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Daily news - 30th June 2025 |
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UK news
Triple threat of smoking, drinking and weight ‘puts a million in England at risk of early death’
Exclusive: Three risky behaviours can mean people dying 20 years earlier than they should, says senior doctor | Guardian, UK
The three big killers: how smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity overlap and interact in the population (PDF)
This briefing paper explores what we currently know about the prevalence and impact of tobacco, alcohol and excess weight, focusing on how they overlap in the population | ASH et al, UK
Synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarettes seized from English schools
[Open access] People who use synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) report debilitating side effects and withdrawal symptoms, coupled with dependence. In the UK, SC use was believed to be largely restricted to prison... or poly-drug users in the community who are likely to be homeless. However, national media reporting has increasingly identified cases of children collapsing in schools, which are claimed to be associated with vaping and putatively involving a drug such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or SCs. We conducted the first study to identify and quantify SCs in e-cigarettes routinely collected from schools in England | Addiction, UK
UK smoking ban risks breaching post-Brexit deal, ex-Tory justice secretary warns
Labour prime minister Keir Starmer urged to ‘hit pause’ or end up in court over key agreement with the European Union, designed to deal with major issues caused by Britain’s decision to leave the bloc | Independent, UK
New study reveals how to talk about alcohol and breast cancer without blame or fear
A new study from Oxford Brookes University, funded by the charity Prevent Breast Cancer, reveals how health campaigns can better communicate the link between alcohol and breast cancer - without alienating the very women they’re trying to reach | Oxford Brookes University, UK
Short Debate: Parity of access and esteem for addiction-related services in Wales
It’s a pleasure to bring forward this debate this afternoon on the topic of treatments for substance misuse. I have declared an interest as a patron of Brynawel Rehab or Brynawel House Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Centre. Through my involvement with Brynawel, first as chair and now as a patron, I have come to better understand the toll addiction takes on an individual as well as the steps needed to combat addiction | They work for you, UK
Extended-release buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder: A mixed-methods study of response and experience
[Open access] Interviews with patients in England who completed a six-month trial of monthly buprenorphine injections reveal that for many this was not enough to prevent substance misuse, suggesting that a “stepped treatment approach could be used for those who continue drug use, by offering psychological interventions to cope with managing sleep, stress or physical health conditions.” | Addiction, UK
'Addiction documentary shows change is possible'
A man who shared his lived experience of addiction in a new documentary said he did so to show others that "change is possible". David Sagar's story was one of nine in Breaking the Chains of Addiction, which premiered at Cineworld Rushden Lakes on Thursday evening | BBC, UK
Clouds House Reunion 2025 – celebrating over 42 years of recovery
Our annual event in Wiltshire welcomed alumni, family, staff and Clouds supporters to enjoy a joyful and emotional day celebrating everyone involved in of the UK’s long-established residential rehabilitation centres | Forward Trust, UK
Emma is doing something she swore she never would - buying her kids vapes
In an attempt to have some control over her children's vaping habits, she's resorted to buying them the vapes herself. She's not proud of it, but says it feels like the only way to keep her two teenagers safe and reduce the high levels of nicotine they were consuming | BBC, UK
Would you support or oppose a ban on advertising alcohol on television before the 9pm watershed?
33% strongly support a ban | YouGov, UK
Cocaine Cues Inventory Study - survey
We’re seeking participants for a study focused on understanding cocaine cravings in individuals with a recent history of regular cocaine use. Using a brief self-report questionnaire, we will examine the intensity, frequency, and common triggers of cravings to understand how environmental and psychological factors influence cocaine use. If you or someone you know would like to contribute to this research, please complete the survey. Your input could be vital in improving support for others experiencing cocaine cravings | NAC, UK
Take part in Alcohol Awareness Week
July 7th -13th. Alcohol Awareness Week is a week of awareness-raising, campaigning for change, and more. Sign up for information and resources to take part | Alcohol Change UK, UK
The Women's Rough Sleeping Census National Report Launch
Thursday 3rd July 2025. 10:00 AM – 11:45 AM. Online. Join us for the national launch of ‘How Do We Sleep at Night?’, the powerful new report authored by researchers at Change Grow Live and Crisis. With a foreword by Paula Barker MP, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ending Homelessness, this report is a call to action for policymakers, service providers, funders and advocates | Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse, UK
Local producers embrace low-alcohol revolution
Drink producers across the South West are benefiting from a boost in sales of alcohol-free products | BBC, UK
Police adopt early warning kit for dangerous drugs
Devon and Cornwall Police worked with a team of chemists to develop the handheld devices which detect dangerous synthetic drugs in real time and can save help save lives | BBC, UK
£96m of cocaine seized from vessel at UK port
Cocaine with a street value of almost £100m has been seized by Border Force officers in "one of the largest drugs busts of the past decade" | BBC, UK
'Intrusive' cannabis farm noise affecting lives
Neighbours of a Jersey medical cannabis farm have said the site has stopped them from enjoying their homes | BBC, UK
International news
France implements smoking ban at beaches and parks in step towards ‘tobacco-free generation’
Under new rules anyone who lights up on a beach or in a public park from Sunday will be breaking the law | Guardian, UK
Changing patterns of nicotine product use and nicotine dependence among United States high-school students: The National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2014–2023
[Open access] Concerns have been raised that e-cigarettes have created a new generation of people addicted to nicotine. This study aimed to measure changes in the proportion of US high-school students reporting symptoms of nicotine dependence over the past decade, in the context of changing patterns of nicotine product use | Addiction, UK
Former Venezuelan intelligence chief pleads guilty to US drug charges
Hugo Carvajal faces narco-terrorism and weapon charges amid accusations he helped lead a drug-trafficking group | Guardian, UK
169 young people sought treatment for HHC drug in last 18 months - Health Research Board
Since the beginning of last year, 169 young people have sought treatment for problems with Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a drug contained in some vapes and edibles, figures from the Health Research Board show | RTe, Ireland
Study shows supportive housing offers high-impact, cost-effective response to homelessness and opioid use
Homelessness and opioid use disorder are two widespread public health problems in the United States. Providing housing and supportive services, without requiring drug treatment, is a surprisingly cost-effective approach to helping unhoused people with opioid use disorder, Stanford researchers found in a new study in JAMA Network Open | Medical Xpress, USA
Health and Economic Outcomes of Addressing Encampments of Individuals Using Opioids
In this decision analytical model study of a simulated cohort of 400 adults, a city-sanctioned encampment sweep resulted in worse health outcomes than the status quo approach (leaving the encampment undisturbed), including more deaths, fewer person-weeks in treatment, and higher costs. The housing without medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) requirement policy resulted in the lowest overall number of deaths and the highest number of person-weeks in treatment but required the highest cost | JAMA Network Open, USA
Legal Weed Is Working, Data Suggests: $24.7 Billion In Taxes, Teen Use Down In Most States
More than a decade into America’s state-by-state experiment with cannabis legalization, the results are no longer theoretical. Government data now confirms what early advocates envisioned—and what critics warned against: legal cannabis is reshaping public policy. The numbers tell a clear story, one grounded in billions in state tax revenue and a measurable decline in teen marijuana use | Forbes, USA
Who Will Own the ‘God Molecule’? Psychedelics devotees are racing biotech entrepreneurs to turn 5-MeO-DMT into a pharmaceutical
Beckley Park, a country estate in Oxfordshire, lies at the end of a narrow drive that winds through pastures and farmland, flanked, for the last several hundred feet, by squat concrete mushrooms | NYMag, USA
Deadly opioid 40 times more powerful than fentanyl smuggled into Canada inside PlayStations, basketballs
Openly sold in ads posted on LinkedIn, X, Adobe and Indian e-commerce sites, before many taken down. The video call is grainy, but it's crystal clear what the person on the phone is trying to sell: illicit drugs, packaged and ready to be shipped to Canada | CBC, Canada
Bankers, athletes, students are using drugs. This hotline tries to keep them safe
Canada's only national overdose hotline sheds light on who is using drugs | CBC, Canada
Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia
Alcohol, tobacco and other drug use is a major cause of preventable disease, illness and death in Australia. This report consolidates recent information on the availability and consumption of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in Australia, and related impacts, harms and treatment | AIHW, Australia
Understanding the Experiences of People who use Drugs Participating in a New Drug Diversion Program in Queensland, Australia
[Open access] The criminalisation of drug use and stigma create barriers to healthcare and harm reduction, limiting access due to fear of legal consequences and mistrust of health services. Queensland’s Drug Diversion Program (DDP) aims to address these issues by redirecting people into support services. This study explored the lived-living experiences of people who use drugs, assessing their perceptions of the DDP through semi-structured interviews with 30 participants | JDI, Australia
Excess Alcohol-Induced Hospitalisations and Deaths During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia
[Open access] Since the onset of COVID-19, alcohol-related harm has increased in regions such as the United States and the United Kingdom. We examined whether alcohol-related harm increased with the pandemic in Australia, and whether the impact varied across sex, age and type of alcohol diagnosis | DAR, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Why Alcohol Reduction Is Essential for a Smoke-Free Future
As a charity dedicated to ending the harms caused by smoking, we strongly support government action to reduce alcohol harm. The links between smoking and drinking are well established and tackling one without addressing the other risks limiting our progress on both fronts | ASH blog, UK
UK: Old habits die hard at the tobacco point-of-sale
In the absence of other forms of advertising, point of sale (POS) becomes extremely important to the industry. POS marketing (even if just the display of the products themselves) has the capacity to target both current and potential users including children and young people | BMJ Tobacco Control blog, UK
Is There a Place for AI in Harm Reduction?
The recent launch of Drugbot, a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool from British drug treatment charity Cranstoun, has highlighted how these emerging technologies may come to benefit the world of harm reduction. If used properly, and coupled with expert knowledge and human touch, AI harm reduction could become a great gadget to add to the toolbox of harm reduction | Talking Drugs, UK