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Daily news - 25th November 2025 |
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UK news
Millions to benefit from new health and wellbeing quiz
Millions of Brits could boost their mood by spending five minutes taking a Healthy Choices Quiz launched by the government and the NHS. The campaign aims to encourage adults— particularly those aged 40–60 and from more deprived backgrounds—to take control of their health and identify where they need support. The quiz asks questions on a range of topics including nutrition, movement, smoking, vaping, alcohol consumption, mental health, and sleep | Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Ashley Dalton MP, UK
New Poll highlights widespread impact of addiction amongst UK adults
More than half [53%] of adults in the UK have either personally experienced addiction or know someone who has, with one in ten personally affected, according to a new poll to mark Addiction Awareness Week | Forward Trust, UK
Has alcohol consumption in England returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels? A monthly population study, 2014 to 2024
[Open access] The prevalence of risky drinking and mean weekly alcohol consumption in England appear to be trending towards pre-pandemic levels but the prevalence of dependent drinking in England appears to have increased since the start of the pandemic and remains elevated compared with pre-pandemic levels. Alcohol-related inequalities may be worsening due to slower declines in consumption following the pandemic among less advantaged drinkers | Addiction, UK
Bake Off winner and Strictly star John Whaite reveals steroid addiction
In an emotional video posted on Instagram, the 36-year-old revealed he had been "taking anabolic steroids illegally for five years, and these things have really, really messed with my life" | BBC, UK
Should we talk to kids about drugs? - video
When should we start talking to kids about drugs? Why are drugs often a tricky subject for parents and caregivers to talk about with their children? We are joined by Angharad, team leader for the young persons service in Swansea, Choices, and Cath, an engagement worker for the young person's service, Gwent N-Gage, to dissect these questions and more about drugs, education and young people | Barod, UK
PhD studentships
The SSA is offering fully-funded PhD studentships through the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme. Applications close at 17:00 GMT on 15 January 2026 | SSA, UK
Mum Points
Multiple Dates. London. A play based on verbatim accounts of women who used drugs and of the care they received from midwives & social workers in the perinatal period | Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, UK
International news
Bartenders are blending 0.0 drinks with fully alcoholic beverages to make them mid-range - including a 60/40 Guinness
With demand for low and no alcohol drinks continuing to rise, some bartenders are getting creative with their pints and combining beverages like never before - to mixed reactions from pub-goers. One pub in Dublin has raised eyebrows rather than glasses with the introduction of a new '60/40' pint of Guinness | Mail Online, UK
‘Unprecedented Levels of Industry Interference’ Stalls Decisions on New Tobacco Products and Pollution at UNFCTC COP11
T he Eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) concluded in Geneva on Saturday with calls to member states to take stronger action on reducing the environmental harm of tobacco use and increasing corporate liability. But political stand-offs between countries, along with industry interference, hindered major breakthroughs | Health Policy Watch, UK
Family of missing Colombian seek answers after US strike on alleged drug boat
Lizbeth Perez looks fearful as she gazes out onto the postcard-perfect fishing bay of Taganga, on Colombia's Caribbean coast, recalling the moment she last spoke to her uncle in September | BBC, UK
Anti-smoking image perceived by some as ‘cool’ or ‘sexy’, Irish study finds
The research, led by a team at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), examined reactions to one image of a woman exhaling cigarette smoke. It revealed that despite the intended purpose, to deter use, some of those surveyed reported positive emotional responses | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Religion, Spirituality, and Psychedelics – A Conversation with Hunt Priest & Sughra Ahmed
Two spiritual leaders from different faiths reveal how psychedelics are transforming their understanding of religion, community, and each other — watch Drugreporter’s new interview! | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, 2016 to 2022
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), ie, recurrent emesis from chronic cannabis use, is increasingly observed in emergency departments (EDs), yet population-level estimates and sociodemographic correlates remain underexplored | JAMA Network Open, USA
Use of low-threshold naloxone boxes for opioid overdose prevention in a Midwestern US State: a public health program evaluation
Bottom-up, harm-reduction innovation in Michigan, where from 2021 to 2024 a community organisation sited 184 unlocked boxes of naloxone-based overdose prevention kits at publicly accessible sites, such as near clinics, pharmacies, retail outlets, and government agencies, enabling unfettered 24-hour access | Harm Reduction Journal, USA
Most Medicaid patients do not receive life-saving drugs for opioid use disorder
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 | News Medical, USA
Having a cannabis dispensary in the neighborhood linked to increased harm rates
A population-based natural experiment study examined the association between exposure to cannabis retail stores and cannabis-related harms. The study found that exposure to retail stores was associated with increased rates of harm, particularly in neighborhoods with greater densities of stores | Medical Xpress, USA
Could CBD in cannabis help protect the livers of heavy drinkers?
A study of more than 66,000 U.S. adults finds that heavy drinkers who also used cannabis were less likely to develop liver disease than those who drank heavily without using weed | Medical Xpress, USA
Virtual clinical trial suggests psychedelics may boost brain activity in coma patients
Researchers from the University of Liège and international collaborators developed a "virtual clinical trial" exploring a unique pharmacological treatment in patients who do not fully regain consciousness after a coma. The proposed treatment involves employing psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) that have intense, consciousness-altering effects in healthy volunteers | Medical Xpress, USA
Are Methadone Clinics Really “Evolving” Toward Harm Reduction?
“The Evolving Field of Opioid Treatment” was the theme of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) conference, held in Philadelphia in October. But the field has been stuck in a dusty old time capsule since the creation of methadone clinics under the Nixon administration | Filter Magazine, USA
New Hampshire Circles Closer to Fentanyl Mandatory Minimums
New Hampshire lawmakers are proposing mandatory minimums for fentanyl convictions, including one for distribution resulting in death. SB467 was introduced to the Senate Judiciary Committee November 21, though it’s calendared for formal introduction on January 7, 2026. Thirteen Republican legislators are so far attached to the bill | Filter Magazine, USA
Are cannabis users more likely to reoffend if they are cautioned or prosecuted?
NDARC researcher Professor Donald Weatherburn writes about his latest study, opens in a new window on the effect of NSW Cannabis Caution Scheme on the risk of reoffending | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
ADHD stimulants are being used recreationally, with consequences for users
Not long ago, most people thought of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, as a childhood condition that would eventually be outgrown. Now it’s everywhere. TikTok videos describe “ADHD moments” that feel instantly familiar, clinics are booked out for months, and adults are finally getting diagnoses that explain years of chaos and exhaustion. This visibility has helped people understand ADHD. However, it has also led to a shift in how medicines intended to alleviate symptoms are being used and, in some cases, misused | Conversation, Australia