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Daily news - 23rd June 2025 |
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UK news
Alcohol should have labels warning drinkers of cancer risks, charities say
Health organisations have written to Keir Starmer urging him to force drinks producers to include warnings | Guardian, UK
Bacardi Breezers to BuzzBallz: why gen Z aren’t the booze buzzkills we’ve been led to believe
Research suggests younger drinkers socialise for longer and embrace bolder, boozier options as drinks companies pivot to catch up | Guardian, UK
Vaping Exposes Pregnant Women to Fewer Toxins than Smoking
Pregnant women are exposed to lower levels of toxic chemicals if they vape during pregnancy compared with if they smoke cigarettes, according to new research led by scientists at City St George’s, University of London and published today in Nicotine and Tobacco Research | City St George's University of London, UK
Could Ketamine on the NHS help treat severe depression?
Ketamine is increasingly known as a party drug which is linked to serious health problems, even fatalities. But there is growing interest in Scotland in its potential to treat severe depression. One NHS Lothian psychiatrist hopes to set up a clinic by the end of the year offering the Category B drug as an alternative to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), a treatment that involves sending an electric current through the brain | BBC, UK
Should smoking be banned on beaches?
A survey by campaign group Action on Smoking and Health shows public support for smoke-free beaches. People on Cleethorpes beach had mixed opinions | BBC, UK
Future of drug policy conference hosted at Manchester Met
University’s leading research into drug trends showcased to international policymakers and researcher | MMU, UK
Psychedelics and Trauma Recovery In Elite Athletes
Wed, 2 Jul 2025 14:00 - 18:00 BST. Join us for a deep dive into how psychedelics can support elite athletes in healing from trauma and reaching their full potential! | Drug Science, UK
Gainsborough fire caused by exploding vape
An exploding vape caused a major blaze which badly damaged a row of houses in Gainsborough, fire bosses have said | BBC, UK
Man jailed after cocaine worth £3.8m seized
A man has been jailed after Class A drugs with a street value of almost £4m was seized from his car and home | BBC, UK
Dog sniffs out stash of illegal vapes and tobacco
Central Bedfordshire Council said Mosytn, a cocker spaniel, helped sniff out the hidden items at L&B Market in Leighton Buzzard on 13 June, after "persistent concerns" were raised by residents, schools and other businesses | BBC, UK
International news
Launch of ‘Safe futures’: a project tackling the recruitment of young people into drug markets
This week, the EUDA and the University of Limerick’s REPPP team (1) officially launched ‘Safe futures’, a project focused on identifying effective ways to prevent youth involvement in European drug markets. The initiative responds to growing public and policy concern about the increasing recruitment and exploitation of young people by criminal drug networks across Europe. These networks often target the most vulnerable young people, leading to significant security, social and public health consequences | EUDA, Portugal
EU reviews risk of abuse in some treatments for alcohol dependency
The European Medicines Agency has begun a review of medicines to treat alcohol dependency that contain sodium oxybate, it said on Friday, following concerns of potential misuse or abuse. The regulator's review comes after the French medicines agency raised questions about the effectiveness of a generic drug with sodium oxybate to treat the condition, based on three studies, and warned of a possible risk of abuse due to its effects on the brain | Reuters, USA
Alcohol alters gene function in the differentiating cells of the embryo, study finds
Exposure to alcohol during the first weeks of embryonic development changes gene activity and cellular metabolism. In laboratory cultures, it was found that the first cells of the nervous system are the most sensitive to alcohol. This supports the recommendation to abstain from alcohol already when planning a pregnancy | Medical Xpress, USA
New toolkit aims to transform opioid education through patient collaboration
A new collaboration involving the University of Ottawa takes a focused look at a recently developed patient toolkit designed to be a hub for opioid-related resources that's not only helping optimize therapeutic outcomes but also represents a paradigm shift about how projects like this should be undertaken | News Medical, USA
Innovative toolkit blazes trail for healthcare providers to learn with patients struggling with opioid use, chronic pain
It's difficult to overstate the corrosive impact of Canada's ongoing opioid crisis. Since 2016, there have been over 40,000 opioid-related deaths across the country, devastating Canadian families from all walks of life. Opioid-related hospitalizations and calls to paramedics have ballooned | Medical Xpress, USA
China to regulate all nitazene-related substances
China will put the whole category of nitazene-related substances, as well as 12 new psychoactive substances, into its controlled list starting July 1 | China Daily, China
Blogs, comment and opinion
Tracksuits, Stereotypes, and the Uni Experience: Michael’s Story of Chav Culture in Higher Education
At the Anti-Stigma Network, we’re always looking to challenge assumptions and amplify voices. So, I was keen to chat with Michael who has just finished his degree from Northumbria University. Now back home in Stockton, Michael is preparing for his career. He wrote his dissertation on something deeply personal: the experience of chav culture in higher education. His research, rooted in his and his friend’s lived experience, explores how stereotypes around class, clothing, and substance use shape student life—and how they can impact future opportunities | AntiStigma Network, UK
From Inactivity to Opportunity to Good Work: Employability Day 2025 – Partners Roundtable
To mark Employability Day 2025, we brought together a powerful coalition of partners for a Policy and Practice Roundtable on 19th June. The theme, “From Inactivity to Opportunity to Good Work”, set the tone for a day of reflection, insight, and action | Forward Trust blog, UK
Peter Krykant obituary
Drugs policy campaigner whose commitment to harm reduction led him to set up an overdose prevention service | Guardian, UK
Cannabis in Argentina: A Story of Victories and Reversals
Cannabis in Argentina has a long history going deep into its past. As author Alejandro Corda wrote, “the use of cannabis in Argentina didn’t begin with the boom of self-cultivation… but with ancestral practices that have been erased from official history”. | Talking Drugs, UK