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Daily news - 24th November 2025 |
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UK news
Princess of Wales calls for end to ‘stigma’ around addiction
The Princess of Wales has called for an end to the “stigma” surrounding addictions, saying the experiences of those dependent on drugs, alcohol or gambling are “shaped by fear, shame and judgment”. Catherine, who is a patron of the charity Forward Trust supporting recovering addicts, said more open conversations were needed to bring the issue “out of the shadows” and for society to show “compassion and love” to those affected | Guardian, UK
Tony Adams launches National Addiction Awareness Week: 23 – 30 November
During the week of 23rd November to 30th November the campaign will feature new research which reveals public understanding of addiction; events which celebrate the resilience of people in recovery; employer forums which spotlight best practice; community events across the Forward Trust Network; and spotlight stories which inspire and move the dial on how we understand addiction | Forward Trust, UK
Tony Adams: The Conversation That Changed Everything | Taking Action on Addiction - video
In this powerful film, Tony shares the moment that sparked his recovery journey - and why honest conversations about addiction can save lives. This video is part of The Conversation That Changed Everything, a national campaign for Addiction Awareness Week (23–30 November), led by The Forward Trust and the Taking Action on Addiction coalition | Forward Trust, UK
Hepatitis B in England 2025
This report summarises England’s progress towards the WHOelimination targets for hepatitis B with data to the end of 2024. This year’s report shows continuing decline in self-reported vaccine coverage among people who inject drugs, and limited data on uptake among other at-risk groups including people accessing sexual health services (SHSs) and people in prison | UKHSA, UK
Member Spotlight: Phoenix Futures on the ‘Restorative Power of the Outdoors’
In our latest Member Spotlight, Rachel Hudson, Living Skills Worker at Phoenix Future’s Recovery Housing Service in Glasgow, explores the role of nature in recovery from drugs and alcohol | CCPS, UK
Examining changes in the prevalence of cost-motivated alcohol reduction attempts in the context of a cost-of-living crisis and alcohol duty reforms: A population survey of risky drinkers in Great Britain, 2021–2024
Concludes that “cost is an increasingly important motive for alcohol reduction attempts among risky drinkers … likely reflecting financial pressures resulting from the cost-of-living crisis and rising alcohol prices” | Addiction, UK
Contingency management interventions for substance use and addictive behaviours: Review of the United Kingdom evidence base
Despite the effectiveness of substance use treatment approaches, treatment adherence and success rates remain low. Contingency Management (CM), a behavioural intervention using positive reinforcement, is a promising approach to enhance clinical outcomes; however, its implementation in UK settings remains limited. This scoping review aimed to explore how CM has been adopted to improve outcomes for substance use and addictive behaviours in the UK | Addiction, UK
NHS vaping addiction clinic has kids as young as 11 on long waiting list
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool launched an e-cig cessation pilot in February to help youngsters kick the habit - and now at least 15 are in a queue to be seen | Mirror, UK
City's smoking rate falls to 'lowest-ever level'
Sunderland's smoking rate fell from 11.6% in 2023 to 9.4% in 2024 but a report made for the city council showed there was still some work to be done to reach the 2030 target of 5% | BBC, UK
I started taking ketamine partying in Ibiza - it made me incontinent
Wesley was 18 when he got into the drug - now 27, he is in rehabilitation having hit "rock bottom", losing his family and partner, and becoming homeless | BBC, UK
‘You really feel like you’re going to die’: Millie Mackintosh on the life changing moment she decided to go sober
‘A best friend said, I just can't see you do this to yourself anymore. Six months later, I stopped drinking.’ | Independent, UK
London Philharmonic and Royal Academy defend ties with tobacco company sponsor
The orchestra and the RA have told Arts Professional they will continue to accept support from Japan Tobacco International after the British Museum ended its links with the sponsor | Arts Professional, UK
Ketamine: Misuse
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has conducted any recent reviews of the harms associated with ketamine use and its current legal classification | They work for you, UK
Cannabis: Health Education
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of the health impact of the long term use of marijuana | They work for you, UK
Cocaine: Crime
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to tackle the illegal (a) sale, (b) possession and (c) use of cocaine | They work for you, UK
Bus Services: Electronic Cigarettes
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill, what is the policy rationale for legislating for byelaws which can ban vaping outside bus stops | They work for you, UK
Spiking: Victim Support Schemes
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support victims of spiking | They work for you, UK
Crackdown on fake vapes to include digital QR tags
Rogue traders selling illegal vapes could face £10,000 fines and a potential prison sentence under new rules designed to tackle the booming business in unlicensed e-cigarettes, the government has said. A raft of new measures is set to be announced in the Budget on Wednesday, including new powers for the Border Force and the tax authority, HMRC | BBC, UK
Father and son sentenced for part in massive heroin shipment worth over £20 million
Colin Bartlett, 54, and Lee Bartlett, 30, of Bordesley Green, Birmingham, were part of an organised crime group that used a front company with a fictitious director to import pomegranate juice laced with heroin in shipping containers from Afghanistan | NCA, UK
Men sentenced over underground drug farms
Four shipping containers, each housing a sophisticated cannabis farm, were found buried 20ft (about 6m) underground, Lincoln Crown Court heard | BBC, UK
Drug smuggler disguised cocaine as chocolate bars
A woman has been sentenced to five years in jail after she attempted to smuggle cocaine disguised as chocolate | BBC, UK
International news
Drug use among people in prison: A global review of epidemiology, harms and interventions
[Open access] Finds “robust evidence supporting the effectiveness of prison-based pharmacological (e.g. opioid agonist treatment) and psychosocial (e.g. therapeutic communities) interventions in reducing drug-related harms” | Addiction, UK
From cigarettes to snuff to nicotine pouches: the unusual Icelandic model for tobacco harm reduction
During the last few decades, Nordic countries have played host to dramatic falls in smoking rates. They are leading the way in Europe, and each showcases the potential for tobacco harm reduction to rapidly reduce cigarette use. But while snus has provided an increasingly popular off-ramp for those looking to switch away from smoking in Sweden and Norway, Icelanders have taken to a different selection of safer nicotine products, and this Briefing Paper uncovers the story of their rise | GSTHR, UK
EUDA webinar: Novel approaches to prevent the recruitment and participation of young people in European drug markets
10 Dec 2025. This webinar aims to explore innovative and evidence-informed approaches to preventing the recruitment and involvement of young people in drug markets across Europe. Drawing on interventions implemented in various European countries, the session will examine how these strategies can disrupt pathways into drug-related criminality and offer meaningful alternatives for at-risk young people | EUDA, Portugal
Take-home methadone provides a lifesaving bridge to recovery after hospitalization
For patients recovering from opioid use disorder, particularly from drugs like fentanyl or heroin, the days immediately following a hospital stay are among the most dangerous. A new multi-state study led by researchers at CU Anschutz found that nearly half of patients discharged with take-home methadone successfully connected to follow-up treatment within 72 hours. That window can be the difference between relapse and recovery or even life and death | News Medical, USA
Nearly 7 in 10 Medicaid patients not receiving treatment within 6 months of opioid use disorder diagnosis, study finds
A US study of more than a million Medicaid enrollees newly diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD), finds most—nearly seven in 10—are not receiving access to potentially life-saving drugs within six months | Medical Xpress, USA
Support groups for alcohol use disorder are more effective when they are attended in person
People who only participate virtually are three times more likely to report difficulties with maintaining abstinence, study finds | Philly Voice, USA
Alcohol available for consumption in Australia
Alcohol available for consumption (previously called ‘Apparent consumption of alcohol’) refers to the total amount of alcohol either produced in Australia or imported into Australia, that will be sold to people living in Australia. This release includes new estimates for the volume of alcohol made available for consumption in 2023–24 | AIHW, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
John Lewis obituary
My father, John Lewis, who has died aged 92, played a leading role in the development of buprenorphine, used successfully to treat millions of people worldwide as an alternative to morphine as a painkiller after operations, and later as an alternative to methadone, to treat opioid drug addicts | Guardian, UK
Britain bleeds cheap Booze
England does many things wrong. Bedevilled by historical indiscretions it can feel, particularly now, like we’re shuffling beneath dark satanic mills rather than strolling through a green and pleasant land. But we’re good at pubs. Stand beneath St Peter’s Gate and you could, hand on heart, declare that no one – barring perhaps the Irish – does them better | What are you on, UK
Opinion: The WHO wants nine times more money to control tobacco. Don’t pay!
The organization would discourage non-tobacco products that helped millions of smokers to quit. That's backward policy | Financial Post opinion, USA