Home | Archive | Weekly | Reports
Daily news - 3rd June 2025 |
 |
UK news
Warning issued after two suspected opioid deaths
An investigation is under way into the "sudden deaths" of a 28-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman in Southall on 26 May, the Metropolitan Police said. "This is following reports that the individuals allegedly passed away after taking an illicit substance in the form of a green pill," a spokesperson for the force added | BBC, UK
DDN June 2025 - out now
‘The ripple effect that keeps growing and growing.’ Bernard describes the ethos of a programme that’s helping people through the difficult stages after leaving prison (p6). That connection at the prison gate can be transformative – an introduction to peers and partnerships that can open up a world of opportunity. ‘It’s a lifeline for me,’ says Lee, a volunteer working with the project after 19 years behind bars | DDN, UK
ACMD 3-year work programme 2025 to 2028: commissioning letter
Letter from Minister Johnson to the Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) setting out the priorities for ACMD's work programme | Home Office and The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP, UK
Tube drug use falls for first time in three years
The number of incidents of drug use on London Underground has fallen for the first time in three years, figures show. The British Transport Police (BTP) recorded 470 incidents in 2024-25, down from 589 the previous year. The data, released by Transport for London (TfL) in response to a Freedom of Information request, external, recorded 63 instances of white powder or substance in its drug log and 56 reports of cannabis | BBC, UK
Ban on disposable vapes welcomed by NHS body
Claire Parker, director of strategy and development at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said: "It's a really good opportunity to raise the discussion about vaping and smoking and quitting." | BBC, UK
New project aims to embed youth voices in local tobacco and vape policymaking
A collaborative project emphasising the crucial role of young people's voices in shaping public health policy has been awarded funding from the NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) | SARG, UK
Vapers warned not to stockpile ‘fire risk’ disposables before UK ban
The ban, enforced from Sunday, is designed to reduce youth vaping and tackle environmental damage | Guardian, UK
Alcohol Awareness Week
This year’s Alcohol Awareness Week takes place from 7-13 July 2025 on the theme of alcohol and work. As part of the week, we’ll be opening a conversation about the relationship between alcohol and work to help us better understand it and sharing some helpful tips and advice on changes we can make to improve things for us all | Alcohol Change UK, UK
Trailer "Love Kevin" a Documentary about the life of Kevin Molloy - video
Kevin Molloy was born in Birmingham, United Kingdom. His life experiences and passions shaped his character and expertise in various areas, including rugby, music, acting, and harm reduction advocacy—a role in which he was able to save many lives. He was a beloved husband, father, friend, and colleague | Safer Documentary, UK
Minimum Unit Pricing: Explained - video
Alcohol harm is a serious and growing issue across the UK, contributing to rising hospital admissions, increasing mortality, and placing significant pressure on families, communities, and the NHS. One of the most targeted and evidence-based approaches to address this challenge is Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) | IAS, UK
Cannabis farm worth £1m found in derelict building
Three men, aged 36, 40 and 49, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of cannabis cultivation and released on bail, a West Mercia Police spokesperson said | BBC, UK
Inmate used garden work to smuggle drugs into jail
An inmate who had been given special privileges to work in the garden at the entrance of the Isle of Man Prison smuggled drugs and two SIM Cards into the jail | BBC, UK
International news
Madeira's Drugs Crisis - video
The beautiful Atlantic island of Madeira has a chronic problem with a cheap synthetic drug imported through the post. The drug - nicknamed Bloom - is so easy to get hold of, so cheap and so addictive that authorities are struggling to cope. Helen Clifton has spent time with police and frontline services to get an idea of how big a problem Bloom now is across Madeiran society. She comes face to face with addicts, and hears about the desperate social impact of a drug more addictive than heroin | BBC Sounds, UK
Stop the crackdown – Save lives: Defend civil society and the rule of law in Hungary
In this global sign-on letter, 116 civil society organisations from 47 countries raise the alarm over the ‘war on drugs’ launched by the Hungarian government in March 2025, which has resulted in aggressive police interventions targeting people who use drugs, and a concerning crackdown on harm reduction service providers and civil society organisations promoting human rights-centred drug policies | IDPC, UK
Global, regional, and national liver cancer attributable to smoking and alcohol use burden, 1990–2021: analysis for the global burden of disease 2021 study
Liver cancer poses a significant global health challenge. Smoking and alcohol consumption are major risk factors for liver cancer | BMC Public Health, UK
She defended drug lord El Chapo - now, she's running for office
As drivers sit in traffic near the Bridge of the Americas connecting Mexico with the USA, Silvia Delgado weaves between the cars handing out leaflets | BBC, UK
Mothers fight to protect children from drugs as ‘hotspotting’ takes hold in Lesotho
Women campaign against needle-sharing and ‘bluetoothing’ in African state with one of the world’s highest rates of HIV | Guardian, UK
Cannabis use among older adults in the US reaches record levels
Marijuana use among older adults in the US has reached a new high, with 7 percent of adults aged 65 and over who report using it in the past month, according to an analysis led by researchers with the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at the NYU School of Global Public Health | News Medical, USA
Researchers show cannabis dependence drives links to psychiatric disorders
New research uncovers how cannabis addiction, not casual use, is genetically tied to severe mental health conditions, raising red flags for policy, treatment, and prevention | News Medical, USA
Cannabis retailers found to be more concentrated in disadvantaged neighborhoods
A novel study reveals a significantly higher concentration of recreational (nonmedical) cannabis retailers in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and neighborhoods with greater proportions of populations of color across 18 US states in which cannabis use is legal for adults. The study, appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, offers critical insights for policymakers and public health officials, underscoring the need for strategies to ensure equitable distribution of cannabis retailers | News Medical, USA
Health harm warnings found most effective in discouraging e-cigarette use
Electronic-cigarette warnings are effective in discouraging vaping, with warnings specific to health harms being generally more effective than warnings about e-cigarette addiction, according to a meta-analysis of 24 studies conducted by University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers and their colleagues. The researchers also found no negative unintended consequences of e-cigarette warnings, such as encouraging people to smoke cigarettes instead of vaping | News Medical, USA
Tobacco-funded research continues to appear in leading medical journals
Tobacco-funded research is still appearing in highly-cited medical journals - despite attempts by some to cut ties altogether, finds an investigation by The Investigative Desk and The BMJ today | News Medical, USA
An Invisible Crisis: Brain Injury From Non-Fatal Overdose
Harms related to drug overdose are not limited to death. It’s important to remember that, when research has indicated there are approximately 15 non-fatal overdoses for every fatal overdose in the United States | Filter Magazine, USA
Atypical Opioid-Related Overdose Presentations (PDF)
This issue features a regional breakdown of reports from four CCENDU sites and three drug checking services across the country. It focuses on the presence of atypical opioid-related overdose presentations, like jaw and muscle rigidity (stiff posturing), seizures and dyskinesia (involuntary muscle movement). It also discusses implications for first responders and emergency medical services, clinicians, people who use drugs and policy makers | CCSA, Canada
Drug Trends output: Drug detection dog encounters and precautionary behaviours at Australian music festivals among people who regularly consume illicit stimulants in Australia, 2024
The aims of this bulletin is to examine experiences with, and responses to, drug detection dogs at music festivals among a sample of people who regularly use illicit stimulants in Australia | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Is there such a thing as ‘good’ stigma? - Blog from Dr James Morris
As drug-related deaths continue to rise across the globe, debates about what can be done to tackle society’s addiction problems continue. Although stigma is generally recognised as major barrier to addiction recovery, arguments can sometimes be heard that stigma – or at least societal ‘disapproval’ - towards substance use is in fact, a ‘good’ thing | AntiStigma Network, UK
Q&A: Why regional disparities in opioid overdose mortality persist despite national decline
Sarah Wakeman, MD, Senior Medical Director for Substance Use Disorder at Mass General Brigham, is the co-senior author and Will Oles, BS, of Harvard Medical School, is a corresponding author of a paper published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, "Geographic Trends in Opioid and Polysubstance Overdose Deaths in the US, 2014-2023." | Medical Xpress, USA
Millions of US children have parents with substance use disorder, and the consequences are staggering − new research
About 1 in 4 U.S. children – nearly 19 million – have at least one parent with substance use disorder. This includes parents who misuse alcohol, marijuana, prescription opioids or illegal drugs. Our estimate reflects an increase of over 2 million children since 2020 and an increase of 10 million from an earlier estimate using data from 2009 to 2014 | Conversation, USA