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Daily news - 10th December 2025 |
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UK news
Evaluation of the Scottish Government Residential Rehabilitation programme
This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) is part of a series of reports on the number of individuals who start a residential rehabilitation placement in Scotland. These reports are informing the PHS evaluation of the Scottish Government's Residential Rehabilitation programme. The Residential Rehabilitation programme was set up to improve access to residential rehab for substance use in Scotland | Public Health Scotland, UK
Senedd backs bill to create smoke-free generation and curb youth vaping
Mental Health and Wellbeing Minister Sarah Murphy welcomed the Senedd’s vote on the legislative consent motion, describing the Bill as vital to protecting young people from a lifetime of nicotine addiction | Pembrokeshire Herald, UK
Are older adult vapers being overlooked?
New Haypp data points to the importance of vapers over-55 using vapes as smoking cessation tools | Convenience Store, UK
Illegal vapes still on sale as fires surge six months after UK ban
Six months after the disposable vape ban, illicit products are still widely available. Waste companies are also reporting daily fires caused by discarded vapes, casting serious doubt on whether the crackdown is working | Clearing the air, UK
Some welcome proposed alcohol licensing law change
The proposal included plans to make more flexible conditions for businesses, reducing the number of licence categories from seven to two and moving responsibility for alcohol licensing to the Alcohol and Gambling Commission | BBC, UK
Equality Act: Can you help us change the law?
We are campaigning for a change in the law to remove the exclusion of alcohol dependence in the Equality Act | Alcohol Change UK, UK
International news
EUDA webinar: Care without conditions — housing-first and employment-first approaches
Recording of the webinar which brought together representatives from three inspirational European programmes to share how they deliver reintegration on people’s own terms, focusing on dignity, health, safety and opportunity rather than on abstinence | EUDA, Portugal
“My Advice is to not let him in”: How Support for Concerned Significant Others is Shaped by Professionals’ Understandings of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems
[Open access] Analysis of how in Sweden social workers and substance use services relate to the relatives of people with substance use problems, advancing understandings of addiction and the family which “could further pathologize [their] experiences and inadvertently increase their sense of blame or responsibility” | Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Sweden
Exposure to content written by large language models can reduce stigma around opioid use disorder
[Open access] Widespread stigma, both offline and online, hinders harm reduction efforts in the context of opioid use disorder (OUD). This stigma targets clinically approved medications for OUD (MOUD), people with the condition, and the condition itself, among several others. Given the potential of artificial intelligence in promoting health equity, this work examines whether large language models (LLMs) can abate stigmatizing attitudes in virtual healthcare communities | Nature, USA
Light-based brain therapy shows promise in cutting opioid cravings and relapse
Washington State University researchers have discovered how a neural circuit—or a connection between two brain regions—drives relapse after opioid use, a finding that could lead to more effective treatments for opioid use disorders | Medical Xpress, USA
Does Believing Alcohol Causes Cancer Moderate the Relationship Between Consumer Awareness of the Alcohol–Cancer Link and Support for Alcohol Policies? Findings From a Canadian Cross-Sectional Study
[Open access] Extending research observing an association between awareness that alcohol causes cancer and support for alcohol policies, this study examined if believing or accepting alcohol causes cancer moderates the relationship between awareness of alcohol as a carcinogen and policy support | DAR, USA
Not a Sip: Effects of Zero Tolerance Laws on Road Traffic Fatalities
[Open access] It sounds tough – absolutely no alcohol in the blood while driving – but in Argentina (and elsewhere) “the policy backfired”, its introduction being followed by more traffic‐related injuries and if anything an increase in deaths | Health Economics, USA
Holiday season sees spike in impaired driving—alcohol isn't the only culprit, expert says
December is one of the deadliest months for impaired driving; and according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2022, December drunken driving rates were at their highest in 15 years | Medical Xpress, USA
Want to curb cannabis-related crashes? Don't forget older adults, study finds
With cannabis-related vehicle crashes on the rise, a new study suggests that prevention campaigns shouldn't focus just on young people | Medical Xpress, USA
Psychedelics can disrupt normal link between brain's neuronal activity and blood flow
Psilocybin is a psychedelic drug with promising clinical applications for treating mood disorders and substance abuse disorders. Recent work in functional MRI (fMRI) studies show that psychedelics can reset brain network activity—and it is thought that this effect, which can linger for days, might explain its therapeutic benefits | Medical Xpress, USA
NJ May Expand Civil Commitment to Anyone Accused of Recent Overdose
New Jersey legislators are considering a proposal to require involuntary commitment for any overdose survivors revived by law enforcement. It seems it might also apply to anyone suspected of overdosing in the past 48 hours, even without medical confirmation | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Is it a good idea to have a hot toddy when you’re sick?
Experts weigh in on if the traditional remedy of whiskey, honey, lemon and hot water can actually help your cold | Guardian, UK