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Daily news - 25th September 2025 |
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UK news
New report reveals further growth and key trends in alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks market
A second Monitoring Report from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group has been published, revealing further growth in the alcohol-free and low-alcohol (no/lo) drinks market and offering new insights into consumer behaviour and pricin | SHAAP, UK
Heavy drinkers buy more alcohol-free drinks - study
Research from the University of Sheffield found one third of adults have had an alcohol-free or low volume drink in the last year. But the report found those who drank alcohol at "risky" levels were more likely to consume them regularly | BBC, UK
Addiction charity's gallery show to mark recovery
A charity which helps people struggling with addiction and homelessness is to take over an art gallery after hours to celebrate its recovery month | BBC, UK
Crackdown on illicit trade is key to tackling youth vaping, not plain packaging
Leading retailers respond to fresh calls for plain packaging on vape products | Convenience Store, UK
Peer-Delivered Outreach With Rapid Treatment Pathways for Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment Among Unhoused People
This service evaluation describes the co-development of a peer-led rapid hepatitis C virus (HCV) pathway to reach unhoused people. A trained and qualified peer worker visited homeless shelters in West Midlands, England, setting up test and treatment events and collaborating with local services and healthcare staff who also attended the sites. The peer worker offered point of care HCV antibody and ribonucleic acid (RNA) testing for individuals at risk of HCV, peer education and support before and during treatment | JVH, UK
Environment campaigners call for beach smoking ban
There are calls for smoking to be banned on beaches in Guernsey after litter pickers lifted nearly 2,500 cigarette butts last year | BBC, UK
Pilot jailed after £2.4m worth of cocaine found
Anastasios Balian, 52, from Hertfordshire, and his accomplice, Errol Weir from south London, who was jailed for seven years, were trying to import 30kg (66lb) of cocaine into the country before being stopped at North Weald airfield in Essex on 20 March | BBC, UK
International news
Colombia's president calls US attacks on alleged drug boats 'act of tyranny'
US airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea are an "act of tyranny", Colombia's President Gustavo Petro told the BBC in an interview where he also called for criminal proceedings against US officials if investigations find Colombians were killed in the attacks | BBC, UK
HSE has 'no capacity or funding' to help people quit vaping
Labour TD Marie Sherlock called on the Minister for Health to ‘step up’ in advance of a Dáil debate today on young people vaping | Journal, Ireland
New app can help young adults with first-episode psychosis to better manage cannabis use
Scientists at Université de Montréal's affiliated hospital research centre (CRCHUM) are testing out a mobile application to help young adults who have a first episode of psychosis to support safer cannabis consumption | News Medical, USA
Inhaling Cannabis May Greatly Increase Your Risk of Lung Disease
A new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that inhaling marijuana every day is associated with a 44% increased chance of developing asthma. It also increases the odds of developing a common set of lung diseases known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by 27% | UCSF, UK
Study pinpoints single drug therapy for PTSD, pain, and alcohol misuse
About 12 million adults in the United States are affected by PTSD, impacting between 4% and 8% of the adult population—and up to 30% of military personnel and veterans. Strikingly, 63% of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder also suffer from alcohol use disorder (AUD) and/or chronic pain. These conditions frequently overlap, with individuals who have AUD or chronic pain often also experiencing PTSD | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
10 times stronger than fentanyl, nitazenes are the latest, deadly development in the synthetic opioid crisis
At the end of 2023, the health crisis caused by fentanyl use in the United States set alarm bells ringing. However, the situation may get even worse with the emergence of another family of synthetic opioids: nitazenes | Conversation, Spain