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Daily news - 27th October 2025 |
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UK news
Tobacco and Vapes Bill begins Lords committee stage
Members of the House of Lords begin their detailed examination of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in committee stage on Monday 27 October. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to create the first “smoke-free generation” by ensuring children turning 15 this year or younger can never be legally sold tobacco. It also seeks to enable product and information requirements to be imposed in connection with tobacco, vapes and other products | UK Parliament, UK
Over 1,200 health leaders call for swift passage of UK tobacco and vapes bill
Experts publish letter as peers prepare to scrutinise draft legislation six months after its second Commons reading | Guardian, UK
Scottish Health Survey
This report presents results for the Scottish Health Survey 2024, providing information on the health and factors relating to health of people living in Scotland. Included are chapters on both alcohol and smoking | Scottish Government, UK
Union backs industry campaign on alcohol licensing notices
The journalists’ union has added its weight to a growing industry campaign to halt government plans to relax regulations around alcohol licensing | Hold the Front Page, UK
Co-op staff told to boost promotion of vapes after costly cyber-attack, document shows
Exclusive: Approach complies with law but some workers question whether it contradicts standing as ‘ethical’ retailer | Guardian, UK
'Secret ketamine addiction killed my daughter'
Beth Ashton, 25, weighed less than her four-year-old sister, had a perforated lung and her bladder had "completely collapsed" by the time she died last November | BBC, UK
Prisoner suffering ‘effects of drug and alcohol withdrawal’ died within 24 hours of arriving at HMP Lewes, says report
The report said an inquest concluded on September 30, 2025, with the jury saying Mr Funnell’s death was ‘due to the effects of drug and alcohol withdrawal that was exacerbated by a series of omissions by healthcare and prison staff’ | Sussex World, UK
Lincolnshire County Council drug and alcohol service helped more than 220 children and young people
A drug and alcohol misuse service has supported more than 220 children and young people across Lincolnshire last year, new figures have revealed | Lincs Online, UK
Men form rock band to help addiction recovery
The group, called Sons of Jericho, was founded at Jericho House, a Derby-based recovery charity which supports men to rebuild their lives from addiction and offending | BBC, UK
Ban the Butt: Why it’s time to stub out cigarette filters for good
Cigarette filters are the most littered item on earth. Here in the UK, they make up around two-thirds of all litter, despite only 12% of people smoking. What steps need to be taken to protect the planet? | Open Access Government, UK
Smoking: Northern Ireland
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential enforcement challenges associated with implementing the proposed generational smoking ban in Northern Ireland | They work for you, UK
Co Occurring Mental Health Alcohol and Drugs (COMHAD)A National Overview
Thu, 6 Nov 2025 10:00 - 16:00 GMT. Welcome to the COMHAD National Policy and Research event! Join us online for a day filled with presentations from various expert speakers including the Dept of Health, NCISH and RCPsych looking at the future direction for practice in patients with co morbid mental health, alcohol, and drug use | PROGRESS (a consortium of nurse consulltants and leads for COmHAD) and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust , Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust, UK
Co Occurring Mental Health Alcohol and Drug Use (COMHAD) Best Practice
Wed, 12 Nov 2025 10:00 - 16:00 GMT. This online gathering is dedicated to discussing the most effective strategies for addressing mental health issues alongside alcohol and drug use. Join us for insightful discussions, expert speakers, and practical tips for improving outcomes in this complex area. Whether you're a healthcare professional, researcher, or student, this event offers valuable insights and networking opportunities | PROGRESS (a consortium of nurse consulltants and leads for COmHAD) and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust , Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust
Crime gang dismantled after £3m in drugs seized
Six people who ran a drug dealing ring have been jailed after £3m of heroin, cocaine and amphetamine was taken off the streets | BBC, UK
Charges after more than £1m of drugs seized in Highlands
Two men have been arrested and charged after cannabis and cocaine worth more than £1m was found in the Highlands | BBC, UK
First raid on UK illegal weight loss drug factory
The discovery, in Northampton on Wednesday, led to the largest single seizure of trafficked weight loss drugs ever recorded by a law enforcement agency worldwide, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said | BBC, UK
International news
US airstrike on ‘drug boat’ kills six as aircraft carrier sent to South America
Pete Hegseth claims six ‘narco-terrorists’ killed in Caribbean as US military conducts 10th strike | Guardian, UK
Two-year suspended sentence for nursing home resident, 74, for possession of large quantity of cannabis
A nursing home resident has been given a two-year suspended sentence for the possession of a large quantity of cannabis which he told Gardaí he was using to treat his gout | Dublin Live, Ireland
EUDA convenes first in-person meeting of its Network of forensic and toxicological laboratories
Last week, the EUDA hosted the first in-person meeting of its newly established Network of forensic and toxicological laboratories (‘Network of labs’), which will play a critical role in supporting EU preparedness on drugs. The meeting, Strengthening forensic and toxicological collaboration to address drug-related threats and challenges, brought together the network members from across Europe to share insights from the frontline | EUDA, Portugal
Genetic underpinnings of substance use disorders in Europe, Africa and America identified, some previously unknown
While several studies have tried to uncover the factors that increase the risk of developing Substance Use Disorders, much about their origin remains poorly understood. Past findings suggest that these disorders have a genetic component and are often accompanied by other psychiatric conditions or psychopathological symptoms, such as depression and anxiety | Medical Xpress, USA
Rapid vs Standard Induction to Injectable Extended-Release Buprenorphine
[Open access] There is no need to keep most patients on sublingual buprenorphine for a week before starting the long-acting injectable form of the medication. In a US study, starting the injectable form on the same day as the first sublingual dose resulted in more patients staying in treatment | JAMA Network Open, USA
Efforts to promote safer opioid prescribing in Canada appear to be having an effect
Efforts to promote safer opioid prescribing in Canada appear to be having an effect, as new research in the Canadian Medical Association Journal shows a decrease in opioid dispensing between 2018 and 2022 | Medical Xpress, USA
Can inpatient care help address overdose crisis?
Is expanding hospital inpatient, or bed-based, care a way to help address the overdose crisis? An analysis article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal describes the RE-AIM framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance), which can help provinces determine whether bed-based care is effective | Medical Xpress, USA
Risk versus pleasure: understanding changing attitudes of non- and light-drinking young people as they age
Most participants’ attitudes toward alcohol become more positive over time, many were less concerned about alcohol’s threat to health, and most were less risk averse. Over time participants’ reflections on alcohol shifted from actively choosing sobriety to incorporate notions of pleasure, sociability, valuing moderation for mental health, or disinterest in alcohol | DEPP, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Observations from a frontline worker in London - in response to the Office of National Statistics on drug deaths of 2024 in England and Wales
The recent publication of drug-related deaths by the Office of National Statistics just confirms what we are seeing on the frontline: taking drugs is increasingly dangerous, and the government is doing very little to protect the lives of people who use drugs (PWUD). Nitazenes and fentanyls, strong synthetic opioids which are replacing the low abundance of heroin in the market, are here to stay... | Drug Science, UK
Scottish Health Survey 2024 – Positive picture, but devil is in the detail
The survey demonstrates substantial progress on harmful/hazardous drinking, with a 41% relative reduction from 34% of people exceeding the CMO guidelines in 2003. Alcohol specific deaths decreased by 7% between 2023 to 2024 to their lowest level since 2019, continuing an overall downward trend in mortality | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK
Cali, Colombia, opens the second supervised drug consumption facility in South America
In June 2025, Cali, a city in the South West of Colombia, became the second city in South America, after Bogotá, to open a supervised drug consumption facilty for injecting drug use. The new space is part of the Centro de Acogida y Atención Integral (CAAI), run by Corporacion Viviendo, a community-based centre providing a full spectrum of harm reduction services that seeks to promote the physical, emotional and mental well-being of some of the city’s most marginalised people | Transform blog, UK