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Daily news - 20th November 2025 |
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UK news
Fast drug testing to tackle unsafe drugs and vapes
A new drug testing contract has been handed out to tackle potentially lethal drugs and dangerous vapes. Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton councils jointly funded the contract given to Teesside University to speed up testing. The councils were told substances contained in some illegal vapes were an area of concern after a number of cases involving youngsters being hospitalised | BBC, UK
Urgent warning over ketamine 'contaminated' with super-strength vet sedative being sold in Manchester
Several batches of ketamine tested in recent days were found to contain medetomidine, a potent veterinary anaesthetic commonly used on large animals | Manchester Evening News, UK
Ketamine
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the levels of ketamine-related (a) hospital admissions and (b) emergency call-outs in the last ten years | They work for you, UK
Drugs: Rehabilitation
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of specialist residential drug and alcohol treatment in (a) England and (b) the North East | They work for you, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Drugs, Alcohol & Justice APPG entitled Action on Alcohol Harm – Priorities for Policymakers, published on 10 July 2025 | They work for you, UK
Tobacco: Packaging
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to bring regulation on packaging of cigars and cigarillos in line with that for cigarettes | They work for you, UK
Half of UK smokers say they intend to quit smoking in the next year
More than half of the current smokers in the UK are projected to quit in the following 12 months, according to a new survey from the Office for National Statistics | Scottish Grocer, UK
Alcohol licensing recommendations rejected by Lyons
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has rejected a number of changes to the rules around alcohol licensing recommended by an independent report | BBC, UK
BBC Christmas adaptation of Julia Donaldson's Scarecrows' Wedding removes cigar scene as it may 'condone, encourage or glamorise' smoking
The BBC's Christmas adaptation of the children's classic The Scarecrows' Wedding has been rewritten because it may encourage children to smoke cigars | Mail Online, UK
‘Reckless’ teacher banned from classrooms for drinking at school after parents evening
“Ms Grove was an experienced practitioner who would, inevitably, have known that her behaviour was inappropriate and wrong,” the report said. “Even if there was no evidence that pupils had sight of, never mind consumed, alcohol, her actions presented obvious risks | Independent, UK
International news
Irish government approves plans to ban disposable vapes
The Irish government has approved plans to ban the sale of disposable vapes and introduce new restrictions on other nicotine products. The move in the Republic of Ireland comes after the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Northern Ireland was banned back in April 2025. Anyone found guilty of stocking or supplying single-use vapes in Northern Ireland could face a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of up to £5,000 | BBC, UK
Global State of Harm Reduction: 2025 Update to Key Data
This briefing provides updates to key data from Harm Reduction International's flagship report, The Global State of Harm Reduction. The full report is published every two years, with updates to key data released in between editions of the report. This update also summarises key developments in harm reduction services, funding and drug policy since the launch of the ninth edition of the report in November 2024 | HRI, UK
‘California sober’: marijuana may help you drink less, study finds
Brown University researchers run joint-and-drink study to find alcohol consumption falls after smoking cannabis | Guardian, UK
What wastewater reveals about drug use in Hanoi, Vietnam with Phong Thai - podcast
In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr Phong Thai, an Associate Professor at Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, Australia. The interview covers Phong’s research article on a wastewater study measuring illegal drug use in Hanoi, Vietnam, to determine the feasibility of conducting wastewater analysis in a low-income country | SSA, UK
Government approves Minister for Health’s proposals to prohibit the sale of disposable vapes and regulate future nicotine products
The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill T.D., has received Government approval to publish the Public Health (Single Use Vapes) Bill 2025 and bring it forward for enactment. The Bill will prohibit the retail sale of single use or disposable vapes | Department of Health, Ireland
New Polish speaker unveils total alcohol ban in parliament
The new speaker of Poland’s parliament has signed an order banning alcohol sales on parliamentary premises, saying lawmakers should set an example as cities nationwide move to curb late-night drinking | TVPWorld, Poland
Trends in Hallucinogen-Related Emergency Department and Hospital Admissions, 2016 to 2023
"These findings add important context to other studies showing rises in hallucinogen use," said Richard Grucza, Ph.D., professor of family and community medicine and health outcomes research at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. "Those increases don't seem to be contributing to rising ER visits, and if anything, alcohol and other drugs seem to be driving adverse consequences of psychedelic use." | JAMA Network Open, USA
Vancouver mayor credits DTES task force with reducing overdoses. Here’s what public health experts say
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim continues to laud the impacts of a police-led task force focused on crime on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, claiming it led to a reduction in overdoses | CTV News, Canada
Blogs, comment and opinion
Collective Voice responds to the Government’s Men’s Health Strategy
Chief Executive of Collective Voice, Dr Will Haydock, released the following statement: The strategy is right to recognise the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs, but the Government must invest in services accordingly if it is to make a real difference. There is little to be gained by encouraging men to seek help if the services they turn to aren’t properly supported. We would welcome the opportunity to work with Ministers to restore momentum on substance use treatment and ensure we have a credible, funded plan to improve men’s health | Collective Voice, UK
Looksmaxxing: The Hidden Pressure on Young Men, Drugs & Image Enhancement
In the age of social media, image has become far more than just vanity—it has morphed into a driving force behind drug use, mental health issues and performance-enhancing behaviours | Tony D'Agostino, UK
A new index challenges common beliefs about drug use and harm in NZ
New Zealand’s mainstay drug law turned 50 this year – yet we still don’t have a clear, comprehensive picture of the social harms different drugs pose | Conversation, New Zealand