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Daily news - 3rd February 2026 |
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UK news
Drug and alcohol treatment charities keep contract to support thousands of people in North Lincolnshire, with £15m+ investment over next seven years
WithYou and the Scunthorpe Recovery Service (provided by Double Impact) have been awarded a contract by North Lincolnshire Council to continue providing drug and alcohol treatment services, with more than £15m to be invested into saving lives across the region | WithYou, UK
ACMD members' register of interests
There are currently 23 members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. The list of members has been updated with members' most recent declarations of interests and with the biographies for 2 new members, Professor Steve Allsop and Professor Keith Humphries | ACMD, UK
Damp January: is the age of abstinence coming to an end?
This year, there has been a significant softening of the dry January trend. But why? | Guardian, UK
Beer We Go! One of UK’s most popular lagers to cut alcohol content TODAY for second time in three years
From this week, the iconic Aussie-style lager is dropping from 3.7% down to a leaner 3.4% ABV | The Sun, UK
Former addict sleeping rough for six months to raise £1m for new recovery facility
An ex-addict will sleep rough for six months in a bid to raise £1 million for a new recovery facility. Richie Roncero, 42, from Edinburgh will sleep rough in 26 cities in aid of a residential facility for recovering drug addicts in West Lothian | Daily Record, UK
"It Was The First Time I'd Been Honest" | Listen UP Episode 11 - Andy McLaren - podcast
In Listen UP Episode 11, former professional footballer Andy McLaren shares how a public setback became the turning point, highlighting how to turn shame into momentum, and how to rebuild fast when everyone is watching | Abbeycare Foundation, UK
The Epstein files: what should happen now? Plus should all drugs be legalised? - audio
Listen from 1 hour 3 minutes in. Discussion and phone in on the topic of drug legalisation with Waythrough and others | BBC, UK
Parental Mental Health Day: Supporting Parents Affected by Addiction
Today, the spotlight is firmly on parental mental health, giving us an important opportunity to reflect on this within the context of the family support work we do at The Forward Trust | Forward Trust, UK
The UK city with 51 vape shops on just two streets
Questions are being asked why a city street has so many vape shops | Express, UK
Cannabis plants worth nearly £1m found in Dumfries
Cannabis plants worth nearly £1m have been found in a property in Dumfries town centre, according to Police Scotland | BBC, UK
Op Venetic: Former footballer jailed for drug deals worth half a million
An ex-footballer who used his club’s name as the password for an encrypted phone with which he made drug deals worth half a million pounds, has been jailed for nine years today, 2 February | NCA, UK
Shop where drugs were found can reopen, says court
A shop where illegal cigarettes, suspected cannabis and a nitrous oxide canister were found has been allowed to reopen | BBC, UK
International news
RFK Jr announces $100m in grants to address homelessness and substance use
Kennedy’s pilot program to offer funding for long-term recovery after Trump signed order related to addiction | Guardian, UK
Ultra-processed foods should be treated more like cigarettes than food – study
UPFs are made to encourage addiction and consumption and should be regulated like tobacco, say researchers | Guardian, UK
Three fraternity members arrested over hazing death of teenager at Arizona university
Northern Arizona University has suspended the Delta Tau Delta fraternity as the investigation continues | Independent, UK
Minimum unit alcohol pricing would help to save lives and reduce harm – McGuigan
Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan has welcomed the Health Committee’s agreement to write to the Executive in support of the Health Minister’s legislation on Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol | Sinn Fein, Ireland
Making Psilocybin Therapy Accessible in New Mexico – Interview with Senator Jeff Steinborn
Senator Jeff Steinborn is the sponsor of the Medical Psilocybin Act in New Mexico, a visionary step toward expanding access to psychedelic therapy. In this conversation, filmed at the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference in Denver, he discusses why legislative action was necessary, how to ensure inclusion for marginalized communities, and what benchmarks will define success as New Mexico opens its first healing centers | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Dutch tobacco industry slams plan to raise smoking, vaping age to 21
Dutch tobacco manufacturers sharply criticized a proposal by coalition parties D66, VVD, and CDA to raise the legal age for buying tobacco and e-cigarettes to 21, as the government pushes toward what it calls a “smoke-free generation.” | NL Times, The Netherlands
The unique contributions of adverse childhood experiences to increases in post-traumatic stress symptoms and problematic substance use after trauma exposure
These findings underscore the profound and multifaceted impact of childhood experiences on long-term well-being and highlight the need for trauma-informed interventions that address both immediate stress reactions and the enduring consequences of early adversity | Nature, USA
Closing the revolving door: How a treatment diversion program can help end the cycle of substance use and crime
Diversion programs, which refer people with substance use disorders to treatment instead of prison, have become increasingly widespread. However, due to the limitations of previous evaluations of such programs, it is unclear how effective they are. This study used a rigorous design to determine the impact of an alcohol and drug diversion program on health and legal outcomes among a sample of justice-involved individuals | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Just breathe: Heart rate variability biofeedback may help prevent relapse to substance use among those seeking treatment
Stress and other negative emotions can increase risk for relapse, in part because they may cause reactions in the body that bypass someone’s awareness. Can a simple breathing technique called “heart rate variability biofeedback” reduce the impact of negative emotional experience and craving on substance use among people attempting remission from a substance use disorder? | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
“Ensure these restrictions are not enforced”: FOI documents reveal alcohol industry lobbying
When the UK Government published its 10 Year Health Plan for England last July, a key alcohol policy appeared to be missing from it. About a week before the Plan was released, leaks in the media and a statement from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) indicated that it would include alcohol marketing restrictions. However, this policy did not make the final document | IAS blog, UK
‘Alcohol harm is a public health crisis — and industry lobbying is blocking action’
We may not want to talk about it, but our country has a serious problem with alcohol. Alcohol deaths still soar above pre-pandemic levels and alcohol harm costs over £27 billion a year in England alone, straining the NHS and other public services | LabourList, UK
From Lived Experience to Leadership – Building Qualifications to Boost Hepatitis C Testing Success in a Range of Environments
This blog is written by Oliver Ashworth, Peer Researcher with the Hepatitis C Trust (HCT). In this blog, Mark, Peer Lead turned Coordinator for Northumberland, reflects on his journey of building up qualifications, the impact this has had on his work with vulnerable groups, and how a mix of personal experience and formal training has led to success in hepatitis C (HCV) outreach and testing | HepC Trust blog, UK