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Daily news - 7th October 2025 |
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UK news
DDN October 2025
We have thought-provoking contributions on wellbeing in this issue – mental and physical – including our cover story (p6) in which the team demonstrate that addressing nutritional deficiency should be a regular part of harm reduction. It’s also clear that there’s much to learn in relating nutritional need to the body’s responses to specific substances. We’re likely to try to eat more healthily, take supplements, cut down on sugar, ‘bad’ fats and ultra-processed food – so why shouldn’t we do the same for clients? | DDN, UK
Open call for evidence: 10 Year Workforce Plan (closes 7th November 2025)
The government is seeking evidence and views primarily from healthcare organisations and those with expertise in workforce planning to inform the development of the 10 Year Workforce Plan. This plan will build on the 10 Year Health Plan to set out how we will deliver a new workforce model with staff who are aligned with the future direction of reform and have real hope for the future. Rather than a formal consultation on specific proposals, this call for evidence is an opportunity to provide views on the government’s plans for the next decade and to share examples and case studies. The government wants to hear from anyone with relevant evidence, including trade unions, royal colleges, employers, charities and those with expertise by experience. The call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 7 November 2025 | NHS, UK
Rise of the ‘silver snorters’: Is there a cocaine crisis among the elderly?
The number of old age ‘silver snorters’ who have ended up in hospital for cocaine use has skyrocketed by a third in just two years | Metro, UK
Stoptober: empowering communities to quit
As we enter October, councils across England are once again backing Stoptober, the annual national campaign that encourages smokers to make a quit attempt for 28 days | Local Government, UK
People quitting smoking to be part of vape study
Scientists are setting out to look at the long-term impact of vaping on people, to investigate the relative safety of vaping after giving up smoking and how long people should vape for after quitting smoking. About 200 people will be recruited from a staff smoking-cessation clinic and community stop-smoking services, at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS | BBC, UK
Convenience stores could lose right to sell tobacco and vapes
Licensing requirements for tobacco and vapes could come into effect in 2027 | Better Retailing, UK
Long hot summer has made our booze stronger, say Britain’s cider makers
After record-high temperatures, sweeter fruit was harvested in the orchards and vineyards during summer | Independent, UK
Vape tax plan confirmed in budget [Guernsey]
As previously reported by the BBC, a new tax of £2.20 per 10ml of vape liquid is set to be introduced, with retailers saying they were "concerned" about the impact on the local industry | BBC, UK
Street Drugs Discussions: Women and Drugs
Oct 24 · 14:00 BST. An analysis of women's drug use and gaps in research. Speakers discuss a variety of issues including: Hormonal mechanisms: how they modulate drug use and effects across menstrual & life cycles, Trans women's drug use, and the need for gender-specific research and personalized treatment protocols to ensure safety and equity for women in psychedelic therapy | Drug Science, UK
More than 18,000 counterfeit cigarettes seized
The raids, carried out last month, were part of a national initiative funded by HMRC to tackle the sale and supply of illegal tobacco products | BBC, UK
International news
Alarming number of people now vape, says WHO
More than 100 million people, including at least 15 million children, use e-cigarettes, fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction, the World Health Organization, external (WHO) is warning | BBC, UK
Pharmacotherapies for cannabis use disorder
Rigorous synthesis of the evidence finds no convincing drug-based therapy for cannabis use problems: “psychological approaches such as [motivational enhancement therapy] and cognitive-behavioural therapy remain the mainstay of treatment” | Cochrane Library, UK
Balloons used to smuggle cigarettes shut Lithuanian airport
Balloons carrying thousands of packs of cigarettes have disrupted flights in Lithuania, as Vilnius Airport was forced to close for hours when dozens of them floated into the country's airspace | BBC, UK
Germany Is Seeking Stricter Rules For Medical Cannabis To Crack Down On Online Prescriptions
Germany is proposing restrictions on medical cannabis prescriptions that could severely impact patients and telemedicine platforms, a move that is drawing widespread criticism | Forbes, USA
Link between smoking and high blood pressure confirmed
Tobacco smoking is associated with an increased risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), a new UM study has found, and testing patients' urine can help to verify their smoking status and assess this risk | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
I am three months sober. How do I support my 11-year-old autistic son?
Your son’s autism may make it even harder to navigate this situation. Try to show him things are better, rather than just telling him | Guardian, UK
From trips to treatments: how psychedelics could revolutionise anti-inflammatory medicine
Once synonymous with hippies and hallucinatory experiences, psychedelic drugs are now being explored for their medical potential. The stigma of that era resulted in research being suppressed by drug laws, yet with mental health treatments hitting limits, scientists have returned to this controversial corner of medicine | Conversation, UK
The EU’s crackdown on safer nicotine alternatives risks driving smokers back to cigarettes
Across the continent, the European Union is shifting from a science-based approach to tobacco control toward outright prohibition. Instead of encouraging safer alternatives that could save millions of lives, policymakers are reaching for bans, excessive taxes, and product restrictions | Brussels Times opinion, Belgium