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Daily news - 15th October 2025

UK news

Understanding the reasons behind an apparent reduction in the number of people accessing specialist alcohol and drugs treatment in Scotland

Public Health Scotland has investigated an observed reduction in the number of people accessing specialist alcohol and drug treatment services across Scotland through a three-phase programme of work | Public Health Scotland, UK

Alcohol consumption and harms dashboard

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) updates the Alcohol Consumption and Harms Dashboard (ACHD) with new estimates of partially attributable alcohol hospital admissions and partially attributable alcohol mortality statistics for persons aged 16 and over covering the calendar years from 2021 to 2023 | Public Health Scotland, UK

Additional Funding for Homelessness & Rough Sleeping 2025/26

I am pleased to announce to the House that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has allocated £84 million in additional funding across four homelessness and rough sleeping grants for 2025/26 | They work for you, UK

Rehab facility sees ketamine cases more than double

Jade Clark, manager of Sanctuary Lodge in Halstead, said people were not fully aware of the consequences of taking ketamine and that admissions for using it this year were already higher than the whole of 2024 | BBC, UK

Glasgow Safer Drug Consumption Facility

I am very grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for affording me the opportunity to make a statement on the publication of the Scottish Affairs Committee’s third report of this Session, on the pilot safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow’s east end. Despite a reduction in deaths this year, Scotland continues to face the highest rate of drug-related deaths in Europe | They work for you, UK

Alcohol: Public Consumption

Mr Durkan asked the Minister of Justice to outline the powers that the PSNI has in relation to the drinking of alcohol in public places | They work for you, UK

Highland counselling service and animal therapy team up to help women heal from trauma and addiction

An Inverness-based counselling service has joined forces with a therapeutic animal organisation. ACI Recovery Services and Highland Therapeutic Animals have been awarded three years of funding to support a women’s trauma recovery programme | Rossshire Journal, UK

Professor John Holmes - Minimum Unit Pricing - podcast

In this episode we unpack the science behind Minimum Unit Pricing | Society for Addiction Psychology, UK

Cash targets return after tackling alcohol struggles

Former British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Felix Cash says becoming a father helped him tackle long-term struggles with alcohol and substance abuse | BBC, UK

New off-licence approved despite 118 objections

Mansi Chowdhry, who applied for a licence to sell alcohol every day from 05:00 to 23:00, said it would be run as a Nisa store | BBC, UK

International news

What we know about Ireland’s delayed cancer warnings for alcohol

Ireland’s plan to place explicit cancer warnings on alcoholic drinks has been pushed back to 2028 following pressure from industry and trade partners. Health experts say the move risks setting back efforts to inform consumers of alcohol’s cancer risks | The Drinks Business, UK

Drug traffickers gaining influence in Argentina amid Milei’s sweeping social cuts

Gang bosses support soup kitchens and offer jobs and loans in drive to expand control of poor neighbourhoods | Guardian, UK

Ballymun Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force / Finglas Cabra Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force: Invitation to Tender

To explore the nature and extent of cannabis use and related issues among young people aged between 16-21 years in Ballymun and Finglas/Cabra. The deadline for receipt of tenders is Friday October 31st 2025 | Ballymun Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force, Ireland

The sale and consumption of alcohol-free and low alcohol drinks (no/lo drinks) has increased substantially in many high-income countries, including Great Britain (GB). Some people report that using no/lo drinks helped them to restrict (i.e., reduce or stop) their drinking. This study investigated the sociodemographic characteristics of people who use no/lo drinks to restrict drinking and whether consuming no/lo drinks in an attempt to restrict drinking was associated with whether an attempt was successful | IJDP, USA

In the US, rising temperatures may increase overdose deaths

Across the United States, rising temperatures due to climate change pose a growing threat to public health. Extreme heat exposure has been linked to increases in premature deaths, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, suicide rates, and violent crime. A growing body of research additionally points to a connection between heat and fatal drug overdoses | Medical Xpress, USA

Large-Scale Genetic Study Identifies Genes Linked To Cannabis Use

A massive genetic study has found key genes linked to cannabis use, in an effort to explain why some people are more likely to try or frequently use cannabis, and how this behavior overlaps with mental health and addiction risk | Forbes, USA

Spanish-language counseling cuts heavy drinking among Latinx adults by 22%, study finds

A culturally adapted behavioral intervention delivered in Spanish by community health workers significantly reduced unhealthy alcohol use among Latinx adults, according to new research led by the University of California San Diego | Medical Xpress, USA

Blogs, comment and opinion

Fall in referrals to alcohol treatment show need for greater investment in alcohol services

Dr Alastair MacGilchrist OBE, Chair of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) said: “This review reveals that alcohol and drug treatment services can be confusing to navigate for both patients and health professionals and the well-publicised problems with getting GP appointments is a challenge. The Scottish Government needs to set out how it will work with – and resource – services to re-establish the GP and practice team as the route into alcohol treatment, so that people don’t continue to fall by the wayside... | SHAAP, UK

Late-night pub openings aren’t in the right spirit

Readers respond to government plans for extending pub hours, highlighting the financial and health costs | Guardian letters, UK

Owen Bowden-Jones - case study

Owen Bowden-Jones is Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and a Consultant Psychiatrist with the Central Northwest London NHS Foundation Trust. In his case study, Owen describes how his experience as a Policy Fellow has contributed to his work | CSAP, UK

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