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Daily news - 18th June 2025 |
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UK news
Continued improvements to drug treatment services highlighted in new benchmarking report
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has today published a benchmarking report on the progress Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADP) in Scotland have made to meet the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards in 2024/25. MAT refers to the use of medication, such as prescription opioids, together with psychological and social support, in the treatment and care of individuals who experience problems with their substance use | Public Health Scotland, UK
ASH calls for swift legislation on nicotine pouches as new data shows surge in youth awareness
New data reveals that awareness of nicotine pouches grew between 2024 and 2025 among under 18s in Great Britain, spiking from 38 percent to 43 percent. Nearly 4 percent of teens report having tried nicotine pouches. This is equivalent to 210k children | ASH, UK
Rise in awareness of nicotine pouches among children, survey suggests
According to a survey commissioned by charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), the percentage of 11-17 year olds who said they knew of the pouches grew from 38% in 2024 to 43% this year | BBC, UK
It’s time to seize the opportunity to do better for women in the criminal justice system
We’ve seen a swathe of major policy announcements over the last couple of months, most notably the much-anticipated Independent Sentencing Review and last week’s Spending Review. Together, they offer a powerful opportunity to reimagine how we support people with drug and alcohol support needs in contact with the criminal justice system and, in particular, how we do better by women | Change Grow Live, UK
Arc Hospitality and Restart Join Forces to Fast-Track Local Employment
In a powerful example of partnership and purpose, the Restart Scheme and Arc Hospitality have once again joined forces to create meaningful employment opportunities for local jobseekers — and the results speak for themselves | Forward Trust, UK
Driving under Influence
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she has taken to work with relevant authorities to reduce drug or alcohol linked fatalities on roads in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency | They work for you, UK
Tobacco: Excise Duties
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make a comparative assessment of the decrease in tobacco duty as set out in HMRC's annual tax receipts bulletin with the ONS smoking prevalence data in (a) 2023 to 2024 and (b) 2024-2025 | They work for you, UK
Street Drugs Discussions: Deep dive into Pregabalin
Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:00 - 16:00 BST. This webinar features a panel discussion discussing the rising use of Pregabalin in the UK | Drug Science, UK
Forward Leeds Celebrates 10 Years of Impact with Open House Events
To mark a decade of delivering vital services, Forward Leeds is inviting the public behind the scenes for a unique opportunity to learn more about its work, meet the team, and hear first-hand from those whose lives have been changed. Forward Leeds will host six events across its three main treatment hubs on the 15, 16 and 17 July. Each event is free to attend, but registration is required | Forward Leeds, UK
Next steps for Bristol as a harm reduction and inclusive recovery 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
More than 2,000 disposable vapes seized after ban
More than 2,000 disposable vapes have been seized from five shops in Kent since the items were banned at the start of the month, Trading Standards said | BBC, UK
International news
Cannabis use could double risk of heart deaths, study suggests
Experts say research from University of Toulouse raises ‘serious questions’ about health risks of cannabis | Guardian, UK
Cardiovascular risk associated with the use of cannabis and cannabinoids: a systematic review and meta-analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis uses an original approach centred on real-world data. The findings reveal positive associations between cannabis use and MACE - major adverse cardiovascular events. These findings should encourage investigating cannabis use in all patients presenting with serious cardiovascular disorders | BMJ Heart, UK
New Zealand approves medicinal use of 'magic mushrooms'
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said rules had been relaxed so psilocybin could be used to treat certain types of depression | Mail Online, UK
New opioid testing techniques could lead to better therapies
As the opioid epidemic persists across the United States, a team of researchers from Brown University has developed new diagnostic techniques for detecting opioid compounds in adults with opioid use disorder and infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome | Medical Xpress, USA
OU researchers launch innovative study to track e-cigarette habits in young adults
Electronic cigarettes, or vapes, are widely used and available in hundreds of different types and flavors, yet researchers lack information about the everyday e-cigarette habits of young adults. The National Institutes of Health, in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has funded a University of Oklahoma study that will investigate how, when and why young adults use e-cigarettes and how that use may relate to health risks. The results will help the FDA make decisions about regulating the makers of e-cigarette products | News Medical, USA
Tina Trial reflections: Site close-out visits
Professor Rebecca McKetin, who is the coordinating principal investigator on the Tina Trial, a multi-site clinical trial of mirtazapine for methamphetamine use, reflects on the groundbreaking project and provides an insight into site close-out visits | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
A long teenage summer – and a chance to (re-)connect
As the director and founder of a drug education charity that works with tens of thousands of young people every year, along with many of their parents, I’m more than aware of how very different that long summer holiday can be, and I imagine you’ll have a fair idea of what it might look like for you. But whatever it holds, for you and for them, day to day and moment to moment, it can also bring opportunities for connection and communication that the busyness of term time can often crowd out | Talk Education blog, UK
‘Ayahuasca tourism’ is a blight on Indigenous peoples and our environment
The popularity of ‘healing’ through psychedelics is fueling exploitation of Indigenous peoples and threatening biodiversity in Ecuador | Guardian opinion, UK
Dopamine can make it hard to put down our phone or abandon the online shopping cart. Here’s why
Ever find yourself unable to stop scrolling through your phone, chasing that next funny video or interesting post? Or maybe you’ve felt a rush of excitement when you achieve a goal, eat a delicious meal, or fill your online shopping cart. Why do some experiences feel so rewarding, while others leave us feeling flat? Well, dopamine might be responsible for that. Here’s what it does in our brains and bodies | Conversation, Australia
There’s a new ban on vaping in childcare centres, but what else do we need to keep kids safe?
Parents and carers might reasonably wonder why we currently have a seven-day window to report child abuse and how vapes were ever allowed in early education services to start with | Conversation, Australia