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Daily news - 4th December 2025 |
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UK news
David Wood to chair Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones has announced Professor David Wood as the new chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). Professor David Wood is a professor of clinical toxicology and consultant physician, specialising in the care of individuals admitted to hospital due to drug and medication overdoses | ACMD, UK
MP calls for more support for children of alcoholics
The Conservative MP for Mid-Norfolk, George Freeman, warned the "carnage" caused by alcohol dependency was more likely to see children ending up in care. Freeman is leading a group of MPs who want stronger safeguarding and improved mental health support for young people | BBC, UK
“I'm so much more productive and talented now”: KJ’s story
KJ was at university when their ketamine use began affecting their relationships, studies and finances. Following a referral to Change Grow Live, they have now been sober for five months. This is KJ's story | Change Grow Live, UK
New Chair of Trustees for The Talk About Trust
On the 24th November, Vicky McDonaugh stood down as Chair of Trustees of The Talk About Trust, remaining as a trustee. Vicky is a founding trustee of the Dorset based charity that works nationally to provide children and young people with the knowledge, skills and resilience to make safer choices around alcohol and drugs and has played a vital role in the charity’s growth and development over the last 16 years | The Talk About Trust, UK
Drug addict sentenced for helping county lines gang
A drug addict who allowed a Nottingham-based county lines gang to use her home to store and deal class-A drugs has been sentenced | BBC, UK
Fatal fire accused denies he killed for drugs
A man who was allegedly recruited for a house fire murder plot has denied that he would "kill people for crack cocaine", saying: "I'd rather go rob a bank." | BBC, UK
International news
California doctor sentenced to 30 months in Matthew Perry overdose case
A California doctor who supplied ketamine to Friends star Matthew Perry has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison - becoming the first person to receive a sentence in the actor's overdose death | BBC, UK
Thailand relaxes afternoon alcohol ban to boost tourism
Liquor stores, restaurants and other accredited establishments can now sell beer, wine and spirits from 14:00 to 17:00 as part of a six-month trial | BBC, UK
British man facing death penalty in Bali over claims he smuggled 1kg of cocaine in his backpack
Kial Robinson, 29, appeared in court over drug smuggling charges | Independent, UK
Keeping Harm Reduction Alive: Strategies amid a global funding collapse - video
Join our speakers Catherine Cook, Paulina Cortez, Antons Mosilevskis, Stacey Doorly-Jones, Dr. Sonny Adams and Anton Basenko on this webinar about the funding challenges for harm reduction programmes. It's time to find alternatives to funding cuts, focus on community-led and human rights approaches | HRI, UK
World Aids Day - EuroNPUD Podcast No.1
For World AIDS Day, this podcast brings together a powerful group of activists, peers, and community leaders from around the world, whose lived experiences and tireless advocacy continue to shape responses to HIV and drug policy | EuroNPUD, UK
Colombia’s president warns Trump: ‘Do not wake the jaguar’ with threats of military strikes
Gustavo Petro responded to intimations by US president of military strikes on Colombian soil to fight drug trafficking | Guardian, UK
Danish Presidency and European Commission push 'super tax' on heated tobacco as NGO influence overrides member state concerns
Denmark’s EU Presidency has proposed a significant increase in taxes on heated tobacco products, as revealed in a document accessed by EU Reporter | EU Reporter, Ireland
Researchers alarmed as study suggests many teens vape at night
A new study by Dutch doctors paints a stark picture of nicotine addiction among secondary school pupils, with more than a third of teenage smokers reporting that they wake up at night because they need nicotine | Dutch News, The Netherlands
EUDA and Polish Police host expert workshop on synthetic cathinones
The EUDA and the Polish Police Central Bureau of Investigation are co-hosting an expert workshop this week in Warsaw to address emerging challenges related to synthetic cathinones | EUDA, Portugal
Thinking of Dry January? One month without alcohol linked to better sleep, mood and health, study finds
With the new year on the horizon and resolutions brewing, more people are saying cheers to a booze-free January, a choice that might come with some real health benefits and, ultimately, help some people cut back for good | Medical Xpress, USA
Increased use of cannabis seen among adolescents with psychiatric illnesses after cannabis sales became legal
In November 2018, retailers in Massachusetts began selling recreational cannabis to adults 21 years and older. A study by investigators from Mass General Brigham found that, after commercialization, rates of cannabis use and cannabis-related disorders (i.e., cannabis use disorder, cannabis-induced psychiatric symptoms), disproportionately increased among adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years, presenting for a psychiatric emergency | Medical Xpress, USA
Chronic cannabis use, vomiting and compulsive bathing—symptoms of a hidden syndrome
Researchers at the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois Chicago have found that cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a vomiting condition tied to chronic cannabis use, rose sharply in US emergency departments between 2016 and 2022 and has stayed elevated | Medical Xpress, USA
Evidence lacking for medical cannabis in most conditions, researchers find
Medical cannabis lacks adequate scientific backing for most of the conditions it is commonly used to treat, including chronic pain, anxiety and insomnia, according to a comprehensive review led by UCLA Health | Medical Xpress, USA
Trump Revives SUPPORT Act Funding Treatment and Recovery Programs
The federal government has enacted the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025, building on the original 2018 version that at the time represented the largest-ever expansion of federal funding for substance use disorder treatment and recovery programs. The Act expired in 2023, and although many programs remained funded in its absence, the reauthorization promises continued funding through 2030 | Filter Magazine, USA
Report reveals scale of alcohol’s harm to others
Lead researcher Professor Anne-Marie Laslett, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at La Trobe’s Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, said researchers had been gradually building the body of evidence through 30 publications on alcohol’s harm to others in Australia. The release of this report marks the culmination of the team’s work. Professor Laslett said the evidence underlined the need to prevent and respond to the harm seen in many aspects of Australian lives, within families and communities | La Trobe University, Australia
Drug Trends at APSAD 2025: Research highlights and insights
The 2025 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs Conference, held in Sydney, brought together leading researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from across Australia and beyond to share the latest evidence and innovations in alcohol and other drug research. Members of the Drug Trends team from NDARC and partner institutes made a strong contribution through a series of oral and poster presentations that explored drug markets, patterns of use, and emerging harm reduction strategies | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Advancing alcohol policy modelling by integrating alcohol dependence
When it comes to understanding how alcohol policies affect health and social outcomes in the population, models can be powerful tools. They help us predict how changes in policy, like pricing or treatment for alcohol dependence, might influence alcohol consumption, health outcomes, and social harms | SARG blog, UK
And finally...
Drunk raccoon found passed out in Virginia liquor store
Store employee found masked bandit sleeping off a bender after invading booze store and tippling a tad too much | Guardian, UK