Home | Archive | Weekly | Reports

Daily news - 8th May 2025

UK news

Crackdown on snus-style nicotine pouches in ‘smokefree generation’ law

The pouches are designed to be placed between the user’s lips and gum, where they release nicotine | Independent, UK

More than a quarter of Scots prisoners admit drug use increased behind bars

The survey of inmates found about 35 per cent had used illegal drugs while 26 per cent said their drug use has increased or even started in jail | Daily Record, UK

Mum who campaigned for cannabis law change dies

A campaigner who fought for permission to treat her son's epilepsy with cannabis has died aged 45, after being diagnosed with cancer | BBC, UK

Stoke-on-Trent's £3.9m plan to get 22,000 smokers aged 11-plus to quit

Council chiefs have agreed to spend up to £3.9 million on an expanded stop-smoking service - with the aim of getting around 22,000 people to quit by 2030. Stoke-on-Trent City Council is looking to commission a universal smoking cessation service in order to dramatically increase the number of people giving up tobacco | Stoke Sentinel, UK

Misuse of Drugs (England and Wales and Scotland) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of The Misuse of Drugs (England, Wales, and Scotland) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulation 2023 on patient care | They work for you, UK

Police: Stop and Search - Question

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the police act proportionately in stop and search | They work for you, UK

Exploring Experiences of Substance Use Stigma in LGBTQIA+ Communities

Thursday 5th June 2025. Online. Free webinar. Stigma around substance use affects everyone differently—but for LGBTQIA+ communities, those experiences can be layered with additional discrimination, shame, and exclusion. This webinar will explore: 1) How stigma shows up in services and communities. 2) The impact on LGBTQIA+ people’s access to support. 3) Real-life experiences from people with lived and living experience and 4) What we can all do to drive inclusive, affirming change | AntiStigma Network, UK

Book Launch: How to Talk to Your Child About Drugs, by Owen Bowden-Jones

Thursday, May 15 · 6:30 - 8pm GMT+1. Cambridge University Press Bookshop. Learn how to have open and honest conversations with your children about drugs at Professor Owen Bowden-Jones' book launch | Cambridge University Press Bookshop

Homelessness service demand 'more than expected'

There has been "higher demand than anticipated" for emergency accommodation for homeless Isle of Man residents so far in 2025, the chairman of a government body has said | BBC, UK

Boy, 15, among arrests in ketamine crackdown

Fifteen people including a 15-year-old boy have been arrested in a cross-county crackdown on the supply of ketamine. The arrests were made at homes in Burnley, Padiham, Nelson, Ramsbottom and Huddersfield as part of a Operation Shore, Lancashire Police said | BBC, UK

Dealer imported crystal meth as 'weight loss shakes'

Several members of a Nottingham drugs gang have been jailed after UK and US authorities seized crystal meth worth more than £7m | BBC, UK

'Key player' in county drugs supply is jailed

A "key player" in the supply of drugs in a county has been jailed after a search warrant revealed large quantities of cash and cocaine | BBC, UK

International news

The human cost of policy shifts: Protecting Programming for and by People Who Use Drugs in the Global Fund’s Reprioritisation

A Public Health Emergency Is Unfolding for People who Use Drugs As the Global Fund Board prepares to meet in May 2025 and review grant reprioritisation and reinvestment measures, urgent attention must be paid to key populations and their community service providers, including people who use drugs | INPUD, UK

World report on social determinants of health equity

Unacceptable gaps persist in how long people can expect to live healthy lives depending on where they live, the communities they belong to, their education level, their race and ethnicity, their income and wealth, their gender and whether they have a disability. The social determinants of health equity - that is, the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, and people’s access to power, money, and resources— have a powerful influence on these avoidable and unjust health gaps | WHO, Switzerland

ESPAD–EUDA webinar: European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) — 30 years of monitoring and 2024 findings

20 May 2025. Online. The main aim of this webinar is to present the 2024 findings of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD). This edition marks 30 years of monitoring, during which ESPAD has continuously evolved to reflect the changing realities of adolescent life. In response to growing public health concerns, this year's study expands its focus to include new areas, including mental well-being and the reach of prevention interventions | EUDA, Portugal

Belgium launches next 'buddy' campaign to help friends quit smoking together

The 'Buddy Deal' has been launched once again by The Foundation Against Cancer in Belgium and the Netherlands this May to encourage individuals to quit smoking or vaping nicotine with the help of a loved one following April's Pano Report | Brussels Times, Belgium

Cannabis study finds legalization reduces problematic consumption, especially among those using other drugs

As part of the Weed Care study, researchers in Basel, Switzerland, are investigating how the legal supply of cannabis affects consumption and mental health among participants. In a recent publication, the study team has now reported on the direct comparison of the substance's legal versus illegal procurement | Medical Xpress, USA

THC Content in Cannabis Has Surged: Here’s What You Need to Know

BU experts offer advice for how to protect yourself | Boston University, USA

[Open access] Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol researchers anticipated that psychological distress and changes in alcohol availability would impact alcohol consumption patterns. While psychological distress was expected to increase alcohol use, particularly among vulnerable groups, restrictive alcohol policies might have led to reduced consumption. This study examined the complex relationship between psychological distress, alcohol policies, alcohol consumption, and their interactions with sociodemographic factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US | IJDP, USA

Mental health disorders tied to growing number of cannabis-related hospital visits

More people are landing in the hospital with cannabis-related problems-and for many, a mental health condition is the primary issue, according to a new study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs | News Medical, USA

[Open access] Illicit stimulant use among individuals initiating medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) has significantly increased over the past decade. Co-use of these substances is associated with increased risk of mortality as well as worse treatment outcomes. This study examines the potential predictive role of stimulant urinalysis result at baseline on treatment retention and opioid and stimulant use outcomes amongst individuals initiating MOUD treatment | DADR, USA

The 2016 CDC Opioid Guideline and Analgesic Prescribing Patterns in Older Adults With Cancer

This cohort study of 11 903 older adults with cancer using interrupted time series analysis found a significant 24% decline in typical opioid prescribing and in those with advanced disease, an immediate 7.5–percentage-point increase in tramadol prescribing, while gabapentinoid prescribing continued to rise by 25% | JAMA Network Open, USA

Study finds critical gaps in Narcan awareness, possession among US adults

As the opioid epidemic continues to plague the United States, Narcan and other treatments that administer naloxone have emerged as effective tools to quickly reverse overdoses and save lives | Medical Xpress, USA

Oldest Use of Psychoactive Drugs in Peruvian Andes Detected

More than two thousand years ago, high in Peru's Andes Mountains, the key to maintaining power and control may have been access to psychoactive drugs, according to a statement released by the University of Florida | Archeology Magazine, USA

Blogs, comment and opinion

Addiction isn’t just about brain chemistry – but nor is it just bad choices

Consider someone addicted to alcohol, drugs, or a behaviour like gambling. Why do they continue, even when they say they want to stop? It’s a question that highlights a fundamental disconnect: the gap between intention and action | Conversation, UK

Adding Up the Success: Reflecting on the Impact of the Multiply Programme in Thanet

Over the last two years, The Forward Trust has been at the forefront of delivering Multiply courses across Thanet and East Kent, funded by Kent County Council through the Department for Education. As this impactful programme draws to an end, it is important to reflect upon the successes achieved and the lasting legacy it will leave for our learners | Forward Trust blog, UK

SHAAP comments on the Programme for Government

Programme for Government a missed opportunity to tackle alcohol harm, say expert medics | SHAAP, UK

Psychedelics and Nature Connectedness: Potential for Restoring a Lost Relationship

In recent human history, we are experiencing an unprecedented increase in ecological harms and mental health-related issues. Today, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability, affecting 1 in 8 people worldwide (Kieling et al., 2024; Mental Disorders n.d.). As people have worked to treat these growing challenges, some have suggested a common cause underlying both: a disconnect between humans and nature. In this blog, we examine the relationship between nature connectedness, mental health, and ecological behaviors and explore whether psychedelics may offer a means to help restore this relationship | Drug Science, UK

More Australians are overdosing on GHB. But there are ways to reduce your risk

Gamma hydroxybutyrate – better known as GHB – is an increasingly popular illegal drug being used recreationally in Australia. While it can create feelings of euphoria, disinhibition and increased libido, GHB carries serious risks. The difference between a recreational dose and an overdose of GHB – usually taken as a liquid – can be less than 0.5ml | Conversation, Australia

And finally...

Ohio police find pet raccoon in car driver’s seat with meth pipe in its mouth

Chewy’s owner was detained and a bulk amount of methamphetamine was discovered in vehicle, officials say | Guardian, UK

Extend Studio