Home | Archive | Weekly | Reports
Daily news - 17th March 2026 |
 |
UK news
Edinburgh drug consumption room could open next year
A 13-week consultation on the proposals is expected to begin in April, subject to approval from the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership | BBC, UK
Treat ketamine use as public health threat, say Government advisers
Government advisors have called for more support for healthcare professionals in tackling ketamine-related harms, and a national alert on its public health impact. In an updated review of the evidence, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) concluded that ketamine should remain a class B controlled substance. But the committee expressed concern about the growing use of high-dose ketamine and the long-term harms associated with the drug, particularly for chronic users | Pulse Today, UK
Sobering times: alcohol-free beer added to UK inflation basket
The UK’s increasing sobriety will be recognised from next month in the basket of goods used to calculate inflation after alcohol-free beer was added to a list by the Office for National Statistics totalling 760 items | Guardian, UK
The future of e-cigarette research with Monserrat Conde - podcast
In this episode, Dr Chloe Burke talks to Dr Monserrat Conde, a researcher at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Sciences, University of Oxford, UK. The interview covers a short report on the results of a consultation exercise creating recommendations for future research exploring e-cigarette use and later cigarette smoking in young people | SSA, UK
ITV join Forward at Ketamine Awareness Event in Kent
On Thursday 12 March, The Forward Trust welcomed health and public sector organisations to attend one of our highly-popular ketamine awareness sessions in Margate - with Meridian ITV News keen to amplify the importance of support in the region | Forward Trust, UK
Touring theatre production to raise awareness of ketamine to visit Knowsley schools
Just Breath, a 45-minute performance by Altru Drama, is visiting several schools across Knowsley to raise awareness of drugs and alcohol, including vaping, cannabis and ketamine | Knowsley News, UK
All of the latest and upcoming funding and career development opportunities for mental health and addiction researchers
Do you have an opportunity relevant for mental health and/or addiction researchers? Share the details with us | Mental Health Research, UK
Mapping the advice on alcohol-free drinks that alcohol treatment and recovery service providers give to their service users - survey
The aim of this study is to understand what advice alcohol treatment and recovery service providers in the UK give to their service users on their use of alcohol-free drinks, as well as their own beliefs about the benefits and risks of people in recovery using alcohol-free drinks | University of Sheffield, UK
Over 25% of consultant psychiatry posts 'effectively vacant' in NI
Northern Ireland chair, Dr Julie Anderson, said: "Behind these numbers are people - some of them vulnerable - who are waiting far too long for the support they so desperately need." | BBC, UK
International news
Cannabis is not an effective treatment for common mental health conditions, says review
International researchers find ‘very little evidence’ medical form of the drug can treat anxiety, anorexia and other disorders | Guardian, UK
British holidaymakers face arrest, police cell and court if caught smoking in public on Caribbean islands
Police chiefs in Antigua and Barbuda are warning they would take a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to smoking in public | Standard, UK
Dozens killed after Afghanistan rehab centre struck
Dozens of people are feared dead or injured at a drug treatment centre in Afghanistan's capital after an air strike that the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan | BBC, UK
Big Alcohol in the Global South: Explained - video
Every year, alcohol kills nearly 3 million people worldwide. But while consumption has plateaued in many wealthy countries, the world’s biggest alcohol corporations are aggressively expanding into low- and middle-income countries | IAS, UK
How did a vape trigger an urgent call on a Virgin Australia domestic flight?
What happened on board, and are vapes considered a fire risk on flights? Here’s what you need to know | Guardian, UK
Heroin addicts being treated with alternative to methadone
The HSE wants to expand the use of Buvidal — a newer form of buprenorphine that can be administered more easily than methadone | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Beyond the Nordic Paradox: How Harm Reduction Is Transforming Drug Policy in the North
Civil society and drug user activists push harm reduction reforms across the Nordic region – please watch the videos from a side event at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and learn more about drug policy reform in Scandinavia! | Drug Reporter, Hungary
U.S. cigarette smoking falls below 10% for the first time but millions still use tobacco
A new national analysis of NHIS data reveals a historic drop in cigarette smoking among U.S. adults while highlighting persistent tobacco use and widening disparities across demographic and occupational groups | News Medical, USA
Severe burns present growing threat in overdose epidemic
A new analysis in Oregon reveals a heightened incidence of severe burns requiring hospital-level care as illicit drug use nationwide has shifted from injection to smoking | Medical Xpress, USA
Results support use of weekly extended-release buprenorphine for opioid use disorder during pregnancy
In a clinical trial, a research team found that administering weekly injectable extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy led to higher rates of abstinence from illicit opioids than buprenorphine given daily under the tongue (sublingual), one of the standard methods of treatment. Additionally, serious adverse events were less common in those receiving extended-release treatment | Medical Xpress, USA
Treating Opioid Use Disorder With Methadone in Pharmacies
The findings of this study suggest that expanding access to methadone for opioid use disorder through a pharmacy-based model is financially viable for pharmacies | JAMA Network Open, USA
Usage of psychedelic psilocybin rises after state decriminalization, new study finds
In the United States, psilocybin has been criminalized and classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, largely due to concerns about its potential risks. However, its potential benefits as a therapeutic agent for mental health and certain neurological conditions have led some states to reconsider and decriminalize its use | Medical Xpress, USA
Psilocybin might not be the most psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms, new research suggests
A new study published in Scientific Reports suggests that the therapeutic effects of psychedelic mushrooms likely rely on a complex interplay of multiple chemical compounds rather than just a single active ingredient. Scientists found evidence that several minor compounds in these mushrooms work together to interact with brain receptors, potentially explaining why natural extracts often produce different effects than synthetic versions | PsyPost, USA
Ontario confirms it will cut funding for 7 supervised injection sites
The Ontario government is moving to end provincial funding for seven supervised drug injection sites located in communities that operate a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub, marking a major shift in the province’s approach to addiction and harm reduction | Toronto City News, Canada
Blogs, comment and opinion
Does medicinal cannabis work for depression, anxiety or PTSD? Our study says there’s no evidence
The number of Australians using medicinal cannabis has surged over the past five years. Around 700,000 Australians have used cannabis for their health in the past year. And since 2022, medicinal cannabis sales have increased four-fold. But the majority of products prescribed in the Australian market are not registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration. This means they have not been rigorously tested. So, is medicinal cannabis safe? And is it actually effective? | Conversation, Australia