Reports: February |
Neurodiversity Staff Toolkit (PDF)
By adapting our services we have helped facilitate some understanding of the different ways we all think and process information and start changing our practice accordingly. This all helps to make recovery more achievable for people who are neurodivergent, improving their experience of prison and assisting them with their goals for the future. This toolkit is a way of capturing this learning and providing a point of reference for other providers wanting to make sure their services are as assessable as possible | Change Grow Live, UK
EU takes action to control three harmful new drugs
New EU legal measures, which entered into force this month, will see three harmful new psychoactive substances (NPS) brought under control across the EU. The substances — all new synthetic cathinones — are: 2-methylmethcathinone (2-MMC), 4-bromomethcathinone (4-BMC) and N-ethylnorpentedrone (NEP). These are now classified as controlled ‘drugs’ under EU law | EUDA, Portugal
Press release: 43,000 young people aged 15-24 in Ireland living with alcohol dependence as youth drinking levels continue to surge – new report
Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), the national independent advocate to reduce alcohol harm, has published an updated edition of its dial-moving report into youth drinking in Ireland, ‘Youth drinking in Ireland: What’s the real picture?’ The report is updated with data from the 2025 Healthy Ireland Survey carried out by the Department of Health and is expanded to include sections on digital alcohol marketing, home deliveries of alcohol, recovery and treatment services for young people, as well as the importance of ensuring a focus on youth drinking in the new drug and alcohol strategy | Alcohol Action Ireland, Ireland
Substance misuse treatment in secure settings: 2024 to 2025
Statistics for alcohol and drug misuse treatment in prisons and other secure settings from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) | OHID, UK
The costs of tackling drug harms in prisons
In April 2025, approximately 40,000 people in prisons in England and Wales (50%) had an identified drug problem. Misuse of illicit drugs by people in prison creates or exacerbates risks to their health, well-being and personal safety. This report focuses on how the prison and health services are using public funds to tackle drug harms in prisons | NAO, UK
Four in ten cancer cases could be prevented globally
Up to four in ten cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The study examines 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation – and for the first time – nine cancer-causing infections | WHO, Switzerland
Annual Review, Accounts and Impact Report Year Ending 31st March 2025 (PDF)
Last year, we supported over 35,000 people—our highest reach yet—spanning over 70 projects nationwide, delivering Substance Misuse & Mental Health, Criminal Justice, Employment and Recovery & Belonging services | Forward Trust, UK
Action on drug precursors: first EU-level precursor assessment reports published
Illicit drug production poses a growing threat to public health and security in Europe. Monitoring drug precursor markets helps detect emerging risks and enables timely EU-level responses to disrupt supply and prevent diversion and trafficking into illicit drug production. On Friday, the EUDA published nine reports resulting from the first ever precursor assessments conducted at EU level | EUDA, Portugal
Drug-related hospital statistics
This annual release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports on inpatient or day case admissions (stays) that occur within NHS Scotland hospitals in relation to controlled drug use (substances for which manufacture, possession and use are regulated by government, due to their potential for abuse or harm). This release includes information on stays in general acute and psychiatric specialties for financial years 1996/97 to 2024/25. The topics covered include: the number of inpatient stays, the number and characteristics of patients admitted to hospital, substances used and geographical variations | Public Health Scotland, UK
Time for a Tobacco Free Future Call for government action to end tobacco harm in Ireland (PDF)
Close to 100 deaths each week in Ireland are linked to smoking, according to a new report from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, which identifies tobacco as the country’s leading preventable cause of death. The findings indicate that more than 4,500 people die annually in Ireland due to tobacco-related illness, representing almost one in six deaths, alongside almost 1,000 hospitalisations per week. The report also highlights that around 10 individuals each day receive a cancer diagnosis associated with smoking | Royal College of Physicians, Ireland
Strengthening EU preparedness for drug threats: EUDA sets course for 2026–2028
Preparing Europe for current and future drug challenges is at the heart of our mission. Our new Single programming document 2026–2028, sets out how we will enhance EU preparedness through better data, faster alerts, clearer insights and a strong focus on learning, innovation and collaboration | EUDA, Portugal
New Drug Trends: Insights from Focus Group Discussions. Civil Society Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe 2025
Understanding substance use trends is vital to quickly respond to and reduce associated risks. This study contributes to such knowledge by qualitatively exploring drug use trends across 20 European cities between July 2024 and July 2025. It uses focus group discussions conducted with key informants who are directly or indirectly engaged in the dynamics of local drug markets, including people who use drugs | C-EHRN, The Netherlands