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Daily news - 26th March 2025 |
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UK news
Debate on prevention of drugs deaths
A debate has been scheduled in Westminster Hall at 1.30pm on 27 March on the prevention of drugs deaths. The subject for the debate has been chosen by the Backbench Business Committee, and the debate will be opened by Jim Shannon MP. A debate packed for the debate prepared by the House of Commons Libary should be available at the link above prior to the debate taking place on Thursday | UK Parliament, UK
National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times
9,429 referrals were made to community-based specialist drug and alcohol treatment services: 4,727 (50.1%) were for problematic use of alcohol, 3,397 (36.0%) for problematic use of drugs, and 1,305 (13.8%) for co-dependency (use of both alcohol and drugs) | Public Health Scotland, UK
How effective are remote and/or digital interventions as part of alcohol and drug treatment and recovery support? A systematic review and meta‐analysis
[Open access] When they add to in-person treatment rather than replace it, remote interventions (delivered by telephone or computer) have a record of reducing relapse, though most findings were vulnerable to bias | Addiction, UK
Lung specialist speaks out against Manchester vape study findings
Matt Evison is weary that labelling vaping as dangerous could deter smokers | Manchester Evening News, UK
Prisoners' Release: Buprenorphine
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the availability of Buvidal for people released from prison | They work for you, UK
Drugs: Death
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of drug deaths in the last 12 months | They work for you, UK
Electronic Cigarettes and Tobacco: Advertising
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a ban on the (a) marketing and (b) advertising of (i) e-cigarette and vaping products, (ii) non-medically licensed nicotine products and (iii) heated tobacco products on the number of adults switching from cigarettes to alternatives | They work for you, UK
Microdosing Study 2.0
Imperial College's Centre for Psychedelic Research is seeking participants for the second round of its self-blinding microdose project. You are invited to participate if you microdose or are planning to microdose to help with a depression, anxiety, or mood problem | Imperial College London, UK
The Loop Drug Checking Service
Every last Saturday of the month from 12pm – 8pm. The Loop Drug Checking Service gives an opportunity to receive a tailored harm reduction intervention based on information about what drugs are currently in circulation in the city | BDP, UK
Public health boss wants crackdown on gambling ads
City of York Council's public health chief Peter Roderick said figures showing more than one in 10 young people in the city had gambled were the "tip of the iceberg" | BBC, UK
Small Charity Week
Big Give, Global’s Make Some Noise and NCVO are championing small charities across the UK, through a seven-day online match funded campaign | Big Give, UK
Shop fined for selling vape to undercover 15-year-old
A convenience store has been fined nearly £5,000 after a sales assistant sold a vape to a 15-year-old during an undercover operation | BBC, UK
International news
Early and risky adolescent alcohol use independently predict alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other drug use in early adulthood in Ireland: a longitudinal analysis of a nationally representative cohort
[Open access] Early and risky adolescent alcohol use have each been associated with adult alcohol consumption. However, it remains unclear whether these behaviours independently predict later-life substance use when considered jointly, and research examining links with substances other than alcohol is limited. This study addresses these gaps by examining longitudinal associations between age at first alcohol and risky adolescent alcohol use, with alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other drug use in early adulthood | BMC Public Health, UK
Faltering care: why mothers experiencing homelessness in Dublin, Ireland, miss their childcare visits
This paper takes as its focus the caregiving efforts of a group of mothers in Dublin who were homeless, struggling with addiction, and separated from their children. It explores their ongoing orientation towards their distant children, in terms of their affective longings, practical actions, and moments of faltering, for despite yearning for an ongoing role in their children’s lives, many of my interlocutors struggled to maintain a consistent caregiving engagement | Anthropology and Medicine, UK
National study finds one in four adults misusing prescription stimulants
Research conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that 1 in 4 adults using prescription stimulants engaged in misuse, and nearly 1 in 10 met the criteria for prescription stimulant use disorder (PSUD) | Medical Xpress, USA
Secret Shoppers Struggle to Buy Naloxone, Syringes at Texas Pharmacies
Since the Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone in 2023, pharmacies nationwide have stocked their shelves with the opioid overdose antidote. But despite this policy shift, many pharmacists remain hesitant to sell essential harm reduction supplies | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Not ‘word policing’: why language matters in reducing alcohol harm - Guest blog, by Dr James Morris
Issues of stigma and language choice have been gaining increased attention, prompting debate and sometimes even opposition to calls to be mindful of language. Concerns about language choice and its role in stigma are of course valid, one reason being that the context in which they are used matters. For instance, whilst terms such as ‘alcoholic’ or ‘addict’ reflect harmful stereotypes, they are also often used by people in recovery to self-label, and even as a way to challenge stigma | AntiStigma Network, UK
How could the US-EU alcohol tariff war affect alcohol consumption and harm?
The current US administration under Trump has threatened the European Union (EU) with a 200% tariff on spirits and wine coming to America from the EU. This is in response to the EU having a tariff on certain American spirits going to the EU, which in turn is a response to the US putting a tariff on all EU steel and aluminium imports to the US. What are the potential implications for alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm? | IAS blog, UK
Fanning the flame: analysing the emergence, implications, and challenges of Australia’s de facto war on Nicotine
This commentary examines Australia’s intensified regulatory approach toward nicotine control, revealing a shift that increasingly resembles a de facto War on Nicotine. While traditional tobacco control measures have achieved commendable declines in smoking rates, recent policies– including increased tobacco taxation and a ban on consumer vapes– have inadvertently fuelled a burgeoning nicotine black market | Harm Reduction Journal comment, UK
Hot Chicks review – scorching account of county lines exploitation
Rebecca Jade Hammond’s assured drama about two girls groomed for drug trafficking switches between humour and terror | Guardian, UK