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Weekly news - 4th July 2025

In date order, Monday to Friday

Triple threat of smoking, drinking and weight ‘puts a million in England at risk of early death’

Exclusive: Three risky behaviours can mean people dying 20 years earlier than they should, says senior doctor | Guardian, UK

The three big killers: how smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity overlap and interact in the population (PDF)

This briefing paper explores what we currently know about the prevalence and impact of tobacco, alcohol and excess weight, focusing on how they overlap in the population | ASH et al, UK

Synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarettes seized from English schools

[Open access] People who use synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) report debilitating side effects and withdrawal symptoms, coupled with dependence. In the UK, SC use was believed to be largely restricted to prison... or poly-drug users in the community who are likely to be homeless. However, national media reporting has increasingly identified cases of children collapsing in schools, which are claimed to be associated with vaping and putatively involving a drug such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or SCs. We conducted the first study to identify and quantify SCs in e-cigarettes routinely collected from schools in England | Addiction, UK

UK smoking ban risks breaching post-Brexit deal, ex-Tory justice secretary warns

Labour prime minister Keir Starmer urged to ‘hit pause’ or end up in court over key agreement with the European Union, designed to deal with major issues caused by Britain’s decision to leave the bloc | Independent, UK

New study reveals how to talk about alcohol and breast cancer without blame or fear

A new study from Oxford Brookes University, funded by the charity Prevent Breast Cancer, reveals how health campaigns can better communicate the link between alcohol and breast cancer - without alienating the very women they’re trying to reach | Oxford Brookes University, UK

Police adopt early warning kit for dangerous drugs

Devon and Cornwall Police worked with a team of chemists to develop the handheld devices which detect dangerous synthetic drugs in real time and can save help save lives | BBC, UK

Downing Street’s radical plan for the NHS: shifting it from treatment to prevention

Despite the evidence health prevention works, successive governments have done little in this area until now | Guardian, UK

Lung cancer screening to be rolled out to smokers

Smokers and former smokers aged 55 to 74 in Wales will be offered lung cancer screening, the Welsh government has announced | BBC, UK

[Open access] Understanding the motives for reducing alcohol consumption, how they differ among various population groups, and how they have evolved over time is crucial for designing effective public health interventions. This study estimated time trends in motives for attempts to reduce alcohol consumption among risky adult drinkers in England between 2017 and 2024 and explored differences by sociodemographics and alcohol consumption levels | DAD, UK

Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Wales (PDF)

In January 2025, the Welsh Government published the final reports of the independent evaluation it had commissioned on the operation and effect of the Act. It is also undertaking a consultation to gather views on awareness of minimum unit pricing in Wales and its impact. This document outlines the inquiries recommendations | Welsh Parliament Health and Social Care Committee, UK

Briefing on a Smokefree England at 18 (PDF)

This briefing outlines the evidence and impact of smokefree legislation introduced in 2007. Substantial evidence now exists regarding the changes that have followed from the introduction of this legislation. The briefing outlines the positive developments in public support, compliance, health benefits and the economic impact of the legislation over the last 18 years | ASH, UK

Interim monitoring report on statutory-funded residential rehabilitation placements

In the last six-month period, between 1 October 2024 and 31 March 2025, a total of 471 residential rehabilitation placements were approved for statutory funding in Scotland. This is an increase of 10 placements when compared to October 2023 to March 2024 (n=461), and an increase of 29 placements when compared to the previous six months | Public Health Scotland, UK

GP in recovery calls for specialist training to tackle Scotland's drug problem

Since going into recovery 16 years ago, Dr Michael Blackmore has been driven to use his experience to help others overcome addiction | STV News, UK

Police could stop opioid deaths with this drug. So why do some UK forces stop officers carrying it?

Police offers have used naloxone over 1,200 times to reverse opioid overdoses. But as drug deaths rise, two police forces hold out | Big Issue, UK

Hospital opens clinic for children on ketamine

Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool is thought to be the first in the country to run a programme aimed specifically at minors | BBC, UK

Would making ketamine Class A stop Gen Z using it?

"Upgrading ketamine to Class A just means that young people will take dirtier, unsafe drugs, the money will go to the dealers and no one wins." | BBC, UK

Alcohol advertising ban scrapped following industry backlash

The Department for Health and Social Care has significantly watered down proposals to limit alcohol-related harm | The Grocer, UK

Recent Innovations to Detect and Intervene to Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths

[Open access] Opioid overdose deaths have become a rapidly growing global health crisis, with current estimates indicating over 125,000 deaths annually worldwide. Despite the scale and urgency of this public health emergency, opioid overdose remains an area of strangely ‘undone science’. Five interconnected areas of research are examined, addressing critical gaps in our understanding and our response to opioid overdose events | Kings College London, UK

First anniversary: EUDA delivers key gains in strengthening Europe’s preparedness on drugs

Exactly one year ago today, we became the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) and embarked on our new mission to strengthen EU preparedness on drugs. Building on the work of the EMCDDA, and with a more proactive mandate, we set off to support the EU and its Member States in addressing emerging drug issues in an ever-changing world. Our work contributes to making Europe's streets safer and to saving lives. Our motto — 'Acting today, anticipating tomorrow' | EUDA, Portugal

Fit for the Future: The 10 Year Health Plan for England (PDF)

The plan aims to tackle harmful alcohol consumption by introducing new standards for alcohol labelling. It also aims to support further growth in the no- and low- alcohol market. There are a number of initiatives to tackle smoking, including fully rolling out lung cancer screening for those with a history of smoking | UK Government, UK

Health experts criticise NHS Plan for failing to tackle alcohol harm

The Government’s long-awaited NHS 10-Year Plan has been published today – but leading public health experts have slammed it for failing to include key policies to reduce alcohol harm, despite record-high levels of alcohol-related illness and death contributing to NHS pressures | AHA, UK

Collective Voice responds to the 10-year health plan

Positive principles, but health is about more than the NHS: Collective Voice offers a cautious welcome to the Government’s 10-year health plan | Collective Voice, UK

The sale of illegal cigarettes signals a deeper problem with UK high streets

It's pitch black and we're crawling along a secret underground tunnel beneath a high street in Hull. We pass rotting beams propped up precariously by stacked breeze blocks. A rusty car jack is helping prevent the shop floor above from falling in | BBC, UK

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