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Daily news - 2nd May 2025 |
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UK news
Drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding: 2025 to 2026
Updated - The IPS grant allocation has increased for Leeds, Oldham, Suffolk and Worcestershire councils because of proven and sustained high levels of demand for access to IPS. Also, Middlesbrough is now receiving funding as part of a consortium. And the council leading each consortium has been added to the table | DHSC, UK
Alcohol deaths: Time running out for Scottish Government, groups say
With a year until the next Scottish Parliament election, 70 organisations covering health, addiction and more have called on the SNP administration to "show leadership" and undertake targeted measures to save lives | Holyrood Magazine, UK
Phillip Morris International blasted over IQOS adverts seen by children
Hazel Cheesman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, raised concerns over their marketing tactics | Better Retailing, UK
Furious residents near UK's first drug consumption room rally over 'needle nightmare'
Furious residents living near the UK's first drug consumption room have told LBC their streets are seeing an influx of needles and crime | LBC, UK
Making a change booklets
Helping you make positive choices about the amount you drink | Public Health Scotland, UK
WithYou on the Kiltwalk
This weekend, some of our WithYou team took part in the Kiltwalk, Scotland’s largest mass participation walking event. Staff, their family members and their dogs covered a combined 214 miles across the west of Scotland, and raised more than £4,100 for our charity | DDN, UK
Introducing BDP’s new CEO… Lydia Plant
Following the departure of our previous CEO Anna Smith, we’ve had an important role to fill in our organisation. We’re happy to introduce our new CEO Lydia Plant! | BDP, UK
Alcohol’s hidden climate impact - podcast
In our latest podcast, Dr Megan Cook of La Trobe University discusses alcohol’s overlooked environmental impact. Dr Cook explores how alcohol production exacerbates climate harms, from water scarcity to packaging waste, and highlights the industry's "greenwashing" through corporate social responsibility campaigns. She argues that: "If we reduce alcohol consumption for health reasons, that’s going to have climate benefits | IAS, UK
What are alcohol care teams and why do we need them? Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, SHAAP - video
Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, Chair of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) explains what alcohol care teams do and why they are a key part of the roadmap for urgent action on alcohol deaths | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK
More drug tests to be carried out at prison
Drug tests will be carried out more regularly in a prison where almost 40% of tests have been found to come back positive | BBC, UK
Ban on the sale of vapes to under 18s approved [Guernsey]
The Committee for Health and Social Care has introduced the legislation in response to concerns about the marketing of vapes to children | BBC, UK
Drugs hidden inside teddies sent to child mules [Jersey]
Children as young as 12 were threatened and manipulated to help distribute drugs across Jersey, the island's Royal Court heard. The court was told the children were part of a network that sent £1.8m worth of drugs hidden inside teddies and other toys in the post | BBC, UK
Recovering gambler urges others to not 'suffer in silence'
A recovering gambling addict is urging others to not "suffer in silence" as new official figures reveal that problem gambling levels in Northern Ireland remain at a similar level as before | BBC, UK
International news
Effects of legal access versus illegal market cannabis on use and mental health: A randomized controlled trial
[Open access] We measured the effects of public health-oriented cannabis access compared with the illegal market on cannabis use and related mental health outcomes in adult cannabis users | Addiction, UK
LSD analogue synthesised by swapping just two atoms less likely to cause hallucinations
An analogue of the psychedelic drug LSD has been found to offer the same therapeutic effects as LSD but is less likely to cause the hallucinogenic trips associated with the drug. The researchers say that their work highlights the potential of rationally designed, non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogues in the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, where the use of psychedelics is not recommended | Chemistry World, UK
Coalition plan to make vapes more widely available ‘exactly what big tobacco wants’, health experts warn
A Dutton government would allow vapes to be legally sold in retail stores rather than restricted to pharmacies in bid to raise $3.6bn in tax revenue | Guardian, UK
'It's not worth it': Gardaí and RSA issue drug-driving warning in new awareness campaign
Gardaí said that an “increased number of people” are failing roadside drink and drug tests | Journal, Ireland
Sowing change to harvest justice – The HR25 Recap Video
More than a thousand harm reduction professionals gathered in Bogotá, Colombia, to attend the 28th Harm Reduction International Conference. Watch Drugreporter’s recap video | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Well, That’s One Way to Address America’s Vaping Problem
Millions of Americans are inhaling e-cigarettes illegally imported from China. Because of tariffs, they’re about to get a lot more expensive | The Atlantic, USA
Body weight and risk of death in opioid medication treatment
Opioid agonist medications like methadone and buprenorphine can lead to weight gain and even obesity, which can bring with it a host of health challenges including premature death. This study examined the effects of being either underweight or obese on risk of death during buprenorphine and methadone treatment | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Attitudes toward Narcan among people who use drugs
Widespread distribution of naloxone (also referred to by the brand name Narcan) can help prevent overdose and save lives. Because quick administration is key, naloxone attitudes among those most likely to administer it, including people who are present and also using drugs, may help explain how likely someone is to administer it. This study examined attitudes toward naloxone in a sample of people who use drugs | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Test Strips Do Tell You If Xylazine Is Present, But Prone to False Positives
Xylazine has emerged as a major adulterant in the unregulated drug supply in recent years. Initially common in certain cities such as Philadelphia, it is now found in communities across the United States. The veterinary sedative can prolong the effects of fentanyl, but has been linked to various harms, including deep skin ulcers and injection wounds that won’t heal | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Fighting Everyday Discrimination
“I went to Asda and was waiting at the pharmacy for my script, I was waiting for 45 minutes so I asked how much longer it would take and I was told “addicts like you can wait!” I’m trying to better myself and still have people looking down on me” | AntiStigma Network, UK
“Matter of Life or Death”: The Public Health Costs of Disrupting US Aid in Africa
On 20 January, American President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating a 90 day freeze and review of all U.S foreign development assistance programmes, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programmes. As has been internationally reported, the result of the review was announced on 10 March, where the American Secretary of State announced that 83% of USAID programmes – around 5,200 – would be cancelled, with only 1,000 to continue under new supervision of his State Department | Talking Drugs, UK
As heated tobacco products reenter the US market, evidence on their safety remains sparse – new study
Heated tobacco products are often marketed by tobacco companies as less harmful than cigarettes, but they can pose health risks to users, according to a new review I co-authored in the journal Tobacco Control. Evidence on their health risks in people who smoke is limited, sometimes contradictory, and hard to make sense of | Conversation, USA