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Daily news - 4th February 2026 |
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UK news
Minimum alcohol price in Wales to rise by 30%
Senedd members have backed Welsh government proposals to increase the minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in Wales from 50p to 65p from October | BBC, UK
Neurodiversity Staff Toolkit (PDF)
By adapting our services we have helped facilitate some understanding of the different ways we all think and process information and start changing our practice accordingly. This all helps to make recovery more achievable for people who are neurodivergent, improving their experience of prison and assisting them with their goals for the future. This toolkit is a way of capturing this learning and providing a point of reference for other providers wanting to make sure their services are as assessable as possible | Change Grow Live, UK
The Blue Light Approach: updated guidance for working with entrenched alcohol dependency
A practical, system-focused guide for practitioners, grounded in evidence and frontline experience, with a focus on safety, dignity and persistence | Alcohol Change UK, UK
New members appointed to ACMD
Professor Steve Allsop and Professor Keith Humphreys, who were appointed on 1 February 2026, are the latest experts to join the ACMD, which provides advice and makes recommendations to the government on the harms caused by drugs | ACMD, UK
Drug Alert: Xylazine Detected In Slough Heroin Supply
The Surrey Substance User Partnership has shared that recent testing of heroin samples from people who use substances in Slough has confirmed the presence of Xylazine and Fentanyl in the local supply. This is an extremely dangerous combination that carries a high risk of overdose and serious harm | Forward Trust, UK
Southampton mum's warning over super-strength nitazenes which killed her son
A mum whose son died of an overdose says she is "astounded" hardly anyone knows about the super-strength drugs which killed him. Young musician Dylan Rocha, from Southampton, was 21 when he took heroin which was laced with a nitazene - a synthetic opioid which can be deadly in tiny doses | ITV, UK
Driving under Influence
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Road Safety Strategy, published on 7 January, whether they have plans for a comprehensive communications plan about reducing the drink driving limit as part of their plan to introduce a lower alcohol limit for driving | They work for you, UK
Retailers report losing up to £78k yearly to illicit tobacco and vape trade
Responsible retailers report significant financial losses as the illicit tobacco and vape trade continues to grow | Convenience Store, UK
Evidence Briefing 2026 - Brief for proposals
All proposals need to be submitted by 5pm Friday 6th February. We are looking for an Evidence Briefing on the topic of ketamine. The briefing should have a relevant focus on Scotland and can include international evidence. The briefing can be an overview of literature or provide insights from existing data. We are looking for applicants to provide a brief of what they intend to include and a short overview of methods | DRNS, UK
International news
BBC on the front line with Colombia's war on drugs
BBC Senior international correspondent Orla Guerin joins specialist police on a mission over Colombia's cocaine heartland, tasked with destroying crude cocaine labs hidden deep in the jungle | BBC, UK
Germany Moves to Ban Menthol Vapes in Sweeping Crackdown on “Cooling” Additives
Germany is preparing to outlaw menthol and a long list of “cooling” additives used in e-cigarettes, in what could become one of the toughest vape flavour crackdowns in Europe | Clearing the air, UK
The UNGASS decade in review: Gaps, achievements and paths for reform
This report examines progress made since the 2016 UNGASS to assess the role of the global drug control regime in shaping change. It draws on UN data and reporting, academic research, contributions from civil society and community organisations, and a dedicated civil society survey conducted among IDPC members and partners | IDPC, UK
Trends in gamma-hydroxybutyrate use, harms and treatment in Australia, 2013 to 2024
There is significant concern about potential rising harms from gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) but an absence of studies internationally synthesising data across indicators to identify changes in harms and broader patterns of use. This paper contributes to addressing this gap by measuring national trends in GHB use, harms and treatment in Australia | Addiction, UK
Press release: 43,000 young people aged 15-24 in Ireland living with alcohol dependence as youth drinking levels continue to surge – new report
Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), the national independent advocate to reduce alcohol harm, has published an updated edition of its dial-moving report into youth drinking in Ireland, ‘Youth drinking in Ireland: What’s the real picture?’ The report is updated with data from the 2025 Healthy Ireland Survey carried out by the Department of Health and is expanded to include sections on digital alcohol marketing, home deliveries of alcohol, recovery and treatment services for young people, as well as the importance of ensuring a focus on youth drinking in the new drug and alcohol strategy | Alcohol Action Ireland, Ireland
12% more Garda checkpoints in Dublin as drug driving soars
Dublin has bucked a national trend with an increase of 12% in the number of Mandatory Intoxication Testing Checkpoints conducted by An Garda Síochána across Dublin Garda districts between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025 | Dublin People, Ireland
Methadone: Public Transit is a Barrier for Accessing Treatment
In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, Yale researchers examined the burdens for people who use public transit to access methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) at Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) in Connecticut | Yale School of Medicine, USA
Peer-support groups tied to fewer relapses after alcohol dependence treatment
Participating in peer-support recovery groups is associated with ongoing abstinence among Japanese men following treatment for alcohol dependence (AD). But smoking and consuming non-alcoholic beer are linked to drinking and relapse, according to a new study | Medical Xpress, USA
Demand grows for doulas who can help moms with addiction
"Don't give me narcotics." Emmalee Hortin, a doula, recalled one of her clients delivering that message to hospital staff. Doctors were operating on the woman to clear tissue after a miscarriage | Medical Xpress, USA
Peer Interventions for Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment in OECD Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review
[Open access] For marginalised populations the barriers to getting tested and treated for hepatitis C infection can be formidable. How have workers with experience of these barriers been used to help overcome them, and has this worked? | JVH, USA
Feds Seek Public Comment on Meth Sentencing, Untouched for Decades
The United States Sentencing Commission is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines, which could for the first time in decades update the egregiously arbitrary and outdated the penalties for trafficking methamphetamine. About one out of four people in the entire Federal Bureau of Prisons population is serving time for meth trafficking. Public comment may influence whether the amendments would be applied retroactively | Filter Magazine, USA
2-FDCK: DEA Move to Emergency-Schedule Ketamine Analog Draws Fire
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration has announced its intent to place 2-fluorodeschloroketamine (2-FDCK)—a structural analog of the anesthetic and antidepressant ketamine—into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, effectively banning it. The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on January 20, would use the DEA’s “emergency scheduling” powers—a fast-track mechanism for substances claimed to pose an “imminent hazard to public safety.” | Filter Magazine, USA
Alcohol and gambling companies’ political donations surge in election year
New data released this week shows alcohol and gambling companies and their lobby groups donated millions of dollars to Australian political parties, prompting renewed calls from the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR) to end political donations from these harmful industries | FARE, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Q&A: Cannabis usage in middle-aged, older adults linked to larger brain volume, better cognitive function
Research studying the effects of cannabis on the brain has often focused on adolescents, but a new study from CU Anschutz researchers looks at population-level impacts of cannabis usage on the brain in older adults | Medical Xpress, USA
ASHES, Vol. 22(2) – Perspectives on cigarette cessation among individuals with intellectual disabilities and their support professionals
Harms associated with cigarette use disproportionately impact certain populations, including those with intellectual disabilities (ID). Addressing these individuals’ unique harms might require tailored approaches that consider unique needs. This week, ASHES reviews a study by Amalia Udeanu and colleagues that explored cigarette smoking and cessation among people with ID and insights from their direct support professionals | CHA, USA
Vaping can help disadvantaged Australians quit smoking. What now for clinical practice?
Vaping has shown promise as an effective quit smoking aid in the general population, but prior to this clinical trial, vaping’s role in helping those experiencing socio-economic hardship to quit was unknown | InsightPlus, Australia