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Daily news - 24th September 2025

UK news

Decrease in alcohol-specific deaths

Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Maree Todd has underlined her unwavering commitment to continue reducing alcohol harms, as new figures show the number of alcohol-specific deaths at a five-year low. According to statistics released by National Records of Scotland (NRS), the number of alcohol-specific deaths fell by 7% to 1,185 in 2024 | Scottish Government, UK

Scottish alcohol deaths at lowest rate for five years

The statistics from National Records of Scotland (NRS) revealed that 1,185 people died from alcohol-specific causes in 2024, a 7% decrease from 2023's 15-year record high | BBC, UK

Any alcohol use increases dementia risk, study finds

The University of Oxford, Yale University, and the University of Cambridge have described their research into alcohol consumption and dementia risk as the most comprehensive to date. The findings, published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, suggest that alcohol use, even at moderate levels, may have no safe threshold when it comes to brain health | BBC, UK

Trends in use of alcohol-free or low alcohol drinks in attempts to reduce alcohol consumption in Great Britain, 2020-2024: a population-based study

[Open access] Sales and availability of alcohol-free and low alcohol drinks have increased in the UK since 2020. This study aimed to assess trends in the use of alcohol-free and low alcohol drinks to reduce alcohol consumption among people who drink at increasing and higher risk in Great Britain. The study compared trajectories across different subgroups from 2020 to 2024 | BMJ Public Health, UK

Lulu: Telling the world I'm an alcoholic was liberating

The 76-year-old pop star, whose career has spanned decades since her first hits in the 1960s, has just sat down to discuss her new memoir, If You Only Knew. In it, she opens up for the first time about her historical drinking problems | BBC, UK

Latest Issue of 'The Journey' Magazine (Summer 25) - Out Now

The Forward Trust’s client-led publication, The Journey, has released a brand new issue this week | Forward Trust, UK

Hampshire: Take Drugs Seriously

Oct 3 · 16:30 BST. Padnell Road Cowplain PO8 8EH. Come along to our free event to learn about the impact of drugs in Hampshire and how we can better protect our community. Hear from experts in the field, local families and stakeholders and engage in discussions on how we can address drug-related issues | J Slater, UK

Voluntary smoking ban set to be trialled on beach

A voluntary smoking ban is set to be piloted on Pevensey Bay beach in East Sussex in an attempt to help people quit the habit | BBC, UK

Three jailed for 'flooding' streets with drugs

The Wythenshawe-based group was behind a "sophisticated criminal enterprise" which supplied cocaine, heroin and amphetamines across the city, Greater Manchester Police said | BBC, UK

International news

Ireland’s delayed vape tax set to take effect by end of year

In the Budget 2025, then finance minister Jack Chambers announced that a levy of 50c per millilitre would be applied to all e-liquids. He said at the time: “A typical disposable vape contains 2ml of e-liquid, and costs in the region of €8. This new tax will bring the price of such a product to €9.23 including Vat.” | Clearing the air, UK

Colombia’s Petro urges ‘criminal process’ against Trump for Venezuelan strikes

At UN, Gustavo Petro says ‘poor young people’ died in US strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats off Caribbean coast | Guardian, UK

Government preparing laws to clamp down on vapes

The Government is to ban the advertisement of vapes behind shop counters, mandate plain packaging and outlaw single-use vapes, as new laws are prepared to bring them in line with cigarette packaging | Irish Examiner, Ireland

Four Four Drug Education Series: Ketamine

Ireland now ranks in Europe’s top 10 for ketamine use, so we’re teamed up with the HSE to share some of their substance analysis results to help you understand the current drug market and what you need to do to reduce harms | Four Four Mag, Ireland

EU capitals move to spike Commission's new corporate, tobacco levies

No one is happy about plans for a corporate tax, one EU diplomat said | Euractiv, Belgium

WHO Review: Coca Not Harmful, Prohibition Is

The consumption of the coca leaf in its raw form by millions daily across the Andes carries no significant risks, but official coca control strategies are associated with “substantial public health harms,” according to a review commissioned by the World Health Organization. Filter viewed an advance copy of the report that was distributed to members of the WHO’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) | Filter Magazine, USA

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