Home | Archive | Weekly | Reports

Daily news - 12th March 2025

UK news

Suspected drug deaths in Scotland: October to December 2024

There were 1,065 suspected drug deaths in 2024. This was 11% (132) fewer than in 2023 (1,197). Suspected drug deaths in Scotland have fallen over recent quarters but remain at a high level | Scottish Government, UK

Today is the day - 12th March 2025

A range of resources to help you support No Smoking Day are now available to download from the DHSC Campaign Resource Centre. These can be used immediately to help drive awareness and encourage smokers to make a quit attempt as we approach No Smoking Day on Wednesday 12 March 2025 | NHS, UK

Only 4% of pharmacies offering smoking cessation service claimed payment in three months

Exclusive: Of the 4,721 pharmacies registered to provide the service, 203 claimed payment for a consultation between July and September 2024 | Pharmaceutical Journal, UK

Sons worst affected by smoking in pregnancy - study

University of Aberdeen researchers looked at data from 500,000 people around the UK to assess genetic links. They said the results indicated that men born to women who smoked through pregnancy were more likely to die younger if they went on to smoke themselves | BBC, UK

Vaping is linked with breathing issues in young people

The more often people vaped, the more likely they were to report breathing issues. Those who had vaped more than 20 days in the past month were about twice as likely as never-users to report breathing problems | NIHR, UK

NHS stop smoking services quarterly

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents information on NHS Stop Smoking Services in Scotland and their progress towards their annual Local Delivery Plan (LDP) Standard. The LDP Standard for NHS Scotland in 2024/25 is to achieve at least 7,026 self-reported successful twelve-week quits through smoking cessation services in the 40% most deprived areas (60% in NHS Island Boards) | PHS, UK

Scottish Football in alcohol ban ‘own goal’: study concludes ending alcohol ban could increase risk of disorder and add to alcohol harms

Football authorities in Scotland pushing to reintroduce alcohol in Scottish football grounds have scored an ‘own goal’ according to Scotland’s national alcohol charity, Alcohol Focus Scotland, after an exploratory study funded by them concluded that doing so could result in increased alcohol consumption, reduced fan safety and increased public disorder | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK

Smoking: Health Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department plans to provide for smoking cessation programmes in the 2025-26 financial year | They work for you, UK

Forward Leeds to launch new board game raising awareness of county lines

Forward Leeds is launching Nicked, a game designed to help young people identify the risks associated with child criminal exploitation and county lines grooming | Forward Leeds, UK

Paul Danan died after taking cocktail of drugs, inquest hears

Hollyoaks actor and reality TV star Paul Danan died at his Bristol home from a cocktail of drugs including cocaine and heroin, an inquest opening has been told | BBC, UK

Jonathan Shepherd on a career as a crime-fighting surgeon - podcast

Surgeons often have to deal with the consequences of violent attacks - becoming all too familiar with patterns of public violence. As a senior lecturer in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the early 1980s, Jonathan started looking into this trend and his research revealed that most violent assaults resulting in emergency hospital treatment are not reported to police. As a result, he devised the ‘Cardiff Model for Violence Prevention’: a programme where hospitals share data about admissions relating to violent attacks with local authorities. He also went on to study various aspects of violent assault and deliver evidence-based solutions - from alcohol restrictions in hotspots, to less breakable beer glasses in pubs | BBC, UK

Use of stop and search - debate pack

There will be a Westminster Hall debate on the use of stop and search on 12 March 2025. The debate will be opened by Saqib Bhatti MP. This Library briefing and the briefing - Police powers: stop and search - provide more detailed background information about stop and search powers | House of Commons Library, UK

Public supports increasing restrictions on smoking [Guernsey]

Guernsey's public would support wider restrictions on the sale of tobacco and where it can be smoked, a survey has found | BBC, UK

Upcoming Webinar - Developing Inclusion

Thursday 20th March, 12.30 – 2pm. Substance Use Related Stigma Across General Practice - what positive steps can we make to ensure that stigmatisation within a GP setting is reduced for people who use drugs and alcohol? A person-centred approach, appropriate language and addressing implicit bias could be key. Hear from three healthcare providers across the UK and Ireland who share their experiences and tips for best practice | AntiStigma Network, UK

Teacher banned over alcohol and kissing claims

A teacher who allowed students to drink alcohol and who kissed another on her cheek has been banned from the profession indefinitely | BBC, UK

International news

French lawmakers seek to bring back village bars

Lawmakers in France have overwhelmingly backed a bill making it easier to open bars in villages - a move aimed at reviving social life in small rural communities | BBC, UK

Indonesia and Laos: Methanol

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with this counterparts in (a) Indonesia and (b) Laos on (i) tackling methanol poisoning and (ii) protecting tourists from (A) counterfeit and (B) contaminated alcohol | They work for you, UK

Virtuous drug use in the neoliberal age

[Open access] Agency over personal happiness has become established as a normative discourse within the self-interested agendas of neoliberal individuals. Within this context, we argue that it is possible to frame drugtaking as “virtuous.” | DEPP, UK

British national detained in Bali drug probe

BNNP Bali, the government body responsible for tackling drug offences in the Indonesian province, issued a video featuring a number of suspects arrested as part of what they believe is a Hungarian-Bali drug network | BBC, UK

Explainer: What is the Commission on Narcotic Drugs?

Globally, the number of people who used drugs rose to 292 million in 2022 – a 20 per cent increase over 10 years. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) 2024 World Drug Report shows that the emergence of new synthetic opioids and a record supply and demand of other drugs have compounded the impacts of the world drug problem, including overdoses, violence, instability, environmental harms and more.The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the United Nations’ central drug policy-making body, is meeting this week to take stock of progress made in the implementation of international drug policy commitments | UNODC, Austria

Key elements of recovery capital for PEH include a combination of self-confidence and self-efficacy, autonomy and freedom of choice, meaningful activities, social support, and access to satisfactory mental health, addiction, family, primary care, and housing supports. Though not essential for starting recovery, a safe and stable home is crucial for sustaining it | JSAT, USA

Study finds no link between Medicaid expansion and opioid misuse

People who inject drugs and experience poverty are at an increased risk of health conditions such as HIV and tuberculosis, as well as overdose. While this population stands to benefit from health services provided through Medicaid expansion, prior reports have claimed that extending Medicaid coverage to this group encourages misuse of opioids | News Medical, USA

The World Needs Gender-Specific Tobacco Harm Reduction

Tobacco harm reduction (THR) is a transformative public health opportunity, saving people’s lives by offering safer alternatives to smoking for those who are unable or unwilling to quit nicotine. However, much THR dialogue has overlooked the specific challenges and needs of women—especially in regions of the world where cultural, social and economic barriers most compound the risks associated with smoking | Filter Magazine, USA

NDARC Webinar: Use and safety of prescription opioid analgesics during pregnancy - video

The use of prescribed opioid analgesics has increased globally over the past two decades, extending from the general population to pregnant women. While these medicines play a vital role in pain management, their growing use during pregnancy presents a clinical challenge due to ongoing uncertainties surrounding their safety for both women and their infants. This seminar presented real-world data on global trends in opioid analgesic use during pregnancy and examined the safety of these medicines in this critical period | NDARC, Australia

Blogs, comment and opinion

Scottish drug deaths reinforce calls for specialist support

The Salvation Army is calling for an increase in specialist support to tackle drug and alcohol use in Scotland as statistics released today (11 March) show that more than 1000 people are suspected to have died from drug use in 2024 | Salvation Army, UK

Leading Forward – Mike’s monthly vlog

Forward Trust CEO, Mike Trace, shares his monthly update about the latest policy developments - and how the work of The Forward Trust is making significant steps to address many of these issues across our service areas. For February's update, Mike is joined in conversation by colleague, Asi Panditharatna MBE, Executive Director for Employment Services | Forward Trust, UK

The Guardian view on Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague: a warning to rogue leaders

The extradition of the former president of the Philippines on an ICC warrant is an affirmation of the principles of international justice | Guardian opinion, UK

And finally...

‘I demand to have some booze!’: how do actors fake being drunk or on drugs?

From The White Lotus to Industry, hedonism is everywhere on TV at the moment. Actors, and the ‘wellbeing facilitators’ tasked with keeping them safe, reveal the trick to acting under the influence | Guardian, UK

Extend Studio