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Daily news - 1st May 2025 |
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UK news
'Alcoholism left me homeless, now I help others recover'
When Darren Fox said he hit "rock bottom" at the worst of his alcoholism in 2019, he was homeless and slept in a box car at a railway siding. Now, after being sober for five years, the 62-year-old from Rotherham is being recognised for his voluntary work with the drug and alcohol charity that helped him recover. He has been given the Determined Volunteer Award by charity WithYou for his work helping other people struggling with addiction | BBC, UK
'We are losing a generation of young people to drug gangs'
Somali families in north London say they are fighting a battle for their children's lives. "The issue is the supply and demand of recreational drugs," explains community champion and parent of seven, Sadia Ali. "The workforce is children and young people." | BBC, UK
Public needle bin 'not a silver bullet' for drugs issue
A proposed trial to install a waste needle bin in Belfast city centre is not a "silver bullet" but one step to dealing with drugs issues in the city, a councillor has said | BBC, UK
Alcoholism and Drugs: Rehabilitation
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant will be allocated to (a) inpatient detoxification, (b) housing support, (c) rough sleeping drug and alcohol treatment and (d) supplemental substance misuse and recovery elements in the 2025-26 financial year | They work for you, UK
Electronic Cigarettes and Smoking: Byelaws
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41466 on Electronic Cigarettes and Smoking: Byelaws, what her policy is on requests from local authorities to try to ban (a) smoking and (b) vaping in or adjacent to licenced premises through byelaws | They work for you, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Measurement
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to make changes to the permitted size of a serving of beer or cider | They work for you, UK
Smoking: Health Services
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's planned timetable is for all hospitals to integrate opt-out smoking cessation interventions in routine care | They work for you, UK
Clause 96 - Testing of persons in police detention for presence of controlled drugs
These clauses relate to drug testing. There are a number of provisions we wish to introduce. Clauses 96 to 100 and schedule 13 amend existing legislation to expand the powers of the police to drug test people aged 18 or over on arrest, or aged 14 or over on charge, where the offence they have been arrested for or charged with is a “trigger offence” or where a police officer of at least the rank of inspector reasonably suspects that their drug use caused or contributed to their offending | They work for you, UK
Tobacco CEO: 'Science denial' delaying smoke-free future - audio
Campaign groups warn that non-combustible products can still be harmful | BBC Sounds, UK
Podcast 128. Former Doctor, Former Prisoner with Dr Tim Kerr
Tune in to the latest episode of the drug science podcast where David Nutt meets with Tim Kerr, a doctoral research student in Psychiatry at King’s College London. Tim discusses his journey from slowly falling into drug addiction and dealing whilst studying for his medical degree eventually leading to arrest and imprisonment. Tim shares how he used this time in an open prison to apply for and study a Neuroscience masters with Kings College London with the support of the Longford trust, a charity that supports people with lived experience of prison to access higher education | Drug Science, UK
MEAM welcomes new chair
Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) has appointed Wendy Eley as its new chair. Wendy will join MEAM on 1 May 2025, following a competitive recruitment process led by Peridot Partners, the MEAM board and an individual with lived experience of multiple disadvantage | MEAM, UK
Exhibition Launch of Hooked: 500 Years of Addiction
Thursday, May 29 · 6 - 8pm GMT+1. Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. This event celebrates the launch of our new exhibition 'Hooked: 500 Years of Addiction'.The event will begin in our foyer with a reception. You will then have the opportunity to hear two speakers, Prof Phil Withington and Prof Gerda Reith. Phil will discuss the history of addiction while Gerda will discuss behavioural addictions in the 21st century. The event will be chaired by Dr Michael Blackmore - GP, Chair of RCGP West Scotland Faculty and recovering addict. The reception will then continue with the opportunity to visit our new exhibition | Physician's Gallery, UK
Dorset: Pharmacist struck-off after forging signature
Stephen Fleck, who worked as a senior clinical pharmacist within NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust, created a total of 16 handwritten prescription forms and generated a total of 43 prescription requests using an electronic system. It was to obtain Dihydrocodeine, a highly addictive opiate drug, and the total cost of the fraudulent prescriptions was £785.45 | Dorset Echo, UK
Drugs worth £1.5m seized in raid on rural shed
Substantial quantities of suspected cocaine, cannabis and prescription drugs with an estimated street value of £1.5m have been seized in a raid on a rural shed | BBC, UK
International news
Cocaine, corruption and bribes: the German port under siege by Europe’s criminal drug gangs
After seizure in Hamburg of 16 tonnes of high-purity powder, state attorney is accused of being on payroll of gang he was supposed to be prosecuting | Guardian, UK
The ancient psychedelics myth: ‘People tell tourists the stories they think are interesting for them’
The narrative of ancient tribes around the world regularly using ayahuasca and magic mushrooms in healing practices is a popular one. Is it true? | Guardian, UK
Health-promoting interventions in prisons: An evidence review - PDF
The HRB conducted a review to determine which health-promoting interventions should be considered for implementation in Irish adult prisons in order to improve prisoners’ physical and mental well-being | HRB, Ireland
Nitazenes in Europe – How Should We Prepare? - webinar
May 9, 2025 11:00 AM in London.
In recent years, Europe has seen early warning signs of an emerging synthetic opioid crisis. While heroin remains the primary opioid of concern, the rise of nitazenes—potent synthetic opioids with unpredictable effects—poses a growing threat. Unlike traditional opioids, nitazenes are often found in counterfeit medications or mixed with other substances, increasing the risk of overdose and complicating harm reduction efforts. | C-EHRN, The Netherlands
New Analysis Shows No Clear Evidence That Heated Tobacco Products Are a Better Alternative to Cigarettes or That They Help Smokers Quit
As sales of heated tobacco products (HTPs) increase globally, a new brief from tobacco watchdog, STOP, reveals that while the tobacco industry markets these products as “reduced risk,” there is no clear evidence that they are a better alternative, even to cigarettes. Nor is there independent evidence supporting industry claims around smoking cessation. Meanwhile, the industry lobbies for favorable regulation to promote their use, including lower tax rates and exemptions from smokefree laws and tobacco advertising bans | STOP, USA
Childhood trauma, adolescent risk behaviours and cardiovascular health indices in the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort
[Open access] Childhood trauma has been associated with increased risk of substance use and poor sleep, with these factors linked to subsequent poor cardiovascular health. However, there has been little longitudinal research exploring these associations in adolescence, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To address this, we investigated longitudinal pathways from trauma to risk behaviours and cardiovascular health indices among adolescents in the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort, Brazil | J Child Psychol & Psychiat, USA
Use of nicotine pouches increasing significantly among US teens, survey reveals
The use of nicotine pouches—small, easily concealed sachets of nicotine and additives that are placed between the gum and lip—nearly doubled among U.S. high school students between 2023 and 2024, according to a new USC study | Medical Xpress, USA
Nitrous Oxide Is Having a Comeback Nobody Asked For
Inhaling nitrous oxide for a quick buzz isn’t some TikTok-born trend. It’s just the latest chapter in a weird, centuries-old love affair with a drug that makes the world blur around the edges | VICE, USA
What recovery apps and websites do people use, and are they helpful?
With smartphones central to daily life, many individuals turn to apps and websites for health-related support – including those in recovery. But which apps and websites are people actually using, how much, and do they find them helpful? | Recovery Research Institute, USA
“Who You Gonna Call?” Not Medicaid patients: Telehealth substance use disorder treatment disparities
Telehealth services may help reduce treatment disparities by addressing some of the known healthcare barriers like distance to treatment. Yet it is unclear how recent telehealth expansion has impacted utilization. This study looked at this with a particular focus on insurance coverage and rural vs. urban location | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Vape Bans Averted in TN and ND—Just Not for Public Health Reasons
The greatest legislative threat to vaping at the state level over the past four years has been PMTA registry bills—that would effectively ban over 90 percent of the market by tying product availability to the FDA’s dysfunctional approval system | Filter Magazine, USA
Mindfulness therapy reduces opioid craving and addiction, study finds
Researchers from the University of California San Diego have found that Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) can help rewire the brain's response to natural healthy pleasure, leading to improved mood, greater attention to positive experiences and reduced opioid cravings | Medical Xpress, USA
Drug Trends output: Prescribed e-cigarette use and access among two samples in Australia who regularly use illicit drugs, 2022-2024
This bulletin examines recent use of, and access to, prescribed e-cigarettes containing nicotine, difficulty accessing prescribed e-cigarettes and reasons why participants were unable to obtain a prescription among the 2022-2024 EDRS and IDRS samples | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Leading Forward – Mike’s monthly vlog
April 2025 – “If you’re a Governor of a prison, a prison staff member, you know that basically we’re spending all of our time trying to keep the lid on things, trying to keep the lid on the numbers – there’s always overcrowding – almost all the prisons in the country are facing an overcrowding situation and also trying to keep the lid on violence, self-harm and mental health problems. These are not good times to be managing a prison.” | Forward Trust, UK
Noboa’s Re-Election Means No End To Ecuador’s Drug War
Ecuador has quickly risen in prominence for the global cocaine trade. Sandwiched between top coca producing nations – Colombia and Peru – and with large ports connected to the European consumer market, the formerly peaceful tourist destination has slowly become a key exporting route for the world’s most demanded substance. Rising levels of violence have led to Ecuador becoming the most dangerous country in South America, with 8,000 violent deaths recorded in 2023, reaching a national homicide rate of 45.8 per 100,000 (the highest in the region) | Talking Drugs, UK
The ‘entourage effect’ — what we don’t know about how cannabis works
In the years since legalization, there has been a tremendous surge in the number of cannabis products available to Canadian consumers, many offering tailored experiences to enhance seemingly any mood or activity. Do you want something calming or uplifting? Are you looking to inspire focus, spark creativity or get a good night’s sleep? Do you prefer full-spectrum extracts or THC isolates? But how does one plant produce so many different experiences? | Conversation, Canada