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Daily news - 1st April 2025

UK news

Drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding: 2025 to 2026

Funding to local councils to help them improve their drug and alcohol treatment and recovery systems, from 2025 to 2026 | DHSC, UK

Drug, Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Grant

Statement made by Ashley Dalton MP on 31 March 2025 regarding the alcohol treatment and recovery grant funding for local authorities in England for 2025/26 (see item above) | UK Parliament, UK

‘You Can Save a Life’ Powerful New Campaign To Prevent Drug Deaths

New Vision Bradford has launched a groundbreaking campaign to increase the number of people carrying naloxone, a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses. At the heart of the ‘You Can Save a Life’ campaign is a stunning new film that illustrates the power of naloxone to prevent deaths. The film aims to challenge misconceptions, raise awareness, and inspire individuals to carry a naloxone kit – potentially saving lives in their communities | New Vision Bradford, UK

Girl ‘nearly died’ after inhaling vape spiked with zombie drug spice

Children as young as 13 have been hospitalised after using vapes spiked with dangerous drugs like spice and fentanyl. ITV News analysis of official police data reveals vape spiking is a new emerging threat | ITV, UK

Scots living with liver disease set to rise by 54%

Doctors and a national alcohol charity are calling for the Scottish government to implement take action to prevent alcohol harms as new analysis estimates there will be a 54% rise in people living with chronic liver disease by 2044 | HealthandCare.scot, UK

Raising the age of sale of tobacco will boost London’s economy

The Government’s ambition for a smokefree country will ultimately boost London’s economy by more than 10% and create almost 15,000 full-time equivalent jobs according to a new study, conducted by Landman Economics on behalf of Action on Smoking and Health and part-funded by research consortia Spectrum | London TV, UK

Let's talk e-cigarettes, March 2025 - podcast

Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Monserrat Conde from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford | University of Oxford, UK

Alcohol Occasional 1: Court-enforced Alcohol Abstinence and Reoffending

Mon, 12 May 2025 12:45 - 14:00 BST. In Scotland there is a keen interest in alcohol problems in the justice system and how best to improve the justice journey of individuals with alcohol use disorder. Whilst Scotland has not yet adopted alcohol tagging technology in criminal justice settings, England and Wales has. Criminal courts in this jurisdiction may make use of alcohol treatment or abstinence requirements as part of a community sentence in cases where alcohol consumption has played a role in a defendant’s offending. The latter may also be backed up by electronic monitoring. This study examined whether these court orders reduce reoffending | SHAAP, UK

Contemporary Drug and Alcohol Studies (CDAS) - Online Information Evening

Wednesday, May 21 · 7 - 8pm GMT+1. Interested in studying Contemporary Drug and Alcohol Studies at UWS? Join us at our online open evening to find out more | CDAS, UK

Man killed in crash had heart episode caused by cocaine

A man killed in a crash on the A5 road in County Tyrone last year had suffered a cardiac episode caused by "excessive use of cocaine", an inquest has heard | BBC, UK

International news

Oregon abandoned its radical drug law. Then came the mass arrests

Last year, the state ended a trailblazing law decriminalizing possession. Drug users in some counties are now in and out of jail, without lawyers, struggling to get treatment | Guardian, UK

5 takeaways in the EU’s frothy wine package

Winemakers raised a glass to the European Union after it published a long-awaited plan Friday to rescue the industry from ebbing demand, elevated input costs and irksome bureaucracy | Politico, Belgium

DrugNet Europe - March 2025

Latest monthly news round-up of European drug policy documents published by EUDA | EUDA, Portugal

Can vaping cause oral cancer?

Vaping has not been around long enough for researchers to fully understand the long-term health impacts. However, the aerosol a person inhales when vaping contains some chemicals that may be linked to oral cancer | MNT, USA

[Open access] Fenethylline (street name, captagon) is a synthetic amphetamine-type stimulant that is emerging as a significant public health and security concern, particularly in the Middle East. This systematic review synthesizes original research articles, epidemiological studies, systematic reviews, policy analyses, and case reports to provide a comprehensive analysis of fenethylline’s health impacts, addiction potential, and dynamics of illicit trade | DADR, USA

Evaluation of Commercially Available Smoke Shop Products Marketed as “7-Hydroxy Mitragynine” & Related Alkaloids

The objective of this report is to detail our findings from forensic testing of “7-Hydroxy Mitragynine” marketed commercial products for notification to public health, public safety, clinicians, medical examiners, coroners, forensic laboratories, and other related communities regarding this emerging topic of concern | CFSRE, USA

Risk of Major Congenital Malformations Following Prenatal Exposure to Smoking Cessation Medicines

In this cohort study of 5.2 million births in Australia (state of New South Wales), New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden, there was no increased risk of MCMs overall following exposure to NRT (9325 infants), varenicline (3031 infants), or bupropion (1042 infants). The study found no evidence of higher risk of several malformation subgroups for NRT or varenicline, while the risk of malformation subgroups could not be estimated robustly for bupropion | JAMA Internal Medicine, USA

Police seizures of illicit opioids remain a dominant strategy for addressing problematic substance use and overdose in the United States and throughout the world, yet qualitative accounts and quantitative analyses exhibit positive associations between police opioid seizures and ensuing risk of fatal overdose at the local level of individual incidents. Since these associations run counter to the commonly held belief that removing potent illicit substances from the community is protective of overdose, a causal model is needed to demonstrate this association and convey the overdose risks that follow from police opioid seizures | IJDP, USA

Vapes Increasingly Pushed Underground in the US and UK

Nicotine vaping products are increasingly being pushed underground in two contrasting jurisdictions, as my recent research illustrates. This sends a damaging message about important harm reduction tools, and threatens consumer safety | Filter Magazine, USA

Some Common Themes in the State Fentanyl Bills Still in Play

The current legislative session has seen dozens of proposals to create or enhance criminal penalties for fentanyl-related charges, many of which are still in play or have already been passed | Filter Magazine, USA

Blogs, comment and opinion

Nick Heather 1938–2025

Brian 'Nick' Heather was a true giant of the alcohol and addiction field, having published over 500 articles and over 20 books including the classic 'Radical Perspectives in Psychology' and the groundbreaking 'Controlled Drinking'. He was indefatigable in advancing understanding and treatment of alcohol problems well into his eighties, especially in challenging the disease model of addiction. A passionate, principled man within and outside of his work, he had a love of football and jazz, and is survived by his wife, Jean, four sons and six grandchildren | BPS, UK

Menthol cigarettes will be banned from April 1. Here’s why – and what else is changing

New laws come into effect in Australia today that change the look, ingredients, and packaging of tobacco products | Conversation, Australia

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