Home | Archive | Weekly | Reports

Weekly news - 1st August 2025

In date order, Monday to Friday

Over-70s face driving ban for failing eye tests

Wales and England's drink-driving limit is also set to be tightened to be in line with Scotland's, with penalty points to be introduced for passengers not wearing a seatbelt | BBC, UK

Guidance - Wound aware: a resource for drug services

Page updated with new resources for drug services to help them prevent, identify, treat and manage wounds in people who inject drugs | DHSC, UK

85% of UK Vapers Switch to Reusables Post Single-Use Ban

But One in Four Single-Use Vapers Return to Smoking or Turn to Illicit Products as Widespread Misperceptions and Black Market Persist | Grocery Trader, UK

Trump reportedly considers reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous drug

President told people at a fundraiser last month he was considering changing marijuana’s Schedule I classification | Guardian, UK

Evaluation of nitazene immunoassay test strips for rapid in-situ detection of nitazene and nitazene analogs in illicit drug samples

[Open access] The detection of nitazene compounds in the United Kingdom has raised concerns among healthcare professionals, public health authorities, and law enforcement due to the increased risk of fatal overdose, particularly among opioid users. In response, nitazene testing strips have been distributed to help users identify these substances in drugs they may consume. However, to date, limited testing has been conducted on the effectiveness of these strips. This study assesses the sensitivity and selectivity of a widely distributed nitazene immunoassay drug testing strip | Harm Reduction Journal, UK

Associations between non-daily smoking and motivation to stop smoking: A population study in England 2021–2024

[Open access] An increasing proportion of adults in England who smoke cigarettes do not smoke every day and may see quitting smoking as less important than those who smoke daily. This study aimed to examine whether motivation to stop smoking differs between those who smoke cigarettes daily vs. non-daily, and to explore differences in this association by relevant sociodemographic, smoking and vaping-related factors | Addiction, UK

Synthetic drugs are having devastating effects around the world, from Sierra Leone to the UK

In the blistering heat of Freetown, Sierra Leone, young men gather on street corners, their limbs swollen, eyes glazed. They are the victims of kush, a cheap and deadly synthetic drug sweeping the country | Conversation, UK

RADAR alert issued on nitazenes and contamination of the drugs supply

PHS has published a new RADAR alert on nitazenes to respond to increasing harms and availability in the drugs supply. Nitazene-type drugs are potent, synthetic opioids that are now widely detected in all parts of Scotland. They pose a substantial risk of overdose, hospitalisation and death. In Scotland, nitazenes are most commonly detected as a contaminant in drugs sold as heroin, benzodiazepines and oxycodone. The alert has been issued by Rapid Actions Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR), led by Public Health Scotland. Data within the latest RADAR report indicates that nitazene type opioids are increasingly identified in hospital and post – mortem toxicology in Scotland. Between January and March 2025, nitazenes were detected in 38 deaths | PHS, UK

Newsnight - Section on Nitazenes - video

Watch from 20:25. Vicki Markiewicz, Exec Director of Change Grow Live, spoke about the catastrophic effects of nitazenes & how the drug treatment sector is responding | BBC, UK

New focus on drugs and alcohol harm in Brighton

Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) said the strategy [See item below] aimed to reduce harm, save lives and change attitudes. This would be achieved by shifting demand for drugs and alcohol, improving treatment and recovery services, and reducing the availability of drugs, it added | BBC, UK

New data reveals the GB jobs most likely to be exposed to second-hand smoke: is yours on the list?

New data from public health charity Action on Smoking and Health has revealed the professions where workers are most likely to report being exposed to second hand smoke. The data shows that although 14% of all Brits report being exposed to second-hand smoke at work there are inequalities with some professions being significant outliers. Transport workers and those in hospitality top the list with those in media, education and pharmaceutical industries being the least exposed. This shows that current smokefree laws are insufficient to protect staff | ASH, UK

US alcohol consumption at a record low as health warnings grow, survey finds

A majority of Americans – 53% – for the first time view even moderate drinking as harmful, Gallup poll shows | Guardian, UK

At risk? Tobacco dependence treatment in the NHS. Findings from a survey of Integrated Care Boards in England

This report presents the findings from the third annual survey of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) conducted by Action on Smoking and Health and Cancer Research UK. The primary focus of the survey was the implementation of the tobacco dependence treatment services specified in the NHS Long Term Plan | ASH, UK

Only 1 in 6 Scots feel comfortable talking about alcohol-here's how we can change that

A new study found that only 1 in 6 people in Scotland feel comfortable talking about their alcohol consumption-showing that it's one of the least-talked about topics when it comes to conversation | Scotsman, UK

[Open access] While maintained on methadone or buprenorphine, users of opioids in Scotland were three times less likely to suffer a drug-related death than when not in treatment: “The results … emphasise the importance of [opioid-agonist treatment] and retention in treatment alongside other interventions” | IJDP, UK

Extend Studio