still be allowed | Guardian, UK
Cuts hinder crackdown on vape sales to children
A senior official has warned that years of budget cuts and austerity have left trading standards enforcement officers unable to effectively stop retailers selling vapes to children | BBC, UK
Which types of research and knowledge translation are most likely to lead to public health-informed policy responses to unhealthy commodities? A UK-based cross-sectional survey and focus group-based study
[Open access] Products of unhealthy commodity industries (UCIs) are major drivers of non-communicable diseases. The role of evidence in supporting regulation of these products remains underexplored. This study examined how different types of research and knowledge translation activities influenced policy change across unhealthy commodities | BMJ Public Health, UK
'Choosing sobriety meant walking away from fame'
Richard Jupp spent nearly 30 years of his life in Elbow. From gigging in the pubs of Bury and Manchester to sell-out tours and winning international accolades, the drummer seemed to have everything a musician could ever want. But underneath the surface the "myth of rock'n'roll" was not what it seemed | BBC, UK
Steep rise in young UK nationals detained for smuggling drugs from Asia
The number of young British nationals arrested abroad after being recruited as drug mules more than quadrupled over three years, according to new government figures | BBC, UK
Ex-estate agent jailed over 19 cannabis factories
Sarfraz Farooq, 46, from Luton, created false tenancy agreements for properties that were used to grow cannabis and was jailed for more than eight years at Luton Crown Court on Thursday | BBC, UK
International news
Peptide user tore oesophagus after using counterfeit product, Australian regulator warns
TGA issues alert after person was hospitalised after believing they were taking experimental weight loss drug retatrutide | Guardian, UK
Making children and young people visible in drug policy: A child rights-based agenda for reform
Children and young people are profoundly affected by drug policies, yet drug policy has largely overlooked their rights, needs and experiences. While the international drug control system seeks to protect the health and welfare of humankind, punitive laws and drug control approaches have too often exposed children to preventable harms... | IDPC, UK
Hayden Panettiere Reportedly Took One Oxycodone Pill Believed to Contain Fentanyl Before Her Death
Investigators looking into Hayden Panettiere's death are reportedly focusing on a single pill they believe contained fentanyl | Yahoo News, UK
Adolescent cannabis use disorder diagnoses rise after legalization
New diagnoses of cannabis use disorder (CUD) among adolescents in Northern California began climbing after recreational cannabis was legalized in California in 2016, reversing a steady decline in the three years prior, according to a new study published in the journal Addiction | News Medical, USA
Veterinary tranquilizer medetomidine leaves patients severely sedated and harder to treat for withdrawal
A brief research report explored patient experiences with the clinical effects of medetomidine, a veterinary sedative that has increasingly contaminated the illicit fentanyl supply, and its impact on treatment outcomes | Medical Xpress, USA
Nearly one-third of college-age 'BORG' drinkers report blacking out
A newly popular college drinking trend, the blackout rage gallon (BORG), fosters binge drinking and can lead to a host of alcohol-related harms, according to a new study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, published by Rutgers University | Medical Xpress, USA
Comparative effects of different types of exercise interventions on addictive craving, negative affect, and cognitive function in substance use disorder: a substance-subgroup stratified network meta-analysis
[Open access] Known best as a misused drug, this review found 15 randomised trials of ketamine as a treatment for substance use problems. These indicated that "ketamine significantly improves abstinence rates," most convincingly in the short term and in respect of cocaine use | Frontiers in Psychiatry, USA
Ketamine for substance use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
[Open access] Known best as a misused drug, this review found 15 randomised trials of ketamine as a treatment for substance use problems. These indicated that "ketamine significantly improves abstinence rates," most convincingly in the short term and in respect of cocaine use | Frontiers in Psychiatry, USA
Canadian news media reporting on involuntary substance use treatment and its evidence, 2020–2025: “At the cutting edge of debate, science and policy”
[Open access] Involuntary substance use treatment is on the policy agenda in Canada, yet empirical evidence on its effectiveness remains limited and equivocal. Recent policy initiatives and increasing news media on involuntary substance use treatment present an opportunity for critical analysis of how this empirically and ethically contested intervention is gaining public support | IJDP, USA
Advocates welcome Federal Government inquiry recommendations for alcohol marketing and delivery safeguards
A Federal Government inquiry has recommended the Australian Government take action on alcohol marketing and rapid home delivery, measures advocates say will significantly reduce alcohol-related harm, including violence against women and children, across the country | FARE, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Guest blog: rise in popularity of low and alcohol-free drinks
As the popularity of low and no alcohol drinks grows, Laura Willoughby, co-founder of Club Soda, shares her tips for making the most of alcohol-free drinks | Drinkaware blog, UK
30 Years of the Code, 30 Decisions – Rocket Fuel
The Second Edition of the Code introduced a number of new Code rules and introduced the principle that alcohol packaging and marketing could not make its alcoholic strength or relatively high alcohol content a dominant theme. The rule was further amended in the Third Edition in 2003 to prevent any marketing that made alcohol’s intoxicating effect a dominant theme | Portman Group blog, UK
Portugal decriminalized drugs 25 years ago, but the real lesson is what it built around this policy
Nearly 70,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2025. While that is a decline from the nearly 108,000 deaths recorded in 2022, these grim figures distinguish the U.S. from other high-income countries. At the peak of the opioid crisis, the U.S. overdose death rate was 68% higher than Canada’s and nearly five times that of Australia | Conversation, USA