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Daily news - 15th January 2026 |
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UK news
Alcohol treatment twice as likely to fail in adolescents who are NEET
Alcohol treatment for adolescents in England who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) is more than twice as likely to fail than compared to those who are, University of Manchester researchers have found. The study is published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholismtoday (15/01/26) and is the first of its kind to compare alcohol treatment outcomes for all adolescents aged 11 – 17 seeking specialist treatment for alcohol problems in England | University of Manchester, UK
Most Young Smokers Wish They Had Never Started – One Year Ahead of Landmark Smokefree Generation Policy
New data shows that 69% of 11–17-year-olds in Great Britain who currently smoke say that, if they could go back in time, they would not have started smoking. Nearly two-thirds (64%) say they want to quit. With just one year to go until the government’s planned smokefree generation policy comes into force, the data highlights the importance of phasing out the sale of tobacco, ending the harm from tobacco for the next generation | ASH, UK
Drug ‘200 times stronger than heroin’ on London’s streets has already killed three
Every morning Elodie Berland and Jon Glackin walk around Keir Starmer’s constituency offering hot drinks and a meal to rough sleepers. As volunteers for the charity Streets Kitchen, they are hardened to the sights they encounter but the volunteers and those they help have been living on edge for the past few months. This is due to the growing presence of a new fatal drug called cychlorphine; a substance 200 times stronger than heroin that’s mixed into other hard drugs and counterfeit pharmaceuticals | Metro, UK
Should you do Dry January? - audio
In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into alcohol. Is there such a thing as a safe level of alcohol or a safe form? Are there actually any benefits to alcohol? Should teetotalism be the goal? They also explore the short- and long-term effects and harms of alcohol, including indirect harms, whether we should be doing Dry January, and what the benefits of reducing your alcohol intake are | BBC Sounds, UK
Why are cannabis patients facing stigma from the NHS?
Over seven years after legalisation, medical cannabis patients still face unnecessary stigma from employers, landlords and even the police. A leafie investigation has found that many patients also face issues in the last place you would expect: while receiving healthcare from the NHS | Leafie, UK
Government response to MPs’ report on prison drugs “not enough”, says senior MP
The Labour MP who chairs the Justice Select Committee (JSC), Andy Slaughter, has said he is disappointed that of 29 recommendations made by the JSC to tackle the drugs crisis in prisons, only eight have been accepted by the Government | Inside Time, UK
Reeves 'particularly concerned' about pub business rates
The chancellor has said she is "particularly concerned" about the impact of business rates on pubs, as she hinted she was resisting calls for more support for the rest of the hospitality sector | BBC, UK
We support awareness on the dangers of vaping in young people
The paediatric ward at Kettering General Hospital is hosting a community poster competition for children and teenagers to help highlight the dangers of vaping | NHS KGH, UK
Emerging drug trends – what do educators need to know?
Jan 27 from 11am to 1pm GMT. Online. Free. Sarah Peat and Morgan Lewis-Wilson will be sharing their insights from their work at Crew for the Spring 2026 Drug Education Forum training session. This session will cover the latest developments in the drugs market, including the rise in synthetic opioids (nitazenes), increasing consumption of cocaine including crack, how benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids are changing, methods of consumption, and considerations for harm reduction | DEF, UK
Drug Education Forum Event – Spring 2026
Feb 26 from 3:30pm to 5pm GMT. Online. Free. Dr Ashly Fuller, researcher in online harms and safety, will talk about young people’s experience of drugs on social media. Professor Chris Pudney from the University of Bath will build on the same theme, by focusing on the global networks that enable spice to be sold on social media platforms, and finally Alex Piot, PhD candidate at UCL and Director of Research at the Centre for Evidence Based Drug Policy, will look at how policy shapes young people’s perceptions and behaviours relating to ketamine. All three will take part in a panel discussion and there is an optional half hour session for networking | DEF, UK
The Manifesto Sessions: Drug Checking - A Routine Harm Reduction Service
Tue 27 Jan, 14:00 - 15:00 GMT. Our 8th webinar within our Manifesto Sessions webinar series will focus on community drug checking services. As part of our ‘Setting the blueprint for a more equal and prosperous Wales for people who use substances’, we want community drug checking services to be part and parcel of harm reduction interventions across Wales | Barod, UK
Organised gangs driving surge in illegal disposable vapes, warn Scottish retailers
The Scottish Grocers’ Federation said the problem had escalated since the disposable vape ban came into force in June last year | The Grocer, UK
International news
Varenicline for cannabis use disorder: A randomized controlled trial
Although cannabis use is widespread and prevalence of cannabis use disorder (CUD) is increasing, limited advancements have been made in CUD medication development. The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of varenicline with medical management for reducing cannabis use in treatment-seeking individuals with CUD | Addiction, UK
Puppies treated for suspected fentanyl overdose to go up for adoption in Washington
Six puppies were revived and treated by first responders and are now being monitored at a local animal shelter | Guardian, UK
Horizon Europe 2026–2027: new EU funding opportunities for drug-related research
The European Commission has published the Horizon Europe Work Programmes for 2026–2027, confirming EUR 14 billion in EU investment to support research and innovation across Europe over the next two years. In line with the EUDA mandate, we have reviewed the programmes and identified a set of upcoming Horizon Europe calls of relevance to drug-related research and innovation | EUDA, Portugal
EUDA webinar: #ScaleUp initiative — scalable interventions for the treatment and care of stimulant use disorders
28 Jan 2026. Online. This event marks the first in a series of webinars under the #ScaleUp project, a joint initiative by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). The initiative aims to address the treatment gap for stimulant use disorders and expand related evidence-based responses | EUDA, Portugal
US overdose deaths fell through most of 2025, federal data reveals
Federal data released Wednesday showed that overdose deaths have been falling for more than two years—the longest drop in decades—but also that the decline was slowing | Medical Xpress, USA
White House reverses $2 billion cut to mental health, addiction grants
Many of the programs have bipartisan support, and Trump has supported them in the past | RollCall, USA
Study focuses on safer opioid prescribing
With an estimated 5 million Americans battling opioid use disorder—resulting in tens of thousands of deaths each year—a new study by the University of Texas at Arlington examines how updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines can help nurse practitioners reduce misuse and protect patients | Medical Xpress, USA
B.C. officially ends decriminalization pilot project after concerns about public drug use
Health Minister Josie Osborne says it is clear program wasn't working and province is shifting focus to voluntary and involuntary care | Vancouver Sun, Canada
Blogs, comment and opinion
Ketamine is giving more young people bladder problems – an expert explains
Urology departments in England and Wales have reported seeing an increase in the number of 16- to 24-year-olds being admitted for bladder inflammation associated with ketamine use. This appears to coincide with an increase in ketamine use – with the number of adults and teens entering treatment for ketamine abuse last year jumping substantially compared to even just a few years previously | Conversation, UK
Alison's Story
Like most people entering rehab, I had my misgivings about entering Ophelia House. I had actually been in two other mixed rehabs previously, and I was used to the structures they had, but I relapsed after both. They were only 28-day programmes and my alcohol support worker suggested I needed longer and that’s something Ophelia House offered, but I felt unsure about it and how the dynamic might change in a women-only rehab | Phoenix Futures, UK
Bringing Our Values to Life
Last year, we launched an ambitious new five-year strategy. It sets out our mission and our next steps towards a world free from the harm caused by tobacco. But as we looked ahead, we also wanted to take some time and reflect on how we work together to achieve our goals | ASH blog, UK
How cocaine traffickers launder cartel money
The cocaine market exploded between 2014 and 2023. Production in Colombia increased more than sevenfold to nearly 2,700 tonnes, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Behind the scenes, drug traffickers find equally illicit ways to pay their suppliers and foot soldiers, or to spend the proceeds of their criminal trade. Their solution? Money laundering. It is estimated that 25% of the funds collected is laundered | Conversation, France
Reddit and TikTok - with the help of AI - are reshaping how researchers understand substance use
When you think of tools for studying substance use and addiction, a social media site like Reddit, TikTok or YouTube probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Yet the stories shared on social media platforms are offering unprecedented insights into the world of substance use | Conversation, USA
The ‘drug threat’ that justified the US ouster of Maduro won’t be fixed by his arrest
Donald Trump has flagged Venezuelan drug trafficking as a key reason for the U.S. military operation on Jan. 3, 2026, that captured President Nicolás Maduro and whisked him to New York to face federal drug charges. Trump has described Maduro as “the kingpin of a vast criminal network responsible for trafficking colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs into the United States.” | Conversation, USA