Reports: April |
Injecting equipment provision in Scotland
This annual release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents information on injecting equipment provision (IEP) services in Scotland. This includes the number of outlets; attendances and the types of injecting equipment distributed to people who used controlled drugs (including Novel Psychoactive Substances and Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs) in Scotland in 2024/25 | PHS, UK
National naloxone programme Scotland - Quarterly monitoring bulletin
This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents information on the number of take-home naloxone kits issued by the National Naloxone Programme (NNP) in Scotland (1 July 2025 to 30 September 2025). Figures are presented separately for kits issued from community-based services (mainly specialist drug treatment and non-drug treatment services), kits issued in prisons at the point of liberation, kits dispensed via community prescription, and kits issued by Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) | PHS, UK
Poverty, Prevention and Fairness: Public attitudes towards health inequality and the social determinants of health in the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey (PDF)
The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey asked: Which of the following, if any, do you think would be the most effective way of reducing deaths in Scotland from drugs and alcohol? The resulting data suggests people in Scotland see poverty reduction as the most effective way of reducing deaths from drugs and alcohol, followed by an increase in mental health service spending | Scottish Health Equity Research Unit, UK
Wastewater Analysis: Estimating drug consumption
These experimental estimates use a new analytical method, extrapolating data from 42 sites covering 28% of England’s population. Estimates suggest that cocaine had the highest consumption and market value, followed by ketamine. The report also presents trends in drug consumption in England and patterns of drug use in England and Scotland between 2021 and 2025. Over this period, consumption is estimated to have increased for ketamine, MDMA, methamphetamine and cocaine and decreased for heroin and amphetamine | Home Office, UK
Care homes and alcohol: finding the right balance
A new study, funded by Alcohol Change UK and the Welsh Government, looks at how care homes for older people seek to manage alcohol use, and offers practical tools for improvement | Alcohol Change UK, UK
Implementation of the Treatment and Recovery Portfolio of the 'From Harm to Hope' drug strategy in England
We conducted a mixed-methods process evaluation of the first three years of implementation of the Treatment and Recovery Portfolio of the UK government's 10-year drug strategy, From Harm to Hope. We found that the Portfolio brought welcomed funding into the treatment and recovery sector after an extended period of disinvestment. The Portfolio has largely been implemented as planned, despite challenges related to funding uncertainty and some delays | RAND, UK
Implementation and early impacts of the Housing Support Grant in England
Dame Carol Black's 2019–2021 independent review of drugs highlighted the importance of safe, suitable and stable housing in the treatment and recovery journey. In 2022, through the Housing Support Grant (HSG), the former UK government provided up to £53m across three years to help local authorities (LAs) address the housing needs of people who use alcohol and/or other drugs. This evaluation aimed to understand how the HSG has been implemented by reviewing 28 plans and examining three case study sites in England | RAND, UK
Drug and alcohol support for people experiencing rough sleeping or at risk: what £262m achieved across 83 areas
Ipsos, working with Groundswell and Dr Stephen Green of Sheffield Hallam University, has completed an evaluation of the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant (RSDATG) and has now published its findings. Substance use is both a cause and consequence of rough sleeping. To respond, the government invested up to £262m (2021–2025) in the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant (RSDATG) for the 83 local authorities in England with the highest need | IPSOS et al, UK
The barriers and facilitators to supporting, commissioning and working with Lived Experience Recovery Organisations in systems of care in England
Lived Experience Recovery Organisations (LEROs) are peer-led groups run by individuals with lived experience of alcohol and/or other drug use, treatment or recovery. They offer direct support to people who use alcohol and/or other drugs or who are in recovery. This study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators to supporting, commissioning and working with LEROs in effective systems of care for people who use alcohol and/or other drugs | RAND, UK
Evaluation of depot buprenorphine provision in treatment and recovery services in England
Improving access to and retention in opioid treatment remains a central objective of drug policy in England. As part of the Supplemental Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant (SSMTRG), local areas have been able to expand the use of depot buprenorphine (DB), a long-acting injectable formulation of opioid substitution treatment. DB offers a potential alternative to daily supervised oral medication and may support engagement for some individuals. This study examines how DB has been implemented and used within treatment and recovery services in England, and explores associated outcomes and experiences | RAND, UK
Integrated care for people who use alcohol and/or other drugs
People who use alcohol and/or other drugs frequently experience co-occurring mental and physical health problems, yet these needs are often addressed separately, resulting in fragmented care. The UK government's 10-year drug strategy sought to improve integration between treatment and recovery services and wider health services, supported by the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant (SSMTRG). This study examined the early impact of the SSMTRG on service integration, identifying barriers, facilitators, and examples of good practice | RAND, UK
Factors that influence employees' perceptions and experiences of working within the treatment and recovery sector in England
Akey component of the former UK government's 10-year drug strategy is to create a world-class treatment and recovery system through the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Workforce Transformation Programme. This study aims to help understand how the workforce transformation programme can support the development of the treatment and recovery workforce as part of the strategy | RAND, UK
Prison leavers in substance misuse treatment: 4-week outcomes
Analysis of mortality and re-incarceration rates within 4 weeks of release for prison leavers receiving substance misuse treatment in England. Key findings include that: Drug-related deaths account for 62% of all deaths occurring in the first four weeks after leaving prison and Prison leavers with an identified opiate need face the greatest risk of mortality in the period immediately following release | OHID and MoJ, UK
New SARG study finds young people are three times more likely to start with alcohol than no/lo alternatives
New research from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) and University College London (UCL) has found that young people aged 16-25 in Great Britain are three times more likely to start drinking alcohol than alcohol-free and low-alcohol (no/lo) alternatives | SARG, UK
The Health and Economic Benefits of Tackling Non-Communicable Diseases: United Kingdom
Risk factors such as air pollution, harmful alcohol use, insufficient physical activity, obesity, smoking, and unhealthy diet are major drivers of the NCD burden. In 2022, The UK's overall risk factor profile was mixed: three more favourable than the OECD average, two lagged behind, and one was missing. The UK performed particularly well on smoking, where it had 11.2% of the population who smoke daily compared to the OECD average of 15.1% | OECD, France
Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly report
Drug-related harms remained at a high level in the most recent quarter (December 2025 to February 2026). Contamination of drugs with toxic substances is both common and widespread. Detections of nitazene-type opioids in post-mortem toxicology remained high overall, although they decreased slightly in the most recent quarter. The benzodiazepine market continued to shift, with growing reports of novel substances and changing tablet types. Cocaine remained the most frequently reported drug across treatment and toxicology data | PHS, UK
Report 25 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program
The ACIC partners with The University of Queensland and Adelaide University (formerly the University of South Australia) to deliver the program. This latest report reveals that 26.8 tonnes of methylamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and MDMA was consumed between August 2024 and August 2025. This is a 21% increase from the previous year | ACIC, Australia
Cannabis Microdosing More Common Than Psychedelics Among US Adults, National Survey Finds
Cannabis is the most commonly microdosed substance in the U.S., with about 9.4% of adults — roughly 24 million people — reporting lifetime use. More people reported microdosing for recreational reasons than for medical reasons. Cannabis microdosing was nearly twice as common as psilocybin, LSD or MDMA, challenging the perception that microdosing is mainly a psychedelic practice | UC San Diego, USA
InSight Crime’s 2025 Cocaine Seizure Round-Up
As the United States drags the drug war back in time, traffickers are leaping forward, creating new ways of disguising and moving cocaine while weaving sophisticated global networks to reach new markets. InSight Crime’s 2025 Cocaine Seizure Round-Up reveals a fast-evolving global market. Roughly half of the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean increased their cocaine seizures. The other half saw them fall as trafficking routes shifted in response to new international interdiction strategies | Insight Crime, USA