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Daily news - 6th March 2026 |
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UK news
Stop smoking service data explorer
This data explorer presents latest published analysis on stop smoking service data, alongside indicators relating to the prevalence of smoking. Analysis updated with the latest available data (March 2026 data) | OHID, UK
Priorities for Scotland's next government
Scotland's next government faces critical decisions on drugs and alcohol. The National Mission ends in March 2026. What comes next will determine whether Scotland builds on the progress made. WithYou supports more than 14,000 people across Scotland who are facing challenges with drugs and alcohol. Last year, our teams held over 63,000 appointments in communities from Stranraer to Thurso. This document sets out six priorities for the next Scottish Government. They're based on evidence, frontline experience, and what the people we support have told us matters | WithYou, UK
Right to Recovery Addiction (Scotland) Bill correspondence: FOI release
Information requested: Could you supply all briefings written for the Scottish Government and minutes/notes from meetings, about the right to recovery bill, between September 25 to October 12 2025? Could you also supply all written documentation regarding the Scottish Government's decision to vote against the bill? | Scottish Government, UK
Finley Worthington: Ketamine, Bladder Damage & Blood Jelly - Addiction and Education Reform - podcast
Finley joins Believe in People to share his lived experience of ketamine addiction and recovery, and how a substance that first felt functional and harmless became physically and psychologically destructive | Believe in People, UK
Healing in the Shadows: Cancer, Existential Distress and the Legal Paradox of Psilocybin
Each year, millions of people around the world are diagnosed with cancer, and that number is rising. Beyond the physical impact of the disease, many people also experience significant psychological distress. While mental health support is available, cancer patients often face long waiting times, limited access to appropriate care, and emotional needs that shift rapidly during treatment. It’s therefore not surprising that some begin looking for alternatives to help manage their mental health | Drug Science, UK
'After all the taking, now I enjoy giving back'
A group of recovering addicts taking part in a litter pick as part of their rehabilitation say they are enjoying giving back to the community | BBC, UK
Baby's drug-related death to be explored by FAI is 'tragic' case
A baby's drug-related death in Aberdeenshire which is to be explored by a fatal accident inquiry is a "tragic" case, a hearing has been told. Olly-James Sievewright, from Sandhaven, near Fraserburgh, was three months old when he died in hospital in December 2019 as a result of ingesting ecstasy and the effects of an infection | BBC, UK
Isle of Man's first medicinal cannabis café is now open
The Green Lounge CSC has begun operating from 66 Parliament Street, formerly Rum Baba’s, after securing planning approval earlier this year following a slight delay to its anticipated launch | Isle of Man Today, UK
International news
Campaigners say Big Tobacco targets kids via F1, call for sponsorship ban
Formula One, followed by millions of children worldwide, should bar sponsorship deals with tobacco companies seeking to drive uptake of addictive nicotine pouches, 162 anti-tobacco and health groups said in letters to the sport's commercial rights holder and partners | Reuters, UK
Key harm reduction messgaes on integration for grant cycle 8
Sudden and dramatic funding and political shifts in global health have resulted in a push for integration as an effective pathway to UHC and financial sustainability for HIV, TB and malaria programmes. However, for key population programmes, including harm reduction, this poses serious risk | HRI, UK
Foreign Office no-show at fake alcohol inquest
A coroner said he was "perplexed" by the absence of representatives from the Foreign Office at a hearing for a British backpacker who died after allegedly being served drinks laced with methanol in Laos | BBC, UK
Scientists accuse EU of misleading public on risks of smoke-free nicotine products
A group of European scientists has warned the European Commission that public statements about the risks of smoke-free nicotine products may be misleading and could undermine efforts to reduce smoking across Europe. The experts sent an open letter to the EC President Ursula von der Leyen, criticising official statements about the risks of smoke-free products, calling them “false and misleading" | EU Reporter, Belgium
Needle and syringe programmes for people who inject drugs: operational guide
This operational guide provides practical, evidence-based guidance to support countries in planning, implementing and scaling up needle and syringe programmes for people who inject drugs as part of comprehensive harm reduction responses. It translates WHO's recommendations into actionable steps for programme managers, implementers, donors and community-led organizations | WHO, Switzerland
World Energy Efficiency Day: EUDA joins EU environmental performance scheme
On World Energy Efficiency Day, we are delighted to announce that the EUDA has been officially registered under the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), in recognition of its commitment to reducing its environmental impact | EUDA, Portugal
2025 AMA Report on Substance Use and Treatment: Progress, Policy and Future Directions (PDF)
Despite progress in reducing opioid prescribing—down 52% since 2012—patients still face barriers to evidence-based pain care. Despite widespread recognition that medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are the gold standard for treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), health insurance company barriers and other restrictions continue to limit patient access to MOUD | AMA, USA
Dangerous health risks exposed in illicit steroid research program
Almost 90% of illegal steroids contain unexpected, incorrect or dangerous substances, a Queensland drug testing study has found. ROIDCheck—a project led by University of Queensland researchers—tested the purity of image and performance enhancing drug (IPED) samples but found only 1 in 10 matched what was claimed on their labels | Medical Xpress, USA
No, Synthetic Opioid Cychlorphine Has Not Proved Narcan “Ineffective”
Aminor media frenzy has been forming around cychlorphine, a novel synthetic opioid described as the “next killer drug” taking over at an “exponential rate” while standard naloxone has “proven ineffective.” While there are some notable differences between cychlorphine and the various fentanyl analogs and nitazenes that have previously been called these things, in this case some of the warnings appear due to a mixup with a different drug | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Beyond Custody: Real Alternatives and Recovery Pathways for Women
International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate progress but also to face hard truths. One of those truths is this: some of the most vulnerable women in our society are still more likely to go to prison than into treatment. More likely to be separated from their children than supported to recover alongside them. More likely to experience systems as punitive rather than protective | Phoenix Futures blog, UK
Expert reaction to observational study on vaping/smoking and blood pressure
An observational study published in The American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology looks at vaping and smoking and blood pressure | Science Media Centre, UK