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Daily news - 9th December 2025 |
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UK news
Warning as new synthetic opioid 200 times stronger than heroin kills three users in days
Questions mount over delays in informing frontline services about the threat from new synthetic opioid cychlorphine | Big Issue, UK
Cocaine widely detected in some of NI's major lakes and rivers
Scientists found the Class A drug, and its by-product, in 91% of almost 140 water samples collected in different locations from five waterways - the River Lagan, River Bush, Dundrum, Lough Neagh and Lough Erne. Ketamine and amphetamine, two Class B drugs that are also used as pharmaceuticals, were also found as well as painkillers and antidepressants | BBC, UK
Man recovering from over-the-counter drug addiction urges others to get help
A Belfast man who is currently receiving treatment for an addiction to over the counter medication has warned others of the dangers they pose. Michael Main said he started taking ibuprofen and codeine products around 12 years ago for pains in his legs and migraines. He said his addiction had gotten so bad, he ended up in hospital to get operations for a perforated ulcer and to remove part of his bowel. Consultant addiction psychiatrist Dr Joy Watson said addiction to over-the-counter drugs is "an increasing problem in Northern Ireland" | BBC, UK
'I would drink and I wouldn't want to wake up'
A man who struggled with alcohol addiction has called for support to be provided for all communities. Navraj Singh, 43, has spoken out about how he got help, the barriers he faced, and what support was needed | BBC, UK
Here’s how alcohol impacts your gut health
Alcohol affects gut transit time, with high-concentration drinks like whisky slowing stomach movement, while lower-concentration beverages such as wine can speed it up | Independent, UK
“Shopping with dignity – for free” at Nottinghamshire’s new Boutique
A free boutique in an unused office space at Change Grow Live Nottinghamshire is transforming the lives of those who shop there – and volunteer there | Change Grow Live, UK
Sober Comedy London | Dry January Special
Sun, 25th Jan 2026 @ 15:30 - 17:30. This afternoon event at The London Alcohol-Free Comedy Club is perfect for those living a Sober or Healthier Lifestyle , or that you just wish to take a break from the booze & relax on a Sunday afternoon - and enjoy the best in Stand-Up Comedy | Forward Trust, UK
Tickets now online for The Forward Trust's National Reunion this January 2026
Saturday 24 January 2026, 11 am - 4 pm (doors open from 10:30 am) The Forward Trust National Reunion 2026 in Hackney, London, welcomes the wider recovery community to this weekend event | Forward Trust, UK
Easier to get drugs than sugar, prisoner says
A coroner has called for action following a prisoner's death at HMP High Down after an inmate said it was easier to get drugs or a mobile phone at the prison than sugar | BBC, UK
Footballer jailed after Instagram drugs boast
Thierry Nevers, 23, who previously played for West Ham, Newport County and Bradford City, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for three years at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday | BBC, UK
International news
EU WHAT? - Britain’s move to ban youngsters from smoking breaks international law, says five European countries
The group of five say the Windsor Framework signed with the EU means Northern Ireland must comply with the rules of the Single Market | The Sun, UK
From cigarettes to snuff to nicotine pouches: the unusual Icelandic model for tobacco harm reduction
During the last few decades, Nordic countries have played host to dramatic falls in smoking rates. They are leading the way in Europe, and each showcases the potential for tobacco harm reduction to rapidly reduce cigarette use. But while snus has provided an increasingly popular off-ramp for those looking to switch away from smoking in Sweden and Norway, Icelanders have taken to a different selection of safer nicotine products, and this Briefing Paper uncovers the story of their rise | GSTHR, UK
Walking into disaster: how narcotraffickers captured the BVI
When the new premier of the British Virgin Islands said he needed an armed security detail, his chief of police knew trouble was on its way | Guardian, UK
Gardaí arrest over 100 motorists for driving under the influence of drink or drugs last week
Between December 1-7, there were two deaths and 12 serious collisions, which resulted in a number of people receiving serious and life-threatening injuries | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of naloxone in carceral settings: a scoping review
[Open access] Should naloxone be supplied in prison to prevent opioid overdoses there and on release? Reviewing the evidence suggests it should, not least because it “has been shown to reduce overdose deaths”. However, evidence is sparse and the barriers to implementation can be formidable | Harm Reduction Journal, USA
The hidden toll of substance use disorder: Annual cost of lost productivity to US economy nearly $93 billion
A new study shows that in 2023, substance use disorders led to nearly $93 billion in lost productivity in the United States from missed work, reduced job performance, inability to work, and lost household productivity. The novel analysis appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, highlights the need for prevention and treatment strategies to reduce harm and costs | Medical Xpress, USA
Old habits die hard: Study shows most young nicotine, cannabis users are still lighting up
Young Americans use nicotine, tobacco and cannabis in multiple ways, but smoking those items—the most dangerous method—is still involved for most users, a new University of Michigan study found | Medical Xpress, USA
Co-producing a peer-led health conversation tool for the health services workforce to facilitate safer use of anabolic–androgenic steroids
[Open access] Illicit anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) use poses physical and psychosocial risks. These issues are exacerbated by inadequate public health responses and well-meaning yet inadequately trained health workers. This study presents the development of a collaboratively designed health conversation tool, which equips health workers’ with a number of questions and strategic information to promote well-informed use for people who use AAS | Harm Reduction Journal, USA
Dual abstinence from nicotine vaping and cannabis use among young people: secondary analyses from two U.S.-based randomized controlled trials of vaping cessation
Provides the first evidence that a text-message intervention to persuade young people to stop vaping can also prevent cannabis use, though the intervention contained no cannabis-specific content | Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, USA
NYS Medical Cannabis Program reduces chronic pain patients' reliance on opioids
Adults with chronic pain who participated in New York State's (NYS) Medical Cannabis Program were significantly less likely to require prescription opioids, according to a new study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine and led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System | News Medical, USA
Time to legalize psychedelics? Campus debate weighs therapeutic need vs. safety questions
Debate over psychedelic legalization tends to focus on two extreme views: the need to speed therapeutic access to meet urgent problems such as veteran suicide, and calls to thoroughly research substances first to ensure they meet safety standards | Medical Xpress, USA
“From Forest to Dust” Shows How Drug Prohibition Drives Climate Crisis
Drug prohibition is a driver of the climate crisis, outlines a major report by international researchers and policy experts. Both drug policy reform and “ecological harm reduction,” it argues, are essential to climate justice | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Why Member States must rebalance the EU drug strategy – before it’s too late
On Thursday 4th December, the European Commission presented its new EU Drug Strategy at a press conference in Brussels. For now, this document is only a ‘Commission communication’ and in the next months Member States will have the opportunity to adopt a final text | IDPC blog, UK
More women are using steroids – and many don’t know the risks
When people think of gym goers using steroids, the picture that comes to mind is often of a man pumping iron, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, or modern day shirtless masculinity influencers like “the Liver King”. But the image is changing. Women now represent a growing share of people who use steroids. And so harm minimisation efforts, currently targeted at men, will need to change too | Conversation, Australia
Illegal tobacco is messing up economic data. That won’t stop until it’s managed like alcohol
Most Australians have probably noticed the proliferation of tobacconists and “convenience stores” in the last few years. These stores aren’t making much from the limited offerings on public display. Rather, their profitability comes from under-the-counter sales of untaxed tobacco and illegal vapes | Conversation, Australia