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Daily news - 16th January 2026

UK news

British soldiers face dismissal over positive drugs tests

According to the Sun, which first reported the story, 23 personnel from 32 Engineer Regiment based in Catterick, North Yorkshire, were reportedly caught in a sting just before Christmas. The newspaper described it as the "biggest drugs bust" to hit the Army | BBC, UK

Progress Presents -COMHAD Delivery Framework-From Policy to People

Jan 29 from 10am to 2:30pm GMT. Online. Join us for a webinar exploring the publication of the new COMHAD Delivery Framework—an integrated approach to improving patient outcomes and service delivery. Learn about the framework; Discover implementation strategies; and Understand the impact on services and people's experience of care. Featuring Esteemed Speakers: Dame Carol Black - GBE, Independent Advisor to the UK government on Drugs and Dr Adrian James -NHSE Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity. This is a must-attend event for commissioners, head of services and professionals who hold a shared vision of advancing care standards | Progress (a consortium of national COMHAD clinicians) in partnership with NHSE and DHSE, UK

Peer support in Scotland: Insight Report 1 (PDF)

This report is part of a programme of work to champion peer support and peer working as set out in Strategic Action 2.3 in the Scottish Government and COSLA Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan. We encourage you to use the information and examples in the report to inform, inspire and influence change as together we strengthen and grow peer support across the country | Scottish Recovery Network, UK

Evidence Briefing 2026 - Brief for proposals (PDF)

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

Driving under Influence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on trends in the number of offences for driving under the influence of (a) alcohol and (b) drugs | They work for you, UK

Anti-social Behaviour: Alcoholic Drinks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on trends in the level of alcohol related antisocial behaviour | They work for you, UK

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of challenges faced by children of parents with alcohol problems in Surrey Heath Constituency | They work for you, UK

Hundreds arrested in drink and drug drive crackdown

A month-long campaign to cut the number of people killed or seriously injured by drink and drug drivers over the festive period has resulted in 369 arrests | BBC, UK

International news

British Columbia ends drug decriminalisation pilot programme

The Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) said it will not be extending its controversial drug decriminalisation project, allowing it to expire at the end of January | BBC, UK

[Open access] Globally, opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is recognised as a cornerstone of evidence-based responses to opioid dependence. Many countries have expanded access by enabling nurses to prescribe methadone and buprenorphine. Despite this precedent, Ireland has not introduced nurse prescribing of OAT. Drawing on policy reviews, communications, national strategy documents, legislation, parliamentary debates, international literature and media reports, this commentary positions this issue as an important initiative which has been excluded from Irish drug-policy | IJDP, USA

Treating addiction with immunotherapy: Study links alcohol use and the immune system

A 2024 U.S. national survey reported that 11.8% of males and 7.6% of females ages 12 and older met the criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in 2023, meaning they could not stop or control alcohol use despite serious health and relationship consequences. Some individuals are more susceptible to alcohol addiction than others, especially due to genetics, mental health, and social environment | Medical Xpress, USA

Many drug-use treatment providers in NC demand unpaid labor, limit access to evidence-based treatment

A new study finds many organizations that provide residential drug- and alcohol-use services in North Carolina have mandated labor requirements. Organizations with labor requirements are less likely to provide recommended evidence-based treatment for opioid-use disorders and are more likely to operate without a state license for adult substance-use services | Medical Xpress, USA

Delayed CDC Data Show the Drop in Overdose Deaths Has Slowed Down

On January 14 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published its monthly provisional overdose death count—the first such update since September 2025, before routine government operations were disrupted by the federal shutdown. The newly released data cover the 12-month period leading up to August 2025 and show that the death rate is still dropping, but not as sharply as it has been | Filter Magazine, USA

Thrift store. Clinic. Roller rink. Center becomes 'radical' lifeline amid homelessness, drug crises

On Monday evenings, volunteers from other community organizations show up—some used to set up in the parking lot before Bingler opened the store. They offer free testing for sexually transmitted infections, basic medical care, hot meals, and sterile syringes and other supplies for people who use drugs | Medical Xpress, USA

Blogs, comment and opinion

Will We Ever Move Beyond an Acute Crisis Orientation? The Absence of Recovery Research and Emerging Drugs

Our SUD evidence base tends to be myopic and crisis oriented. It is focused on first aid and short-term stabilization rather than on developing sustained recovery over time. Nowhere is this more evident than in our response to emerging drug combinations being used on streets across America | Recovery Review blog, USA

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