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Daily news - 28th July 2025 |
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UK news
FSS issues warning after potentially harmful counterfeit vodka discovered
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is issuing a public health warning after counterfeit vodka was seized this week which confirmed the presence of the chemical isopropyl, which can be harmful if consumed. The counterfeit vodka recovered was sold in 35cl bottles (commonly known as half bottles) and fraudulently labelled as Glen’s | FSS, UK
Special report: Inside the UK's ketamine crisis - video
With data showing increasing numbers of people using the drug, and the government considering reclassifying it, Sky's Shingi Mararike has been speaking to people who have experienced life-changing consequences - and those trying to help them | Sky News, UK
Homeless people disproportionately at risk of hep C, charity warns
People experiencing homelessness are one of the most at-risk groups for hepatitis C infection, the St Mungo’s charity has warned in advance of next week’s World Hepatitis Day | DDN, UK
Free quit smoking app for Devon residents offers personalised support
The Smoke Free app, which has helped thousands of users quit for good, is offering six months of free premium access to people living in Devon – excluding Plymouth and Torbay, where the offer is expected to be available soon | Dartmouth Chronicle, UK
Bristol Sober Spaces Day Rave
The Trinity Centre on Sunday 3rd August. We're taking over Trinity's outdoor space for the rave, with a chill-out zone indoors for when you need a breather. The line-up includes: Headliners Roni Size (who we can't announce till sunday) and Nicky Blackmarket, and a whole host of multi genre Bristol Djs. Bristol Sober Spaces host events for everyone, offering a no-alcohol environment, making them accessible for everyone, including those who choose not to drink for any reason. So, whether you're sober, sober curious, don't drink for cultural or religious reasons, or just fancy a change, you're welcome | BDP, UK
Men jailed over £1m cannabis factory
South Yorkshire Police said the grow posed a "serious fire hazard" to neighbouring buildings as its electricity supply had been hooked up to an underground mains cable | BBC, UK
Illegal cigarettes and tobacco worth £3.5m seized in Dumfries
In a joint police and Trading Standards operation, officers executed four warrants in the town centre on Wednesday and three men, aged 25, 28 and 31, were arrested | BBC, UK
International news
Interventions to change vaping harm perceptions and associations between harm perceptions and vaping and smoking behaviours: A systematic review
[Open access] Interventions to change vaping harm perceptions appear to be effective. Vaping harm perceptions appear to predict vaping and smoking behaviours | Addiction, UK
Personalised feedback interventions with Marilyn Piccirillo, Katherine Walukevich-Dienst, and Elizabeth Lehinger - podcast
In this episode, Dr Tsen Vei Lim talks to: Dr Marilyn Piccirillo from the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Drs Katherine Walukevich-Dienst and Elizabeth Lehinger from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. The interview covers their research report on the longer-term efficacy of brief, alcohol-focused personalised feedback interventions among young adults in two universities on the West coast of the US | SSA, UK
Smoke signals: from Charli xcx’s nuptials to The Bear, cigarettes are everywhere
Fags are back in fashion, as a ‘soft rebellion’ at weddings, on stage and on screen, despite awareness of the cancer risk | Guardian, UK
Smokeless nicotine is at the heart of Sweden’s smoking decline, says leading expert
“Smokeless nicotine is at the heart of Sweden’s smoking decline,” said Karl Fagerström, a prominent researcher who spent his career developing smoking cessation therapies | Clearing the air, UK
New EUDA miniguide underscores vital role of harm reduction equipment in protecting the health of people who use drugs
Did you know that something as simple as a sterile syringe can save lives? The vital role of harm reduction equipment in reducing the health risks associated with high-risk drug use, is explored in a new EUDA miniguide. The resource forms part of the agency’s Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide and is the second in a bundle of miniguides dedicated to drug-related interventions | EUDA, Portugal
Trump targets supervised consumption of drugs and harm reduction in executive order
President threatens to end funding for programs that ‘facilitate illegal drug use’ | STAT News, USA
Why Dr. Mark Tyndall Is Taking a Stand for Tobacco Harm Reduction
The tobacco harm reduction movement has long needed doctors to unapologetically make the case that it’s a matter of life and death to get safer nicotine products to the most vulnerable groups of people who smoke. Mark Tyndall is the ideal doctor. He has the bonafides and he brings the receipts | Filter Magazine, USA
Marijuana Legalization Bill Introduced in Texas, Amid Battles Over Hemp
As lawmakers in Texas weigh whether to criminalize intoxicating hemp products containing any detectable amount of THC, a Texas Democrat has introduced a new bill that would legalize and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older | Filter Magazine, USA
Media Release on The Use of Strip Searches & Drug Dogs in NSW Report
New report shows over 80,000 strip searches conducted in 10 years, with more than 85% finding nothing. The report titled ‘The Use of Strip Searches & Drug Dogs in NSW’, based on 10 years of police data from 2014 to 2023, was released today by Harm Reduction Australia and Redfern Legal Centre | Harm Reduction Australia, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
The AI Mirror: “take that small hit, and you’ll be fine”
I published the post below last month, which resulted in an invitation to speak with DeAnn and Craig Knighton on their podcast, Recovery Discovery. It was a fun conversation and I thought I’d share that with you here | Recovery Review blog, USA