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Daily news - 23rd February 2026 |
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UK news
Accessing digital harm reduction services —exploring the impact of the “Here4UScotland” application
The unique challenges faced by vulnerable drug users highlight the urgent need for accessible, immediate digital interventions which people can access anywhere and at any time. This study explores the impact of the Here4UScotland virtual supervised consumption app, examining relationships between service users and providers, their separate relationships with harm reduction digital solutions and the app’s effects on personal and collaborative service engagement | Harm Reduction Journal, UK
Study reveals insidious impact of alcohol marketing on young people
A University of Stirling study has laid bare the insidious impact of alcohol sponsorship of major sporting events on young people in Scotland. It comes ahead of the men’s Six Nations Championship and FIFA World Cup 2026, major tournaments which are both sponsored by multinational alcohol companies | University of Stirling, UK
Playgrounds would become ‘crack dens’ if Greens were in power, policing minister says
Sarah Jones, the policing minister, branded the Greens’ position "reckless" during a public spat with Zack Polanski | Independent, UK
30 years ago Trainspotting shone a stark spotlight on Scotland’s drug problem – so why hasn’t anything changed?
Fuelled by a blistering soundtrack and a dark sense of humour, when Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting landed in cinemas on February 23, 1996, it was a box office hit like no other. Based on Irvine Welsh’s book of the same name, the film followed Ewan McGregor’s self-assured addict Renton and friends, as they drifted through drink, drugs and petty crime, making various attempts to escape the clutch heroin had on them | Metro, UK
The alcohol licensing system in Northern Ireland: Lessons learnt from a restrictive framework
[Open access] Uniquely in the UK Northern Ireland’s licensing system allows a new pub or off-licence only if another closes. Seems like a good idea to contain alcohol availability, but researchers found several unintended – and undesirable – consequences | DEPP, UK
MP accuses Stormont of 'wriggling out' of addiction centre commitment
An MP has accused Stormont's Department of Health (DoH) of trying to "wriggle out" of funding a new addiction treatment centre in Londonderry. The SDLP MP for Foyle Colum Eastwood said funding for a new centre in Derry was outlined in the New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) agreement, which restored Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive in 2020 | BBC, UK
New multi-partner drug and alcohol service to launch in West Northamptonshire
A new alcohol and drug prevention, treatment and recovery service, called Inspire, will launch on 1 April. The service will be delivered by a new partnership involving Turning Point, Family Support Link, Double Impact, Bridge and Framework, and is commissioned by West Northamptonshire Council. Inspire will provide a free and confidential service for people seeking support for alcohol and drug use. The service will also have a dedicated young person’s team called Inspire Young People | Turning Point, UK
'Burnout brought me to my knees - walking saved my life'
After stress, addiction and a near fatal collapse, a father-of-two has managed to rebuild his life by walking Cornwall's country lanes. Now thousands follow his "street therapy" journey online for inspiration on burnout recovery and mental health support | BBC, UK
'It's ruined my life': Hundreds tell BBC how medication triggered gambling and other addictions
Emma couldn't understand why she had suddenly developed a gambling problem, until she read a recent BBC News article. Over the course of the past year, she had lost tens of thousands of pounds - but had never imagined that her medication might be responsible. Emma is one of more than 250 people who have now contacted us about addictions - gambling, but also sex and shopping - caused by a family of drugs prescribed for movement disorders | BBC, UK
Pregnancy: Cannabis
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2026 to Question 108297, whether his Department holds any evidence on rates of neonatal and post-neonatal death, including accidental suffocation and overlaying, associated with parental cannabis use during pregnancy and the postnatal period | They work for you, UK
International news
Intersectionality in smoking cessation with Jonathan Bricker - podcast
In this episode, Annika Theodoulou speaks to Professor Jonathan Bricker, a Professor of Public Health at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Affiliate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, US. The interview covers Jonathan’s research article covering intersectionality in cigarette smoking cessation using a latent class analysis to predict 12-month cessation in a randomized controlled trial | Addiction, UK
Cannabis dispensary exposure and smoked, vaped and edible cannabis use among young adults: Comparison of web-scraped and government-maintained registries
[Open access] The impact of exposure to cannabis dispensaries on young adult cannabis use may depend on how exposures and outcomes are defined. We estimated associations of dispensary exposure with young adult cannabis use across: (a) a government-maintained licensed dispensaries registry versus a web-scraped list of licensed and unlicensed dispensaries; and (b) varying modes of cannabis modes (i.e. smoked, edible, vaped) | Addiction, UK
Violence erupts after Mexican security forces kill drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho’
Death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, one of world’s most wanted drug traffickers, sets off wave of disorder across several Mexican states | Guardian, UK
First and deputy First Minister urged to act on minimum pricing as alcohol related deaths rise by 81%
Northern Ireland should introduce minimum unit pricing (MUP) to tackle alcohol-related deaths, the First Minister and deputy First Minister have been told | Irish News, Ireland
Adolescent cannabis use linked to doubling risk of psychotic and bipolar disorders
In this cohort study of 463 396 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years who were universally screened for cannabis use, past-year cannabis use was associated with a significantly increased risk of incident psychotic, bipolar, depressive, and anxiety disorders by age 26 years | JAMA Network Health Forum, USA
Eastern Europe’s Synthetic Drug Network Dismantled in Major Raids
Coordinated raids in Ukraine, Poland and Moldova dismantled 36 synthetic drug labs, seized millions of doses and arrested more than 100 suspects in one of Eastern Europe’s largest crackdowns on synthetic cathinones | OCCRP, USA
Non-invasive neurostimulation techniques for the treatment of stimulant use disorders
[Open access] Studies of stimulating certain brain regions electrically or magnetically without penetrating the body have generally found significant reductions in craving for stimulants but not significantly reduced use | Frontiers in Psychiatry, USA
Invisible harms: Drug-related deaths spike after hurricanes and tropical storms
Tropical cyclones, including hurricanes and tropical storms, are linked to increased rates of drug-related deaths up to three months after the storm passes—particularly in higher-income, white communities and among younger populations | Medical Xpress, USA
More social media use tied to stronger anabolic steroid intentions, study suggests
A new study of more than 1,500 boys and men in Canada and the United States suggests that social media may play a meaningful role in shaping intentions to use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), particularly when users are exposed to muscularity-focused content and engage in body comparisons online | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
The Dry January® challenge and its impact on public health and prevention
With hundreds of Local Authorities and community groups taking part, we’re going behind the scenes of the Dry January® challenge to offer some useful facts and stats for public health professionals on what it is and what it isn’t, its impact on public health, and how it works to drive lasting change | Alcohol Change UK blog, UK