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Daily news - 10th June 2025

UK news

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and You? - audio

The family of the Race Across The World contestant, Sam Gardiner, say they've been "overwhelmed" by love and support since his death. He died in a car crash last month at the age of 24. His family are raising money in his memory for the National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. His mum Jo says "If some good comes of this tragedy, it will be that FASD is better understood". Nicky heard from listeners who’ve had experience of the condition | BBC Sounds, UK

Fifth of vapers will return to smoking due to UK disposables ban, new survey finds

Nearly one in five (18 per cent) people who use disposable vapes say they will return to smoking following the ban, a new poll has revealed | Clearing the air, UK

[Open access] Weekly or monthly injections ‘drip-feed’ buprenorphine into patients’ bodies without the need to frequently attend services to be supervised taking their medication. The accounts of a small sample of patients and staff in Blackpool suggests this “works well for many people in a community context that offers significant wrap-around support … Avoiding the stigma of supervision was mentioned as a significant benefit by all groups, including the empowerment and agency that this can bring” | Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, UK

Exploring Experiences of Substance Use Stigma in LGBTQIA+ Communities - part two

Friday 27th June 2025, 12:30PM - 2:00PM. This next session continues our deep dive into how substance use stigma affects LGBTQIA+ communities, with a focus on action, allyship, and building stigma-free support systems. Expect new voices, further discussion, and space for reflection and connection. Whether you joined us for Part One or are joining for the first time – you are warmly welcome | AntiStigma Network, UK

Forward Chair Tony Adams to play in charity football match in memory Emma Urquhart

Join us at 11:30am, Saturday 28 June, for the second Emma Urquhart Cup at Margate FC | Forward Trust, UK

Stakeholder meeting: Next steps for Bristol as a harm reduction city

Thursday, July 17 · 6:30 - 9pm GMT+1. Timely discussion hosted by Transform in partnership with the University of Bristol on why Bristol needs an Overdose Prevention Centre | J Slater, UK

The lone crusader: Why Zoë Garbett is London’s only politician talking about nitazenes

Health officials say that nitazenes and synthetic opioids are of increasing concern in London, but only one politician is doing anything about it | Whitchapel, UK

Men deny cocaine boat smuggling attempt

Two men who deny smuggling more than 200kg of cocaine into the UK have gone on trial | BBC, UK

Thousands of illegal vapes and cigarettes seized

The raids, in Erdington, were a joint operation between West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council's trading standards team | BBC, UK

International news

Ketamine swapped for salt as smugglers exploit Europe loophole in booming market

The customs officers at Brussels Airport were stunned. They had opened crates in the back of a lorry expecting to find a tonne of medical ketamine. But somewhere on its journey, the white powder had been switched for salt | BBC, UK

Controlled Substances, Controlled People: How Drug Laws Reinforce Colonial Power Structures

Drug legislation has never been a neutral or purely scientific matter of public health or criminal justice. Rather, drug laws have long functioned as mechanisms of social control deeply embedded in racialised and colonial systems of domination (Hanson, Venturelli, & Fleckenstein, 2015; King County Bar Association Drug Policy Project, 2005). This essay explores how contemporary drug policies regulating “controlled substances” are rooted in and continue to reproduce colonial power structures (Daniels aet al., 2021) | Drug Science, UK

Evaluation of Parents Under Pressure Programme in the Community: A Coolmine-Led Initiative (PDF)

This evaluation sought to establish the feasibility of delivering PuP to families with substance use across different contexts. By delivering PuP directly into the home or other community service, Coolmine sought to optimise support for children and parents affected by problematic alcohol and drug use, providing accessible, tailored intervention that addresses the specific needs and challenges families face in their own environments | HRB Ireland, Ireland

Gardaí made arrests for drink- and drug-driving once every hour last year, Garda Commissioner says

Drew Harris is set to tell the Oireachtas Committee on Justice that more than 7,500 drivers were detained for driving while under the influence last year | Irish Examiner, Ireland

Blogs, comment and opinion

A symbol of truth – why alcohol industry is hellbent on keeping people in the dark over risk of FASD

This is the simple message the alcohol industry does not want you to see – a warning symbol to inform the public of the danger of alcohol consumption when pregnant | Alcohol Action Ireland blog, Ireland

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