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Daily news - 11th July 2025 |
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UK news
What matters to people working in drug and alcohol services?
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) commissioned Ipsos to survey people working in drug and alcohol treatment and recovery service delivery and commissioning in England. DHSC commissioned the survey to generate insights about how to make the sector a more attractive and rewarding place to work. The findings will help to guide implementation of the 10-year workforce strategic plan 2024-2034, which aims to create an expanded, skilled and sustainable drug and alcohol workforce. It will also be used by employers to inform their approach to workforce development | IPSOS, UK
After 40 years of evidence linking alcohol to cancer, the public remains largely unaware of the dangers
In the UK, around 17,000 cancers each year are caused by alcohol—that’s nearly 1 in 20 cases. Breast cancer, the most common cancer in the UK, has an especially strong link: as many as 1 in 10 breast cancer cases are attributed to alcohol, according to Cancer Research UK | Parliament News, UK
Boots pharmacies launch pilot stop vaping service
The 12-week 'Stopping starts here' pilot scheme involves participating pharmacists providing one-to-one sessions and smoking cessation products to help people quit vaping | Pharmaceutical Journal, UK
Supporting people on their recovery journey from addiction
The council is actively working with a number of recovery organisations in York to bring a city centre recovery hub to life, as well as making steps towards becoming a champion for York as an Inclusive Recovery City, tackling stigma and discrimination against people with addictions and celebrating their recovery by making it visible | City of York Council, UK
Drug recovery hub in library hailed a success
A controversial decision to open an addiction recovery centre in a library has been hailed a major success. Newcastle City Council announced its decision to open the drug and alcohol addiction recovery hub at Fenham Library in 2018. More than 3,000 people signed a petition opposing the project over fears local children would not be safe and claimed the community was not properly consulted. However, Labour councillor Joyce McCarty, who represents the Wingrove ward, said the concerns raised had been unfounded and the council had not received any complaints about the hub | BBC, UK
Award-winning justice initiative made permanent
The South Lanarkshire Recovery Orientated Justice Service (ROJS) will continue to support individuals at risk of causing harm due to substance abuse after initially being created as a two-year pilot scheme | South Lanarkshire View, UK
Life-changing recovery service marks 20 years
The Bridge Substance Misuse Programme, external, which operates in Northampton, Wellingborough and Corby, hosted an event to showcase recovery stories from people it had helped in the past two decades | BBC, UK
Eight principles for involving people with living and lived experience in addiction research
Members of the Addictions Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (APPIE) network share their advice about how researchers can collaborate with people with living and lived experience of addiction | SSA, UK
Injecting Drug Use Part 1 - video
In this episode, we are joined by Sian (Barod's Operations Manager), Katy (DDAS Active Treatment Worker) and Jamie (Barod's Swansea Service Manager). Part 1 of this episode focuses on injecting drug use, including what the different form of injecting are, what substances we tend to see and hear about being injected, and why administering drugs via this method increases the risk of an overdose | Barod, UK
Motor Vehicles: Smoking
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fixed penalty notices have the police issued to people smoking in private vehicles in which children are present (a) in total and (b) in each year since this became an offence | They work for you, UK
Wimbledon serves up Pimm’s-inspired mocktail for alcohol-free tennis fans
The drink is an SW19 stalwart, but tournament bartenders say gen Z is now courting spritzes with less punch | Guardian, UK
Tender - National Curriculum for Drug and Alcohol Peer Support Workers (PSW)
NHS England (NHSE) are commencing a tender to support the provision for National Curriculum for Drug and Alcohol Peer Support Workers (PSW). The maximum financial envelope for this procurement exercise is £100,000 Exclusive of Vat and the contract period will be up to 31st March 2026. The deadline for completed ITT submissions will be 28th July 2025 at 12:00 noon | NHS England, UK
Tender - The Drug and Alcohol Worker National Curriculum (DAWs)
NHS England (NHSE) are commencing a tender to support the provision for the Drug and Alcohol Worker National Curriculum (DAWs) The maximum financial envelope for this procurement exercise is £100,000 Exclusive of Vat and the contract period will be up to 31st March 2026. The deadline for completed ITT submissions will be 28th July 2025 at 12:00noon | NHS England, UK
Tender - Children and Young People's Drug and Alcohol Workers (CYP DAWs)
NHS England (NHSE) are commencing a tender to support the provision for Children and Young People's Drug and Alcohol Workers (CYP DAWs). The maximum financial envelope for this procurement exercise is £100,000 Exclusive of Vat and the contract period will be up to 31st March 2026. The deadline for completed ITT submissions will be 28th July 2025 at 12:00noon | NHS England, UK
International news
Scientists surprised by study on whether medical cannabis works for insomnia
Many believe cannabis helps them sleep. Here’s what the data says | Independent, UK
Age–period–cohort analysis of past 12-month cannabis use in Germany (1995–2021)
In 2024, cannabis was partially legalized for recreational purposes in Germany. With a growing prevalence of persons who used cannabis in the past 12 months, and the health risks associated with cannabis use, it is imperative to examine usage behavior patterns in greater detail. The present analysis measured the impact of age, time period and birth cohort on the prevalence of cannabis consumption in the past 12 months in Germany | Addiction, UK
Australia’s youth smoking and vaping rates surge after vape ban
Young people aged 18 to 24 now have the highest rate of smoking or vaping of any age group in Australia, with 28 per cent (700,000 people) reporting they engage in one or both habits. That’s up from 25.1 per cent (620,000) in September 2024 – a sharp 2.9 percentage point increase in under a year | Clearing the air, UK
Shift in attitudes towards drug addiction, study finds
The number of people who believe that those who are dependent on drugs only have themselves to blame has fallen by almost half in the past 25 years, dropping from 57% to 30% | RTe, Ireland
10% increase in number of women seeking drug, alcohol treatment
There was a 10% increase in the number of women seeking treatment for drug and alcohol addiction in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2024 | RTe, Ireland
“Changing the current drug policy regime has become a life cause for me” – An Interview with Colombia’s Ambassador At-Large for Drug Policy Laura Gil
On the eve of her departure from her post as the Ambassador of Colombia to Austria and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, we spoke to Ambassador Laura Gil about her time in Vienna, her achievements, the challenges she faced as well as her hopes for the future of international drug policy | Drug Reporter, Hungary
FDA study links high consumer CBD doses to liver enzyme elevations
FDA researchers report that the upper end of reported consumer use (~400mg of daily CBD intake) of cannabidiol (CBD) may elevate liver enzymes in healthy adults | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
One in 20 adults in England now smoke cigarettes and vape, study finds
To reduce smoking harms, there is an urgent need to correct misperceptions about the risks of vaping | BMJ Rapid Response, UK
A future on our own terms: The 2025 Support. Don’t Punish Global Day of Action
For the 2025 Global Day of Action, thousands took action in 262 cities across 80 countries — demanding policies that ensure access to systems of care and support, not punishment. We offer a birdseye summary of how communities organise under our shared banner to build change from below | Support. Don't Punish, UK
Behind the Smoke and Mirrors: the Continuing Challenge of Tobacco Harm Reduction
In this in-depth contribution to 2Firsts, harm reduction expert Harry Shapiro exposes the misinformation and bias in global tobacco control, calling for evidence-based safer nicotine alternatives to protect public health and save lives | 2Firsts, China
What is cannabis use disorder? And how do you know if you have a problem?
Around 41% of Australians report they’ve used cannabis at some point in their life. Research estimates that 22% of recreational cannabis consumers meet criteria for a cannabis use disorder. This condition can make it difficult to control how often or how much cannabis they use | Conversation, Australia
We interviewed 205 Australians convicted of murder and manslaughter. Alcohol’s role was alarming
We’ve long known there’s a link between alcohol and violence, but when it comes to homicide the stories behind the statistics are harder to grasp. Our study sheds rare light on what actually happens when drinking precedes killing, because it draws not just on police or court records but on the first-hand accounts of convicted offenders | Conversation, Australia