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Daily news - 4th November 2025 |
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UK news
London smoking rate rise ‘concerning’: Five boroughs among twenty worst in England
Five London boroughs have some of the highest smoking rates in England, according to data by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Ealing, Croyden, Barking and Dagenham, Harrow, and Camden all feature as among the ‘worst’ in England | London TV, UK
Outcomes from a National Consensus Event Targeting Service Development Strategies for Alcohol Related Brain Damage
[Open access] Alcohol-Related Brain Damage (ARBD) remains underdiagnosed and inconsistently managed across services, despite its significant impact on individuals. Improving access to appropriate support and treatment requires the integration of stakeholder perspectives. This study aimed to co-produce a service development pathway for ARBD in Wales through a structured consensus methodology | Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, UK
City pilots new online HIV-prevention drug service
People in Liverpool are being offered easier access to a pioneering pill which can reduce the risk of contracting HIV by 99% | BBC, UK
Addiction centre marks 65 years of support
A rehabilitation centre has marked 65 years of supporting people in their recovery from addiction | BBC, UK
Doncaster drug and alcohol recovery service to host open day
A service which supports the recovery and wellbeing of people living with drug and alcohol issues is inviting Doncaster residents to its health and wellbeing open day | Doncaster Free Press, UK
Cannabis smoking and vaping at children's home
An Ofsted report said the private facility in Oldham, Greater Manchester, was "unsafe" and "inadequate" in all areas after the September inspection | BBC, UK
Urgent warning issued over ‘exploding zombie batteries’ in vapes
Experts warn more than 180 fires have erupted across the UK’s largest waste system | Independent, UK
Lunch & Learn webinar #1: Neurodiversity, young people, drugs and decisions
Nov 10 · 12:00 GMT. Join us for a Lunch & Learn webinar discussing how neurodivergent young people navigate decisions around drugs | Drug Education Forum, UK
Advance your career with a PhD studentship or fellowship
The SSA is offering fully-funded PhD studentships and fellowships through the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme. Applications close at 17:00 GMT on 15 January 2026 | SSA, UK
International news
Bella Culley freed from Georgian prison
Pregnant teenager Bella Culley, who had admitted drug trafficking charges in Georgia, has said she felt "happy and relieved" as she was freed from prison | BBC, UK
Colorado Proves That Drug Regulation Works – Interview with Dominique Mendiola
In Drugreporter’s new interview, Dominique Mendiola, Senior Director of Colorado’s Natural Medicine Division, shares how Colorado is shaping the next chapter of psychedelic regulation in the United States | Drug Reporter, Hungary
‘Zero-alcohol’ products and the guise of responsibility
[Open access] Alcohol companies have expanded their presence in the ‘zero-alcohol’ market with intensive product development and marketing activities. This has been framed by industry as an effort to reduce or solve alcohol-related harm. Such framing fails to acknowledge the financial benefits ‘zero-alcohol’ products offer alcohol companies and the ongoing concerns regarding alcohol brand marketing. To help inform an understanding of industry priorities, we looked at comments about ‘zero-alcohol’ products by major beer companies in online publications | J Public Health Policy, USA
Trends in Daily Nicotine Vaping and Unsuccessful Quit Attempts in Youths
In this cross-sectional study of 115 191 youths in 8th to 12th grade, weighted prevalence of daily nicotine vaping rose from 15% in 2020 to 29% in 2024 among current vapers and unsuccessful quit attempts increased from 28% to 53% among daily vapers | JAMA Network Open, USA
More states eliminating insurance hurdles for opioid use disorder medications
A new study from Tulane University found that, over the past decade, more states have moved to make it easier for people with opioid use disorder to get potentially life-saving medication | Medical Xpress, USA
'No idea how much they're having': The party drug on the rise among young women
Once thought of as mostly a 'date rape drug', GHB is being used recreationally by more Australians and experts say it's causing problems | SBS, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Talking might not solve the UK’s mental health crisis – but recovery could save a life
As we approach Men’s Health Month, it is an opportune moment to talk about the importance of positive conversations around mental health and to remind ourselves that awareness isn’t enough, we also need action. Charities and campaigns have long been encouraging people to talk about their mental health and while we know that the need for improved access to services and treatment is paramount, we can’t lose sight of the impact that we can have right now | Phoenix Futures blog, UK
Drug use in prisons “endemic”
Anew (31 October 2025) report from the House of Commons Justice Committee on Tackling the drugs crisis in our prisons says that use of illicit drugs and the trade in them across prisons has reached ‘endemic’ levels, fostering a ‘dangerous culture of acceptance that must be broken’ | Rusell Webster, UK
IAS response to Licensing Reforms Programme
The creation of a National Licensing Policy Framework that could centrally guide or overrule local licensing decisions would weaken the role of local authorities and contradict the Government’s stated commitment to localism and devolution. The consultation does not explain how this Framework would operate, who would govern it, or how it would be held accountable to local people | IAS, UK
Ignore Big Tobacco: its decline is retail’s opportunity
Let’s be clear about who benefits from the spin that regulating tobacco is bad for retailers: not the corner shop or the supermarket but the multinational tobacco manufacturers, says Hazel Cheeseman, CEO of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) | The Grocer, UK
Ben Scher Tackles Health Inequalities and Drug-Related Harm
Ben Scher, a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton’s Center for Health and Wellbeing, was in high school when an outreach project brought him into communities where homelessness and addiction were both prevalent and visible. The experience affected him deeply, highlighting tremendous disparities, problems facing marginalized populations, and the need for evidence-based solutions | Princeton University, USA