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In date order, Monday to Friday
Taking Action on Addiction Launches the Road to Recovery Campaign
This September, to mark Recovery Month 2025, Taking Action on Addiction (TAOA), led by The Forward Trust, is launching an inspiring new campaign: The Road to Recovery.The campaign invites people to celebrate their recovery by adding a “brick” to a virtual pathway. Each brick represents the number of recovery days and carries a message of encouragement to someone still finding their way | Forward Trust, UK
Children and young people are being saturated by online alcohol advertising
Balance has raised serious concerns following a major new study revealing that more than one in three young people aged 11 and over report being exposed to alcohol-related online promotions from companies and influencers | Balance North East, UK
PHA would be 'open to considering' drug testing at concerts
The Public Health Agency (PHA) "would be open to considering" drug testing at concerts and festivals, a director at the organisation has said. It comes after police issued a warning about upcoming music events and said they were committed to "tackling the illegal supply and use of illicit drugs". They are investigating the deaths of two young people following the Emerge dance festival in Belfast last weekend, but have not commented on whether their investigations involve a drugs link | BBC, UK
Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Services Workforce Census
This is the third national census for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services and commissioning. It is designed to provide insights into the workforce size, skill mix and diversity in terms of age, gender, and ethnicity. It covers local authority-commissioned adult and young people’s treatment and recovery providers in the voluntary, NHS, local authorities, and independent/private sectors, as well as the local authority commissioning workforce and lived experience recovery organisations (LEROs) in England | NHS England, UK
DDN September 2025
Imagine being homeless, dispossessed, and afraid to ask for help. Imagine coming out of prison without the first idea of how to find an income, let alone a career. Imagine having no clue that there would be help to get back on track from all-consuming addiction. We hope that the energy from our DDN Conference will come through the pages of this month’s issue | DDN, UK
Drug-related deaths in Scotland, 2024
In 2024, there were 1,017 drug misuse deaths registered in Scotland. This is a decrease of 13% (155 deaths) compared with 2023. Drug misuse deaths in Scotland have increased over the last two decades. The number increased in each year from 2014 to 2020, which was the highest number in the series (1,339 deaths). Overall, the number of deaths has decreased since then with a large decrease (-21%) between 2021 and 2022, followed by an increase (12%) between 2022 and 2023. The latest figure is the lowest number of drug misuse deaths registered in any year since 2017 | National Records of Scotland, UK [See Public Health Scotland's summary of the statistics here]
The figures behind Scotland's drug death toll
Former care worker Karen is nearing the end of her six-month stay at a rehab centre in Glasgow. Battling addiction to heroin, alcohol and cocaine after a succession of family tragedies, this was the second time the 49-year-old was ready for rehab. She said she weighed just four stone when she showed up for treatment. "I never had any energy. I was walking about thinking I was alright, but I was nothing," she told BBC Scotland News | BBC, UK
‘Crisis on top of crisis’: Scotland faces threat from dangerous form of opioids, experts warn
Synthetic opioids such as nitazene, linked to more than 100 deaths, can be hundred times stronger than those used by addicts | Guardian, UK
Energy drinks to be banned for under-16s
The government is planning a new law in England to stop anyone under the age of 16 buying energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and Prime from shops, restaurants, cafes, vending machines and online | BBC, UK
Official Statistics - Smoking profile: September 2025 update
An overview of the extent of tobacco use, tobacco-related harm, vaping use and the measures being taken to reduce smoking-related harms at a local level in England | OHID, UK
Official Statistics - Substance misuse and mental health issues: September 2025 update
The ‘Co-occurring substance misuse and mental health issues profile’ on the Fingertips tool includes a range of indicators on people receiving treatment for drug and alcohol treatment and treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions. This update includes routine updates to several existing indicators, as well as adding 3 new indicators. These new indicators were previously published by NHS England and are: 1) hospital admissions for drug-related mental and behavioural disorders, 2) hospital admissions for poisoning by drug misuse and 3) hospital admissions where drug-related mental and behavioural disorders were a factor | OHID, UK
Rapid review of evidence about alcohol marketing and advertising: Influences on consumer attitudes and behaviours, and the effects of regulation on those behaviours
As part of the Scottish Government's commitment to reducing alcohol harm, they commissioned Public Health Scotland to conduct an independent review of research evidence related to the effects and potential restriction of marketing and advertising for alcohol. The aim of this review was to identify potential areas of evidence-based action on alcohol marketing where it may reduce alcohol harm or improve public health, as well as any areas where the evidence base is inconclusive or lacking | Public Health Scotland, 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. 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) | Public Health Scotland, UK
Barod App - Introducing the Barod App — Support, Information & Tools for Young People
Life can be full of choices and challenges. Whether you’re curious about substances, looking for clear harm-reduction advice, or want a safe space to connect with others, the Barod app is here to support you. Designed with young people in mind, the app brings together reliable information, personal tools, and confidential support — all in one place, free to download | Barod, UK
Warning over cannabis use as self-medication
Those who use cannabis to self-medicate are at greater risk of paranoia than recreational users, the largest survey into the drug has found. The three-year study, published under two reports was the first to investigate why users decided to start using cannabis and how this reason affected the length of time they took it | BBC, UK
Changing lives through the Blue Light Approach
An independent evaluation of the Blue Light Approach in action in Buckinghamshire has recently been released, revealing its hugely positive impact in helping people turn their lives around | Alcohol Change UK, UK
Coroner urges ketamine review after woman's death
A coroner has urged the government to reconsider the dangers of ketamine after a woman died from the effects of a 10-year habit. Gemma Weeks, 28, used up to £500 of ketamine a week, Dorset coroner Brendan Allen said. She was found dead at her Dorset home in January from toxicity and bladder damage caused by the Class B drug, an inquest concluded | BBC, UK
Council approves measures to tackle ketamine use
A report presented to St Helens Borough Council revealed a rise in use of the Class B drug, particularly among young people. The council said it would implement recommendations in the report to provide more education about the drug and its dangers in local schools and communities, in addition to calling on the government to reclassify the drug as Class A | BBC, UK
'I feared I'd find her dead in bed' - teens harmed by spice-laced vapes
Dealers are using Snapchat to sell vape liquid laced with the dangerous synthetic drug spice to unwitting children as young as 13, a BBC Investigation has found | BBC, UK
Why isn't Scotland's drug deaths the number one political issue? - video
James speaks to BBC Scotland social affairs correspondent Chris Clements about the number of drug deaths in Scotland remaining highest in Europe, despite falling in comparison to last year | BBC, UK
Official Statistics - 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. The data explorer has been developed to support commissioning and to assist with monitoring of local strategies and plans | OHID, UK