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Daily news - 26th September 2025 |
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UK news
Urgent improvements must be made to hospital treatment for alcohol problems, say healthcare experts
Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP), the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland and Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) Scotland are today calling for better support and treatment for people with alcohol problems in hospitals across Scotland | SHAAP, UK
Professionalism, professional identity and community pharmacy culture: The context of substance dependency through the lens of student and early career pharmacists
[Open access] Stigmatisation of people with substance dependency attending a pharmacy was a prominent observation. This included negative stereotyping, adverse treatment because of judgements made about substance use and structural stigma relating to barriers to accessing care. Positive care provision in pharmacies was evident. Pharmacy staff who were empathetic, respectful, professional and who formed long-term relationships with people with substance dependency were valuable role models for students | Addiction, UK
Smoking cessation toolkit launched ahead of ‘Stoptober’
Ahead of Stoptober, the annual 28-day quit event, a smoking cessation campaign toolkit has been launched by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) | Pharmacist, UK
Our Message Our Voice Update
Earlier this year the Our Message Our Voice project ran a survey for people with lived experience of alcohol addiction and launched our co-produced short film. We would now like to share our new resources including our project summary and engagement toolkit, full survey responses, and messages of hope, available on our new website our message our voice. We are delighted to move forwards with becoming an independent community group, please do get in touch | Our Message Our Voice, UK
Majority of teachers in Wales concerned about children using nicotine pouches, say NASUWT
On the door of a vape shop in Cardiff, there is a large poster which tells me under 18s will not be served. That isn't strictly true though. It is illegal in Wales to sell under-18s vapes or tobacco, but there's another product for sale in this shop that doesn't fit that description: nicotine pouches, sometimes incorrectly referred to as snus. They're regulated differently to tobacco and vapes and therefore it's perfectly legal to sell to a teenager | ITV, UK
What is the impact of vaping on teeth and oral health?
We look at the science behind vaping and the claims it causes tooth decay, gum disease and dry mouth | Guardian, UK
"Small Changes, Big Impact" | Listen UP Episode 7 - Marc Buchanan - podcast
In Listen UP Episode 7, Alcohol Focus Scotland’s Marc Buchanan shares a simple, stackable approach to reducing alcohol harm in Scotland, highlighting how pricing, outlet density, and marketing limits work together, and why personal routines still matter | Abbeycare Foundation, UK
Psychedelic and related substances for medical use
There is growing interest in the potential use of psychedelic and related substances (PARS) to treat a range of mental illnesses, as an intervention on their own or in conjunction with psychotherapy. However, as highlighted in this publication, high-quality evidence on the efficacy of these substances remains limited and, therefore, more research is needed, as well as further evaluation of their clinical utility | RPSYCH, UK
Press release: Communities to seize control over high streets and restore pride
Local communities will be handed powers to revitalise their high streets and restore pride in their towns. Communities will be handed unprecedented new powers to seize boarded shops, save derelict pubs and block gambling and vape shops | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and The Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, UK
Vape shops or empty shops? The high street dilemma
Like so many others, Scunthorpe's High Street has seen better days. I've walked it many times over the past 20 years as a reporter, but this time, I've been counting. Among the numerous charity shops and mobile phone repairers, I spot five vape shops, four pawnbrokers, two nail bars, three Turkish barbers and four gambling spots in the street and surrounding pedestrian precinct | BBC, UK
Samaritans facing volunteer exodus over proposed branch closures
Hundreds of Samaritans volunteers say they will leave the suicide prevention charity if plans to close more than 100 branches are supported at a meeting this weekend | BBC, UK
Drug lab developing synthetic opioids found in Ayrshire
Police uncovered the UK's first drug lab for nitazenes in Ayrshire, a senior officer has told an oversight board | BBC, UK
Greggs to open first ever pub in Newcastle department store
North East bakery giant Greggs is set open its first pub serving classic bakes and sausage rolls, alongside exclusive beers, in the centre of Newcastle later this week | ITV, UK
International news
French navy seizes nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine off West African coast
The French navy has seized nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine, worth $610m (£540m) off the coast of West Africa, French authorities have said | BBC, UK
Cannabis added $16 billion to the Canadian economy in 2024
Research conducted by the Canadian Government has revealed that the cannabis industry contributed C$16 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and supported 227,000 jobs in 2024 | Leafie, UK
Cocaine lab found on property of Bolivia's former anti-drug czar
Police in Bolivia have arrested the country's former counternarcotics czar after finding a cocaine lab on one of his properties, although it is not yet clear if he was aware of its existence | BBC, UK
Groups representing families of addicts hit out at being left out of forming national drugs strategy
Groups representing families affected by addiction and people who have used drugs have strongly criticised the Department of Health in excluding them from developing the next national drugs strategy | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Introducing the EUDA’s new vision for international cooperation
This week we are showcasing our new International Cooperation Framework(ICF), adopted by the EUDA Management Board in June. The ICF defines the agency’s vision and priorities for enhancing global collaboration on drug-related challenges. It follows the EUDA being given a stronger international role when it replaced the EMCDDA in July 2024 | EUDA, Portugal
Trends in US Adolescent Use of Vaping and Flavored Solutions for Marijuana Consumption, 2021–2024
[Open access] The percentage of US adolescents who vaped flavored marijuana solutions increased from 2021 to 2024, one of very few drug outcomes that increased since the pandemic onset. With this increase, adolescents who used flavors to vape marijuana shifted from a minority to a majority and vaping became more common among adolescents who used marijuana | J Adolesc Health, USA
Team-based care aids pregnant women with substance use disorders
A new study from Oregon Health & Science University shows that a team-based, whole-person approach to caring for pregnant people with substance use disorders holds promise in improving health outcomes and helping keep families together | Medical Xpress, USA
Two forms of ketamine therapy can reduce symptom severity in patients with treatment-resistant depression
A new study led by Mass General Brigham investigators compared the effects of repeated intravenous (IV) ketamine and intranasal (IN) esketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression. In a retrospective analysis of data from a cohort of 153 adult patients treated at McLean Hospital, researchers revealed that both treatments reduced depression severity, but IV ketamine led to relatively faster and greater improvements in symptoms | Medical Xpress, USA
Alaska Campaign to Legalize Psychedelics Is Gathering Signatures
Alaska activists have officially launched a signature drive to place an initiative on the 2026 ballot to legalize certain psychedelics such as psilocybin and DMT | Filter Magazine, USA
2025 Drug Trends reports highlight demand for drug checking
Lead author, Dr Rachel Sutherland said the 2025 national reports show that drug checking remains common among people who use drugs like ecstasy. “Nearly two fifths (39%) of people who use drugs like ecstasy and 15% of people who inject drugs reported testing their illicit drugs in the last year” Dr Sutherland said | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
The war on nicotine will fail but could kill millions
The global effort to reduce non-communicable diseases by one-third by 2030 has been hijacked by tobacco control ideologues. It will not end well | The Counterfactual, UK
People who use drugs are trying to stay safe in a politicised world, our surveys show
People who use drugs are increasingly trying to reduce harm – by obtaining the life-saving drug naloxone and testing their drugs – according to new data. But they’re doing this in an always risky and unpredictable environment, where access to some harm-reduction services, such as drug testing, is limited or politicised. These are some of the key take-home messages from annual survey data released today | Conversation, Australia