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Weekly news - 30th May 2025 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
Thousands could unknowingly have alcohol brain damage
Thousands of people with alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) could be going undiagnosed, an expert says. Research suggests consuming 35 units of alcohol per week for five years or more can cause ARBD, which affects a person's ability to carry out basic daily tasks | BBC, UK
Schools warn after pupils ill on Spice-laced vapes
Parents are being warned after a number of children were taken to hospital using vapes laced with the so-called zombie drug Spice | BBC, UK
'I don't know what we'll do' - Vapers panic-buy ahead of disposables ban
Cara Hallinan says she and many of her friends are feeling very nervous about the looming disposable vape ban | BBC, UK
The cannabis conundrum: a way forward for London (PDF)
Our comprehensive examination of the nature and effectiveness of UK cannabis law involved taking evidence from over 200 witnesses who brought significant knowledge and lived experience. Many are well-known, experts in their fields. We also considered a substantial amount of wider data and research. Collectively, this led us to the following position and principal recommendation, with several underpinning conclusions and associated further recommendations: The current law criminalises importation, exportation, production and supply of cannabis, with the possibility of severe associated punishments. It also criminalises cannabis possession and, in this, we find it not fit for purpose. The law therefore requires some modification | London Drugs Commission, UK
Mayor backs report's call for cannabis law reform
The possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal use should be decriminalised, a report backed by the London mayor has concluded | BBC, UK
Grieving mother urges others to avoid drugs abroad
The grieving mother of a woman who died after unknowingly taking a fatal mixture of drugs in Thailand has warned people to beware of buying drugs abroad | BBC, UK
National Drug Treatment Reporting System: 2024 drug treatment demand
The latest Health Research Board figures show 13,295 cases were treated for problem drug use in 2024. This is the highest annual number recorded to date and an increase of 191 cases compared to 2023. According to Drug treatment demand in Ireland 2024, cocaine remains Ireland’s most common drug treated (excluding alcohol), accounting for 40% (5,289 cases) of all drug treatment cases in 2024, a 7% increase on 4,923 cases in 2023. Cocaine is also the main problem drug for almost half of cases who are new to treatment. However, in 2024, cocaine also accounted for one in three previously treated cases, the highest number recorded to date and an indication of the changing profile of users and how prevalent cocaine use has become in society | HRB, Ireland
Understanding the impact of the Taliban drug ban: situational analysis of Afghanistan to inform EU policymakers
This paper analyses how drug production in Afghanistan has evolved under the current Taliban drug ban, with a particular focus on heroin and methamphetamine. Using satellite imagery, economic data, and other indicators, it documents shifts in the trade and processing of key substances like ephedra, ephedrine, methamphetamine, opium, morphine and heroin | EUDA, Portugal
EUDA launches annual activity report capturing key achievements in 2024
[Yesterday], the EUDA launches its first Consolidated Annual Activity Report, which captures its key achievements in 2024. This was a year unlike any other, which saw the official establishment of the EUDA on 2 July 2024, succeeding the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). This marked the start of a new mission to strengthen EU preparedness on drugs. The report reflects the agency’s activities in this transformational period across three core drivers: health, security and business | EUDA, Portugal
A whole-system response to drug prevention in the UK
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) was commissioned in July 2023 to provide advice on drug prevention for young people, supporting the 10-year national drugs strategy (‘From harm to hope’). This report includes recommendations on: a whole-system response to prevention of drug use and related harms, including actions for younger age groups / effective labelled interventions on prevention / the structural components of a robust drug prevention system | ACMD, UK
Councillors' guide to local authority public health responsibilities
This publication has been developed by the LGA for elected members as overarching guidance to help clarify the current public health grant conditions and mandated public health functions in local government. The guide includes information on the provision of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services | LGA, UK
Drug Education Forum Summer 2025
Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:30 - 17:00 BST. With 2 weeks to go and tickets running low, there is still time to register for the Summer Drug Education Forum event. We’re looking forward to hearing our keynote speaker, ACMD Chair Prof Owen Bowden-Jones, presenting the findings and recommendations from the ACMD Prevention Report, which has just been published. As usual, the event will also feature three short spotlights, featuring Prof Chris Pudney from Bath University sharing research on the prevalence of Spice in vapes, Morgan Moore from Winning Scotland speaking about the implementation of the Icelandic prevention model in Scotland, and Aimee O’Neill who will outline funding and research opportunities through NIHR | DEF, UK
France to ban smoking on beaches, parks and near schools
France will ban smoking in all outdoor places that can be frequented by children, health and family minister Catherine Vautrin has said | BBC, UK
Haribo recalls bags of sweets in Netherlands after cannabis found
Several people, including multiple members of one family, reported feeling unwell after eating from a 1kg pack of Haribo Happy Cola F!ZZ | BBC, UK