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Daily news - 17th July 2025 |
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UK news
Government response to the ACMD's report on barriers to research: part 2
Protecting the public from the harmful consequences of drug misuse is part of our mission to keep our streets safe, but we are mindful of the need to ensure properly regulated access to controlled drugs where appropriate. The Home Office and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have worked together to consider the ACMD advice and respond to these recommendations, and we are united in wishing to facilitate the progress of clinical trials involving controlled drugs, while minimising any risk to public safety from drug misuse | ACMD, UK
How do promises on prevention of illness measure up?
Reaction to the NHS ten-year plan concludes that it “fails to live up to the promises” and lacks ambition when it comes to moving from illness to prevention, one of the government’s three fundamental shifts in how the NHS works.’ | Lowdown, UK
I turned to medical cannabis to treat my ADHD – and I’m not alone
Tom Evans initially took conventional ADHD medicine to manage his symptoms but supply was soon disrupted | The i Paper, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Health Education
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) data and (b) other information his Department used to inform public health (i) policies and (ii) campaigns related to reducing alcohol consumption in the development of the NHS 10 Year Plan; from which (A) individuals and (B) organisations that information was sourced; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of (1) impartiality and (2) scientific robustness of those sources | They work for you, UK
Cocaine
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of seizures of cocaine at (a) ports and (b) airports on the supply of the drug | They work for you, UK
Campaigner collects 'thousands' of discarded vapes
Down an alleyway in York, Miki Storey crouches next to a drain and fishes out 13 discarded disposable vapes | BBC, UK
Jail vape fires spark call for tougher punishment
Prisoners who start fires in their cells should face harsher punishment, fire chiefs have said following a steep rise in the number of incidents in jails | BBC, UK
International news
An age–period–cohort–interaction analysis of meth/amphetamine-related deaths in Australia, 2001–2020
The number of meth/amphetamine related deaths in Australia has quadrupled in the last 20 years, primarily due to drug toxicity and suicide among individuals in their 30s and 40s. Previous analysis of Australian meth/amphetamine-related deaths covered limited timeframes and causes, and there has been no exploration of the effects of changing cohorts on meth/amphetamine mortality. This paper provides comprehensive insights across 20 years into the evolving cohort trends in meth/amphetamine-related deaths in Australia | Addiction, UK
Is it safe to use magic mushrooms while pregnant? One woman’s quest raises questions
Inspired by Indigenous practices, Mikaela de la Myco has collected stories of mothers who say psilocybin helped them during pregnancy. US scientists are skeptical | Guardian, UK
Americans in 11 states are told to avoid alcohol and caffeine
The National Weather Service warning came amid sweltering temperatures in some parts of the US | Independent, UK
Available, affordable, potent: Ireland is being hit by 'a perfect storm' of cocaine
Ireland is in the midst of a “perfect storm” of cocaine, with increased availability, higher purity, and greater affordability, according to new research. The country’s leading drug experts said a range of indicators consistently point to a worsening problem and warn that there is potential for even “further increases” in cocaine use and harms | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Co-involvement of stimulants with opioids in North America: A 'silent epidemic'
Many people might be aware of an ongoing opioid epidemic, with thousands of people dying every year from overdoses. But many who are misusing opioids are also using—and dying from—stimulant drugs as well | PLOS Mental Health, USA
Exploring the changing intensity of opioid use
Illegal opioids can create substantial harms, but the extent of those harms depends on multiple factors, including the amount consumed. In a new study, researchers assessed whether opioid consumption intensity varies appreciably over time or context. They found that intensity-as opposed to prevalence-of illegal opioid use varies enormously. These findings have implications for drug treatment and policy | News Medical, USA
Trump Signs HALT Fentanyl Act Into Law
On June 16, President Donald Trump signed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, permanently criminalizing all fentanyl-related substances (FRS) under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Prosecutors will have the power to pursue longer prison sentences in more cases, and will use this power to target communities of color | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Giving Back What I Once Needed: Kelly’s Journey with the Amy Winehouse Foundation
I first learned about volunteering at the Amy Winehouse Foundation during a house meeting. As a former resident at Amy’s Place, I’ve experienced first hand how the foundation supports young women who use drugs and alcohol. When the chance to receive training as a volunteer was offered to residents, I knew I had to seize it. The foundation truly changed my life, and the opportunity to be part of something that could help educate young people in schools about drug and alcohol use and mental health, felt like everything I needed to hear when I was growing up | AntiStigma Network, UK
Let’s stop judging and start listening
How can it be possible that 7 years have passed since my son Ben died from a heroin overdose, some days it seems like it was yesterday, the pain in my heart feels so sharp, my stomach feels like it’s been hit by a bowling ball and I can hardly breath, other days it feels a lifetime ago and its more a dull ache, a sadness that hangs around even in the middle of joy | Anyone's Child blog, UK
Consolation, community, national identity: what is lost when pubs close – and how they can be saved
Recent figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show that pubs will close at the rate of one a day in the UK during 2025. This is just the latest chapter in a familiar story – more than a quarter of British pubs have closed since 2000 | Conversation, UK