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Daily news - 8th April 2025

UK news

DDN April 2025

Imagine this… that people without a home, struggling with addiction, and feeling disconnected are offered immediate and flexible work opportunities. And that this moves into tailored support plans for health and housing, leading to further progress towards stablility and self-sufficiency. Such an action plan might seem as far away as the moon for many people – but through exchanging ideas and joining forces, such initiatives are taking place in France, Spain and elsewhere (p6). So why not here?| DDN, UK

About Project ADDER

This programme closed on 31 March 2025. Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery) was a Home Office-led initiative that ran between Autumn 2020 and March 2025 to trail-blaze a whole-system response to combatting drug misuse in the 13 hardest hit areas across England and Wales. Originally intended to be a three-year initiative, the Home Office provided an additional two years of funding to support forces to build sustainability into their approach and secure local funding beyond the lifetime of the project. Many initiatives developed through Project ADDER therefore remain in place such as the London wide expansion operated by the Metropolitan Police | DHSC, UK

Public backs bold policies to improve health, survey finds

Experts called for ‘bold action’ from the Government, or warned it ‘risks undermining its objectives for improving health’ in the UK | Independent, UK

Hepatitis C Impact Report 2024

Between April '23 – March '24, we tested 37,896 people for hep C & supported 1,358 to start treatment. Thanks to the dedication of service users, staff & partners, the national hep C programme made significant strides | Change Grow Live, UK

Pub bans garden smoking after government backdown

A pub in Kent has banned smoking in its garden after the government backed down on introducing legislation | BBC, UK

Apply to present at the 2025 PhD Symposium

The SSA is now accepting applications for speakers at the 2025 PhD Symposium, which is being held on Wednesday 5 November in Newcastle upon Tyne. Apply by 28 May | SSA, UK

Nightlife: Safety, Security & Policing

Wednesday, May 21 · 9am - 4pm GMT+1. The opening panel will hear key stakeholder perspectives on nightlife and harm reduction, policing, alcohol and violence, and the events industry | University of Liverpool School of Law & Social Justice, UK

Illegal vaping and tobacco items worth £394k seized

Northamptonshire Police and Trading Standards officers carried out inspections at 30 shops across the north of the county, where they seized 8,469 illicit vapes and 193,811 individual cigarettes across four days earlier this year | BBC, UK

International news

California university to expand student minds with new psychedelic studies course

California Institute of Integral Studies, located in San Francisco, will welcome its first undergrad class this August | Guardian, UK

Alcohol warning labels do not need to be 'examined again' - AAI

The Chairperson of Alcohol Action Ireland has said he does not believe the issue of health warnings on alcohol needs to be "examined again", despite a claim from the Minister for Finance that it may be necessary following the introduction of trade tariffs by the United States | RTe, Ireland

Health professionals from Western Balkans and European Neighbourhood Policy countries convene in Lisbon to discuss monitoring of drug-related emergencies

The EUDA welcomes medical professionals from the Western Balkans and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) countries to discuss the monitoring and response to drug-related emergencies. The two-day meeting is organised in close cooperation with the European Drug Emergencies Network (Euro-DEN Plus ) coordination group | EUDA, Portugal

Amsterdam’s New Mobile Drug Consumption Room to Begin Operations Soon – Interview with Anika Apfel

In mid-April 2025, a new mobile drug consumption room (DCR) service will start operating in Amsterdam to address some challenges brought by outdoor drug use in one of the city’s parks. We asked Anika Apfel, site manager at de Regenboog Groep’s AMOC drop-in center and drug consumption room, about the development of the new service | C-EHRN, The Netherlands

[Open access] Adolescent cannabis use is a significant public health concern. This study aimed to investigate how the home life environment and involvement in extracurricular activities correlate with teenage cannabis use in Ireland | Public Health, USA

Hospital addiction consultation service boosts treatment initiation for opioid use disorder

Specialized hospital services that aid people with opioid use disorder regardless of why they are admitted can boost the number of patients who begin treatment with FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder and increase the likelihood they remain engaged in that care once discharged, according to a new study | News Medical, USA

[Open access] Perinatal opioid use disorder (OUD) and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) require targeted interventions to address gaps in maternal education and support. Maternal involvement in non-pharmacological NAS care is essential for improving neonatal outcomes, yet many mothers lack accessible resources to manage NAS symptoms and to navigate social and healthcare challenges. Mobile health applications offer a promising solution, but few cater specifically to the needs of perinatal women with OUD | DAD, USA

Community coalitions key to combating the opioid crisis

Collaborative, community-driven initiatives can help mitigate the impact of opioid misuse and overdose deaths, according to a research team that includes Brandy Henry, assistant professor of rehabilitation and human services in the Penn State College of Education | Medical Xpress, USA

CDC cuts key smoking programs despite success in curbing smoking rates

The U.S. government has shut down or paused several major anti-smoking efforts | Medical Xpress, USA

Five things to know about semaglutide-based medications and addiction treatment

Ozempic and similar semaglutide-based medications have been hailed as miracle drugs. Known as GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) agonists, this class of medications mimics a natural hormone the small intestine releases after you eat. They slow the movement of food through the gut and boost insulin production, increasing the feeling of fullness and suppressing appetite | Medical Xpress, USA

Medical cannabis could speed recovery, especially at community recovery homes, pilot study indicates

A new pilot study from UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers University examined how medically supervised cannabis use in a residential recovery home may support people in treatment for substance use challenges | Medical Xpress, USA

In Brazil, Marijuana Decrim Plan May Re-Emerge as Mandatory Treatment

In 2024, Brazil’s federal Supreme Court decriminalized personal possession of cannabis up to 40 grams, a ruling that was unanimously upheld in February 2025. Now, the Ministry of Justice and the National Council of Justice are scrambling to design a new “health-based” drug policy | Filter Magazine, USA

National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection

This report provides annual snapshot data on clients receiving opioid pharmacotherapy in Australia, as well as health professionals who prescribe opioid pharmacotherapy and dosing points (such as pharmacies) where clients receive treatment | AIHW, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

Minimum unit pricing on alcohol could save lives

Not someone I often find myself agreeing with, but Milton Friedman wasn’t wrong when he said: “Only a crisis – actual or perceived – produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around.” | Politics Home opinion, UK

UK could save £10bn with faster clampdown on tobacco

A commitment to ending smoking would benefit the economy, as well as the UK populace’s health, says Hazel Cheeseman, CEO of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) | The Grocer opinion, UK

Animal tranquilizers found in illegal opioids may suppress the lifesaving medication naloxone − and cause more overdose deaths

The animal tranquilizers xylazine and medetomidine are in approximately one-third of the illegal opioids available in the U.S., including fentanyl, heroin and oxycodone. Animal tranquilizers enhance the user’s euphoric high from opioids, particularly in those who have developed a tolerance to the opioid. But adding the tranquilizers to these already illicit drugs could keep naloxone, a medication known to prevent deaths from opioid overdose, from working | Conversation, USA

Alcohol causes cancer, and less than 1 drink can increase your risk − a cancer biologist explains how

Alcohol, whether consumed regularly or only on special occasions, takes a toll on your body. From your brain and heart, to your lungs and muscles, to your gastrointestinal and immune systems, alcohol has broad harmful effects on your health – including causing cancer | Conversation, USA

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