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Daily news - 27th February 2025

UK news

Warning issued over dangerous 'super vapes'

European Safety Gate – a rapid alert system for dangerous products – has issued a product alert for the R&M Tornado Vape, which contains 30,000 puffs. It carries 30ml of liquid – 15 times the legal amount – and has the equivalent amount of nicotine as 375 king-sized cigarettes | BBC, UK

Mum of drugs victim hopes play will 'make NI pupils think'

The mother of a County Armagh teenager, who died after taking drugs given to her on her first night at university, is hoping a play touring schools will make other young people think about what they would do in a similar situation | BBC, UK

Learning English from the News - Is vaping as bad as smoking cigarettes? - audio

A new UK study has found that vapes are just as bad for health as cigarettes | BBC, UK

The impacts of e-cigarette flavours: An overview of systematic reviews

[Open access] E-cigarette flavours have the potential to impact the appeal, harms and use of e-cigarettes and combustible tobacco. Systematic reviews have synthesised evidence on their impacts but have always focused on specific outcomes or populations. This overview aimed to draw together syntheses from past systematic reviews of e-cigarette flavours to provide a holistic, population-wide view | Addiction, UK

Ketamine: What's the appeal? - video

In this episode, Rob and Jamie discuss all things ketamine, including the news in the last couple of months that the Government is considering reclassifying the substance to a Class A drug. We also discuss what ketamine's appeal is and why people use it, as well as asking whether it is a relatively safe drug? | Barod, UK

Kildare keeper Hulgraine on recovery after addiction battles

Kildare goalkeeper Mary Hulgraine is this week's guest on The GAA Social as she reveals how her religious faith helped turn her life around following a lengthy battle against alcohol and drug addiction | BBC, UK

Shinty drops plan for random drugs testing

The Camanachd Association said in early 2023 it planned to introduce the testing. But new chief executive Ruari Davidson has told BBC Scotland News that no tests had been carried out since that date. Following advice from Sportscotland he said the association would instead pursue an educational message to discourage drug use | BBC, UK

NHS gambling clinics: an introduction to how they work

Tuesday 25th March 2025, 1pm - 2pm. A number of new NHS gambling clinics were established in 2023 following growing demand and lessons learned from the National Problem Gambling Clinic (est 2008) and the NHS Northern Gambling Service (est 2019). This webinar will discuss how the clinics work, who uses them and the sorts of issues they deal with | Addiction Professionals, UK

Henri Michaux: The Mescaline Drawings

12 Feb – 4 Jun 2025, Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery, Floor 1. This display celebrates the unique Mescaline Drawings by the Franco-Belgian poet and visual artist, Henri Michaux (1899-1984). In January 1955, as part of an experiment prompted by his publisher, Michaux tried the psychedelic drug mescaline, a product derived from the Mexican peyote cactus. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effect of this type of non-addictive drug on the creative act. Michaux considered these experiences to be a portal into the inner workings of the mind | Courtauld Institute, UK

International news

France becomes second European country to ban disposable e-cigarettes

France became on Tuesday the second European country, after Belgium, to ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes on its territory. Known as "puffs", MPs argued they are gateways to tobacco addiction for teenagers and harmful to the environment | RFI, France

[Open access] Drink spiking has gained attention in the media but remains under-researched, particularly in the context of gendered power dynamics and sexual violence. Moreover, little is known about the role of alcohol and the discourses individuals draw on when making sense of their victimisation, including how experiences are linked to notions of masculinity, femininity, stigma, embodiment and other social discourses | IJDP, USA

An ice rink to fight opioid crisis: Drug-free fun vs. misuse of settlement cash

A Kentucky county nestled in the heart of Appalachia, where the opioid crisis has wreaked devastation for decades, spent $15,000 of its opioid settlement money on an ice rink | Medical Xpress, USA

[Open access] The alcohol and other drug treatment needs of young people differ from adults. It is important that outcomes measured in this client population are meaningful and use tools that are validated among young people. However, there has been no research to date that has looked at which outcomes and tools are most relevant for this population. This scoping review identifies outcome domains for young people that are supported by the research literature and clinical practice frameworks and identifies important evidence gaps. We also assessed which validated tools exists to measure these domains | IJDP, USA

Spotlight on social disapproval and stigma towards addictive behaviours

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM GMT. Online. Some scholars and commentators suggest that stigma plays an important role in disincentivising people from addictive behaviours, such as substance use. So does the idea of ‘social disapproval’ work in reducing harmful consequences or is it just another manifestation of stigma? In this Spotlight on Stigma seminar, we hear from an international alcohol, addiction, and behaviour change specialist expert on whether ‘social disapproval’ can be separated from stigma, and some thoughts on how framing and language have important implications for stigma towards alcohol use | UNSW, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

Empowering Change: How The Forward Trust’s IPS Service is Transforming Lives

At The Forward Trust, we are committed to supporting individuals from disadvantaged or underserved backgrounds in their pursuit of education, skills development, employment, or self-employment | Forward Trust blog, UK

Extend Studio