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Daily news - 3rd November 2025 |
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UK news
Tackling the drugs crisis in our prisons (PDF)
The trade and use of illicit drugs in our prisons has reached endemic levels. There is a prevailing culture of acceptance which tolerates drug use and makes it almost impossible for prisoners to escape the problem or for prisons to deal with it. This is reflected in the fact that 39 per cent of prisoners find it easy to acquire drugs. Our report finds that the endemic level of drugs in our prisons endangers lives and cripples the ability of His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) to maintain control and safety and to rehabilitate effectively | House of Commons Justice Committee, UK
Dangerous culture of accepting drugs crisis in prisons must be broken, MPs say
Strong synthetic opioids linked to deaths at HMP Parc last year have been highlighted as a “volatile threat” in the prison drugs market | ITV, UK
MDMA warnings issued in Manchester following deaths of two women
The Greater Manchester Drug Alert Panel put out an “urgent” warning about batches of both powder and pill-form MDMA | MixMag, UK
Characteristics of methamphetamine-related deaths in the United Kingdom, 1997–2024
People who use methamphetamine have a standardised mortality ratio 6.8 times greater than the general population, with several countries reporting concerning increases in methamphetamine-related mortality over the past decade. Methamphetamine use in the United Kingdom (UK) has been reported as largely confined to communities of men who have sex with men with no previous large-scale studies describing mortality associated with methamphetamine. We aimed to determine trends and case characteristics of methamphetamine-related deaths in the UK | Addiction, UK
Smoking - We look at the effectiveness of NHS Stop Smoking Services, smoking by deprivation and smoking patterns among young people
Smoking is a leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in England. It not only has a detrimental effect on nearly every organ of the body, but also contributes to health inequality and worsening social mobility. Reducing the number of people who smoke is therefore a key priority in improving the health of the population, and Stop Smoking Services are a key NHS intervention to reduce smoking | Nuffield Trust, UK
Girl, 17, died after taking drugs at Southampton rave
A 17-year-old girl died after “double-dropping” two ecstasy pills which had been smuggled into an under-18s rave event, an inquest has heard | Daily Echo, UK
About 4,000 prescribed medicinal cannabis in 2024 [Jersey]
Deputy Tom Binet answered a written question submitted on 20 October, external about what information, if any, was collected on the prescribing of medicinal cannabis in the island | BBC, UK
Booze-less 'GABYR' gives non-drinkers a buzz
Alcohol-free beer has come a long way in recent years. The watery lagers that once resembled fizzy pop have given way to a new generation of more scientific brews that claim to deliver not just taste - but chemical relaxation too. One of the latest and most innovative entries - GABYR - has been developed by the neuroscientist, David Nutt… | Naked Scientist, UK
Forward staff member selected as a finalist in ERSA’s 2025 Employability Awards
This nomination recognises Abby’s outstanding contribution to advancing employer engagement as part of our mission at The Forward Trust. Through her dedication, she has strengthened partnerships with employers, enhanced work-readiness programmes and significantly improved opportunities for the people we support | Forward Trust, UK
Lord Dick Taverne (1928-2025)
We are very sad to hear of last week’s passing of Lord Dick Taverne. Dick had a very keen interest in science, so in addition to his illustrious political career, he founded the pressure group Sense About Science in 2002. In line with Drug Science’s ethos, he campaigned tirelessly for sound science and evidence-based policy making, aiming to make the world a better, more evidence-based place | Drug Science, UK
Illegal disposable vapes still being sold in Brighton - ITV News Meridian investigation
A ban on single-use disposable vapes was brought in during the summer aimed at protecting children's health and the environment. But we've found that many of the now illegal vapes were still being sold - with authorities seemingly powerless to stop them | ITV, UK
Driving under Influence: Drugs
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on drug-driving (a) enforcement and (b) communications campaigns in each year since 2023; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of those campaigns | They work for you, UK
Cider: South Somerset
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to support the cider industry in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) south Somerset | They work for you, UK
Charges following £13.8 million cannabis haul at Birmingham Airport
Eleven people have been charged as part of an ongoing National Crime Agency investigation into the seizure of more than half a tonne of cannabis at Birmingham Airport | NCA, UK
'Put horseracing tax money in addiction recovery'
Money generated from a proposed tax hike on bets made online for horseracing should be put into recovery for gambling addiction, ex-England footballer Peter Shilton has said | BBC, UK
International news
A fatal drop: what do we know about the drugs, 500 times stronger than heroin, taking Australian lives?
Only a few years after first being detected in Australia, nitazenes have been found in everything from vapes to fake heroin – and the death toll is rising | Guardian, UK
Understanding the role of cessation fatigue in smoking relapse: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey
[Open access] Relapse risk among people who formerly smoke is influenced by task difficulty. Cessation fatigue (CF) may be a better predictor than measures such as reported strength of urges to smoke (SUTS) and abstinence self-efficacy (ASE). It may also be affected by quit length and use of other nicotine products. The current study investigated whether post-quitting CF predicts higher relapse risk, its predictive utility relative to ASE and SUTS and whether the CF-relapse prediction was moderated by time since quitting | Addiction, UK
Berlin clubs kick the drug habit as sober nights lure crowds
The world’s unofficial nightlife capital is embracing a surprising narcotics-free trend among ravers | Observer, UK
More than half of Americans underestimate the link between how much they drink and cancer - video
People who drink alcohol are more likely to believe it has no effect on cancer risk | Independent, UK
Three killed in US military strike on alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean
Defense secretary announces a new strike on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, bringing total killed in US strikes to at least 64 people | Guardian, UK
Maldives becomes the only country with generational smoking ban
Indian Ocean archipelago bans anyone born after 1 January 2007 from buying or using tobacco in order to ‘promote a tobacco-free generation’ | Guardian, UK
Young Russians are being seduced by a cheap, dangerous weight-loss pill called Molecule
Molecule, a pill promising rapid weight loss, went viral on Russian TikTok earlier this year. Young people's feeds started filling up with captions like "Take Molecule and forget food exists", and "Do you want to sit in the back of the class in oversized clothes?" | BBC, UK
New vape tax announced in budget to take effect
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe confirmed in September the so-called vape tax will apply at a rate of 50c per millilitre of e-liquid, excluding 23% VAT | RTe, Ireland
Maine Ballot Bid Aims to Roll Back Voter-Approved Marijuana Legalization
There’s another effort brewing to undermine a state voter-approved marijuana law—this time in Maine, where a citizen initiative backed by GOP operatives has been submitted in hopes of rolling back the commercial adult-use market | Filter Magazine, USA
London doctors see 'alarming numbers' in youth opioid use, mirroring national trend
Young people, families face barriers accessing treatment for opioid abuse, editorial says | CBC News, Canada
Blogs, comment and opinion
Collective Voice calls on Government to accept and implement the recommendations of the Justice Committee inquiry on drugs in prisons
Today the Justice Committee has published the final report of its Tackling drugs in prisons inquiry. The report paints a concerning picture, citing authorities including the Chief Inspector of Prisons and the Government’s own independent advisor on drugs to state that there is a ‘drugs crisis’ in prisons, and the approach needs ‘urgent reform and investment’ | Collective Voice, UK
Urgent Reform Needed to Stop The 'Endemic Levels of Drugs in Our Prisons' say MPs
Mike Trace, CEO of the Forward Trust and as the government’s former drug czar oversaw the creation of the first national prison drug strategy. He gave evidence to the inquiry and has warned that the drug market is “worse in prisons than it ever has been”. He has called on the government to “take decisive action to turn things around.” | Forward Trust, UK
Mexico’s unending drug wars: The mayhem could last a generation
Pumped-up soldiers swarmed onto the ramshackle streets, lining up residents on their knees while two helicopters buzzed low over houses. Higher in the hills, where farmers raised weed and opium poppies, troops got into gunfights with cartel operatives. It was 13 December, 2006, and I was in the Michoacán mountain town of Aguililla with a photographer and cameraman from the Associated Press | UnHerd, UK