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Daily news - 28th August 2025 |
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UK news
Largest ever study into cannabis use investigates risk of paranoia and poor mental health in the general population
New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, in partnership with the University of Bath, has found that the reasons why a person chooses to use cannabis can increase their risk of developing paranoia | KCL, UK [See also Blogs section below]
Rehab Centre Teams Up With St Mirren FC Foundation To Create New Community Hub
One of Scotland’s leading residential rehab centres has teamed up with the St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation to create a new community hub for people recovering from alcohol and substance use issues | Abbeycare Foundation, UK
Overdose awareness training to help save lives in the city
People with experience of homelessness at Emmaus Glasgow joined staff in overdose awareness training from the Scottish Drugs Forum to help save lives in the city | EMMAUS Glasgow, UK
Sheffield door supervisor hailed a hero after saving a man’s life outside city centre bar
Charlie Smith was on duty as a head door supervisor at Professional Security, when he saw a man collapse on the street. Acting quickly, Charlie recognised the signs of an opioid overdose and administered naloxone, a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of opioids | The Star, UK
How are young people buying illicit drugs in 2025? Nick Hickmott + Paul North - video
In the second episode of the Drug Education Forum Podcast, host Paul North, a steering committee member and experienced drug education advocate, speaks with Nick Hickmott, Early Intervention Lead at We Are With You in Kent. Nick, a specialist in harm reduction and drug education for young people, discusses the evolution of how young people access drugs—from traditional local dealers to digital platforms like Telegram | DEF, UK
UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A clinical outcomes analysis for insomnia
About one out of every three people has some trouble getting a good night's rest, and 10% of adults meet the criteria for an insomnia disorder. But current treatments can be difficult to obtain, and the drugs approved for insomnia run the risk of dependence. To understand how cannabis-based medical products might affect insomnia symptoms, the authors of this study analyzed a set of 124 insomnia patients taking medical cannabis products | PLOS One, UK
NSP Preventing Harm Conference
Thurs 18th Sept. Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre, Birmingham B15 2RS. Delivered in partnership by the Hepatitis C Trust, UK Health Security Agency and NHS England, this conference offers an opportunity to bring together colleagues from Public Health Units, OHID, local authorities, and third sector organisations to examine the current landscape of national harm prevention efforts. Utilising a public health approach, we will explore the role of Needle and Syringe Programs, focusing on the decline in local pharmacy-based distribution and its potential impact on progress toward and maintenance of the UK Government's 2030 blood-borne virus elimination targets | Hepatitis C Trust, UK
Pen y Fan Recovery Walk 2025
NEW DATE - Weds 24th September. The event will be taking place at Pen Y Fan, within the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. The meeting point and time for this year’s recovery walk is Pont ar Daf car park (LD3 8NL) at 10.00am. The route will be marshalled to ensure everyone stays on the right track, as well as providing assistance if required | Barod, UK
Police seize £1.6m of drugs in Falkirk raid
Police Scotland said a cannabis cultivation of 2,500 plants was discovered | BBC, UK
International news
Prevention of adolescent stimulant drug use: Do the home life environment and extracurricular activities influence this? Findings from the Irish Planet Youth Survey
Stimulant drug use during adolescence (e.g., cocaine or ecstasy) can lead to a myriad of adverse health effects, but it remains uncertain how the home life environment and involvement in structured extracurricular activities may correlate with teenage stimulant use | PLOS One, UK
134. Tribe with Bruce Parry - podcast
Join us in this episode as we speak to Bruce Parry, the creator and star of the BBC series Tribe With Bruce Parry. He explains his sharp career change from a Royal Marine to an advocate for indigenous rights, where he’s developed a humble approach to learning from indigenous tribes, defined by listening and witnessing. He talks about his experiences of psychedelics in these contexts, namely ayahuasca, which have vastly shaped his outlook on life | Drug Science, UK
Minister for Health in favour of nicotine pouch ban for children
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has said she would "absolutely" be in favour of banning nicotine pouches for under-18s | RTe, Ireland
HSE Talking - #109 Overdose Awareness - podcast
In this episode of the HSE Talking Health and Wellbeing podcast, host Fergal Fox is joined by Jenny Smyth (HSE National Social Inclusion Office) and Rob (Ana Liffey Drugs Project) to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. The discussion explores overdose risks in Ireland, the vital role of naloxone, and the importance of peer-led intervention and community support | HSE, Ireland
Drug-testers back at Electric Picnic - podcast
Professor Eamon Keenan, HSE National Clinical lead for addiction services, outlines the drug testing service which will run at Electric Picnic this weekend | RTe radio, Ireland
Top Democratic senator launches inquiry into for-profit methadone clinics
Probe to examine business practices, treatment of patients at major chains | STAT News, USA
College drinking linked to poor academics and mental health for those around the drinker
It's well known that alcohol misuse can harm not only drinkers themselves but also those around them. Now, a new report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs shows that, among college students, harms such as lower grades, mental distress and even suicidal thoughts are linked to being exposed to a drinker's poor behavior | Medical Xpress, USA
Experiences of Tobacco Smoking and Quitting Among Mental Health Consumers
This study examined the experience of tobacco smoking, reasons for and benefits of quitting smoking among people diagnosed with a mental illness. We conducted in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with 17 participants who had attempted to quit smoking to gain insights into their experiences and gather recommendations for improved smoking cessation support | Health Expect, USA
International Overdose Awareness day
31st August. Every August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) brings a global community together to take action on overdose. Hold an event, spread the message, take action today | Penington Institute, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Museums and Galleries can Play a Pivotal Role in Reducing Stigma around Substance Use
In 2023, Portraits of Recovery (PORe), delivered our first Recoverist Month. Its mission: to reduce societal stigma surrounding substance use and recovery through contemporary arts. And as a man in recovery with a professional background in the arts, the programme's aims are a deeply personal mission | AntiStigma Network, UK
Why do people first use cannabis and does that influence later health outcomes?
People start using cannabis for a variety of reasons, such as self-medicating for physical or mental discomfort, because friends and family members use it, for fun, or simply out of boredom. In the largest study of its kind, researchers have analysed data from 3,389 cannabis users to investigate their reasons for first using cannabis, and then their subsequent pattern of use, weekly THC consumption, and any symptoms of paranoia, anxiety or depression they experience | SMC, UK
Expert reaction to two studies on cannabis: one looking at reasons for first use cannabis and association with subsequent THC intake and symptoms of paranoia, anxiety or depression and one looking at childhood trauma, paranoia and cannabis use
Two studies published in BMJ Mental Health and Psychological Medicine looks at first use cannabis and mental health outcomes, childhood trauma, paranoia and cannabis use. Dr Emily Finch, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Addiction Faculty gives her reaction | SMC, UK
Addicts need rehab, not drug rooms
The problem with council-led consultations is they are designed to support the desired pre-determined answer, not an opportunity for the authority to hear a few home truths | Edinburgh News opinion, UK
From smuggling to spin: how tobacco giants hijacked the illicit trade debate
Since the announcement of the generational smoking ban in October 2023, tobacco industry lobbying efforts have gone into overdrive, with the i reporting that the tobacco industry has been “inundating MPs with lobbying material in a bid to persuade them to oppose the changes.” Just as with industry arguments against plain tobacco packaging, much of this lobbying – both in parliament and in the media – has centred on the illicit tobacco market | ASH blog, UK
Q&A: What would reclassifying marijuana mean for medical research?
The Trump administration is considering reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance. The change in classification was proposed in 2024 under the Biden administration, following a recommendation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and was still under review by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) when the new administration took office in January | Medical Xpress, USA
Why religious groups are pushing for psychedelics as sacrament
Texas passed a landmark law in June 2025, supported by former Gov. Rick Perry, that allocates US$50 million to support research on ibogaine, one of the most powerful psychedelics, for treating opioid addiction and treatment-resistant PTSD | Conversation, USA