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Daily news - 12th June 2025 |
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UK news
Suspected drug deaths in Scotland: January to March 2025
This quarterly report presents Police Scotland management information to provide an indication of current trends in suspected drug deaths in Scotland | Scottish Government, UK
Tributes after sudden death of drugs campaigner Peter Krykant
Tributes have been paid following the sudden death of Peter Krykant, who led a campaign for safe drug consumption facilities to be established | BBC, UK
John Swinney announces Scottish Government Cabinet reshuffle
John Swinney appointed a new minister for drugs and alcohol policy and reappointed the economy secretary on a permanent basis | STV News, UK
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Children
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on creating a treatment pathway for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in the NHS | They work for you, UK
Turning Point Leicestershire’s initiative shortlisted for national award
Turning Point Leicestershire’s Substance Use service have been shortlisted for a national award, after introducing a lifesaving initiative that allows for front-line police officers in Leicestershire to carry and administer naloxone, an antidote that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose | DDN, UK
Rough sleeping to be decriminalised in England and Wales
Ministers are planning to scrap the Vagrancy Act, which outlaws rough sleeping in England and Wales | BBC, UK
Alcohol Occasional 2: Relapse prevention and alcohol related cirrhosis
Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:45 - 14:00 BST. Join us online for the second seminar of the 2025 series, delivered by Dr Christopher Oldroyd | SHAAP, UK
Two guilty of smuggling cannabis as Yankee Candles
Two men have been found guilty of being part of an organised crime group, and smuggling more than 300kg of cannabis labelled as "Yankee Candles" from the US to south Wales using the postal service | BBC, UK
Police suspect cannabis farm caused fire to homes
Emergency services were called after a fire broke out across the roof space of four houses in Stuart Street, Westcotes, at about 12:30 BST on Tuesday | BBC, UK
Shops found to be flouting single-use vape ban
Nearly two weeks on from a ban on the sale of single-use disposable vapes in the UK, many shops have been found still to be openly selling the illicit items. Almost half of the 21 stores which an undercover BBC reporter visited in cities in Yorkshire continued to sell the vapes as though there had been no law change | BBC, UK
International news
'Slumming in a vision of hell': Why Requiem for a Dream is still so divisive, 25 years after its release
Darren Aronofsky's radical drug-addiction drama was highly acclaimed and angrily slated when it came out in 2000. Today, this Hubert Selby Jr adaptation is no less contentious | BBC, UK
Anti-smoking lobby slates SnapChat over illegal vape dealers
Anti-smoking association Stichting Rookpreventie Jeugd is threatening popular platform SnapChat with legal action if it does not stop dealers from selling illegal vapes to youngsters | Dutch News, The Netherlands
Cannabis use disorder may increase risk for certain psychiatric illnesses
Pot. Weed. Mary Jane. Dope. Cannabis goes by many names. The drug has had a rocky history in the United States, but today, many states have legalized cannabis use or made it available with a doctor's prescription | Medical Xpress, USA
Indivior-Funded Study Suggests Opvee Outperforms Narcan. But at What?
Indivior PLC, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the opioid overdose antidote Opvee (nalmefene), has published new research showing that its product performed favorably compared to naloxone, in simulations of overdose involving fentanyl and carfentanil | Filter Magazine, USA
Overdose in the United States: Lessons from a shifting crisis
Jun 18, 2025 12:00 AM in London. What’s driving the recent decline in US overdose deaths – and how can these insights inform more effective overdose responses? Nearly 3 decades into the overdose crisis, provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates a significant and hopeful shift: a 27% decline in overdose deaths in the US between 2023 and 2024. This timely and in-depth webinar will unpack findings from the Opioid Data Lab | Penington Institute, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Non-prescribed ketamine use is rising in the UK
The rise in non-prescribed use of ketamine across the UK in recent years is concerning because of the potential effects on physical and mental wellbeing and overall quality of life. Despite its classification as a class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, public awareness of the risks and long term harms associated with ketamine remains insufficient | BMJ Editorial, UK
It’s time to talk: recognising the importance of Men’s Health Week 2025
When I look at all the male role models in my life, my dad, grandads, uncles, cousins, family friends, every single one of them has had a health concern. Some of them acted on their symptoms far too late, and some just ignored the warning signs altogether | Forward Trust blog, UK
New Czech Bill Will Legalise Cannabis Cultivation and Psychedelic Therapy
Last week, Czech parliamentarians quietly passed a major overhaul of their drug laws. From January next year, Czechs will be allowed to grow up to three cannabis plants and keep up to a hundred grams of the sticky green buds at home | Talking Drugs, UK
NZ’s goal is to get smoking rates under 5% for all population groups this year – here’s why that’s highly unlikely
Next week is “scrutiny week” in parliament – one of two weeks each year when opposition MPs can hold ministers accountable for their actions, or lack thereof. For us, it’s a good time to take stock of whether New Zealand is on track to achieve its smokefree goal of reducing smoking prevalence to under 5% and as close to zero as possible, among all population groups, this year | Conversation, New Zealand