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Weekly news - 10th October 2025 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
One in four UK people fear a loved one drinks too much, survey finds
Poll of 2,000 people appears to underline experts’ concerns of growing ‘epidemic’ of addiction to alcohol or drugs | Guardian, UK
More Covid 'lockdown babies' damaged by alcohol
Women drinking more alcohol than usual during Covid pandemic lockdowns has led to more children starting school this September with a disease caused by mothers drinking in pregnancy, a paediatric consultant fears | BBC, UK
Inside Britain’s Cocaine Crisis: Why More People Than Ever Are Using the Drug – and the Deadly Cost
One writer who’s seen the tragic consequences of Britain’s sesh culture first-hand asks: why aren’t we talking about it? | Men's Health, UK
Cocaine carnage is coming to Britain: Budget blow has exploded beyond control
Unwitting beachgoers described the scene as “something out of a movie”. A motorised dinghy dramatically ran aground on the golden sands of a Cornish beach last September with police in hot pursuit. Three men made a stumbling attempt to scarper into the dunes before they were collared by officers, who had observed the gang dumping 20 water-tight bales of what they suspected to be cocaine into the Celtic Sea | New Statesman, UK
Green leader Zack Polanski backs legalisation of all drugs
The leader of the Green Party says he wants to legalise all drugs, calling for an approach "led by public health experts, not politicians". Speaking to BBC South East ahead of his party conference, Zack Polanski said he agreed with a Kent Green councillor, who earlier this year called for the legalisation of all drugs, including class A drugs like heroin and crack cocaine | BBC, UK
Shops pledge to stop selling super-strength booze
As part of its Reducing the Strength initiative, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is asking licence holders to stop selling beer, lager and cider above 6.5% alcohol strength. The move comes after a Stockton shop lost its licence due to selling cider to street drinkers in the early morning | BBC, UK
DDN October 2025
We have thought-provoking contributions on wellbeing in this issue – mental and physical – including our cover story (p6) in which the team demonstrate that addressing nutritional deficiency should be a regular part of harm reduction. It’s also clear that there’s much to learn in relating nutritional need to the body’s responses to specific substances. We’re likely to try to eat more healthily, take supplements, cut down on sugar, ‘bad’ fats and ultra-processed food – so why shouldn’t we do the same for clients? | DDN, UK
Open call for evidence: 10 Year Workforce Plan (closes 7th November 2025)
The government is seeking evidence and views primarily from healthcare organisations and those with expertise in workforce planning to inform the development of the 10 Year Workforce Plan. This plan will build on the 10 Year Health Plan to set out how we will deliver a new workforce model with staff who are aligned with the future direction of reform and have real hope for the future. Rather than a formal consultation on specific proposals, this call for evidence is an opportunity to provide views on the government’s plans for the next decade and to share examples and case studies. The government wants to hear from anyone with relevant evidence, including trade unions, royal colleges, employers, charities and those with expertise by experience. The call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 7 November 2025 | NHS, UK
Rise of the ‘silver snorters’: Is there a cocaine crisis among the elderly?
The number of old age ‘silver snorters’ who have ended up in hospital for cocaine use has skyrocketed by a third in just two years | Metro, UK
UK deaths of 1,611 homeless people in 2024 is record high
The Museum of Homelessness, which compiles the data, said that 1,611 homeless people died in 2024. The figure is 9% higher than the year before, with the majority of deaths being linked to suicide or drugs, with spice and nitazines becoming increasingly deadly | BBC, UK
One in three adults need alcohol to get on the dancefloor – but one group has less shame than others
The estimated lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer is 14 per cent, which increases to 22 per cent in those who drink two glasses of wine a day | Independent, UK
Taking stock: Counting the economic costs of alcohol harm
In this report we first use newly available data to dig deeper into the effects of alcohol harm on the UK workforce. We argue that alcohol has clear negative impacts on workforce productivity as a whole. Addressing alcohol harm should therefore be a core part of the UK’s industrial strategy | IPPR, UK
Drug Alert: Medetomidine Found in Heroin Samples (Essex and surrounding counties)
Essex Police have reported the presence of Medetomidine, a veterinary sedative, in heroin seized in June 2025. While this particular sample was not linked to an overdose death, Medetomidine has previously been identified in other drug-related deaths in the county, including a case in March 2025 where it was found alongside Nitazine and Xylazine | Forward Trust, UK
Press release - Crackdown on rogue traders selling vapes to children
The government has published a call for evidence to seek expert views on introducing new rules for retailers selling tobacco, vapes and nicotine products | DHSC, UK
WHO tobacco trends report: 1 in 5 adults still addicted to tobacco
The world is smoking less, but the tobacco epidemic is far from over. A new WHO global report shows the number of tobacco users has dropped from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024. Since 2010, the number of people using tobacco has dropped by 120 million – a 27% drop in relative terms. Yet, tobacco still hooks one in five adults worldwide, fuelling millions of preventable deaths every year | WHO, Switzerland
MSPs vote against legal right to addiction treatment
A bill that would have given people with drug and alcohol addictions the legal right to treatment has been rejected by the Scottish Parliament | BBC, UK
Press release - Cheers to Change: Red Tape Review Could Bring More Food, Music and Fun to Your Local
The Government is launching a fast-track review to tear up outdated licensing rules that have been holding back pubs, bars and local events and we want to hear from the people who know best: landlords, punters and communities | Department for Business and Trade, The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP, UK
NHS APA calls for urgent action to support people living with co-occurring conditions, this World Mental Health Day
This World Mental Health Day, the NHS Addictions Provider Alliance (NHS APA) is calling for urgent system-wide action to address persistent challenges faced by people experiencing co-occurring conditions, including insufficient access to integrated care. The NHS APA stresses that stigma remains the underlying barrier preventing people from accessing the joined-up, compassionate support | NHS APA, UK