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Weekly news - 19th September 2025 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
Press release: UK invests in next generation of research talent to tackle drug and alcohol addiction
People experiencing addiction will have a ramped-up support system as UK government tackles the country’s critical shortage of world-class researchers in addiction healthcare | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Lord Vallance, UK
Guidance - Supplying take home naloxone without a prescription
A guide to the legislation enabling drug services and others to supply take home naloxone without a prescription to save a life in an emergency. Updated: Added information and resources to the 'Training' section | DHSC, UK
Patterns of recreational substance use, help seeking and harm reduction among UK music festival attendees
Substance use at UK music festivals presents a significant public health challenge, with evolving patterns of drug use, associated risk behaviours, and harm reduction practices among attendees | Drug Science, UK
Healthcare professionals’ experiences in preparing patients for elective alcohol detoxification – a service-level qualitative case-study
Services for individuals severely physically dependent on alcohol, wishing to undergo detoxification are limited. This is partly due to a lack of evidence surrounding safe alcohol reduction advice. The objectives of this research were to summarize the practices from an elective alcohol detoxification service provided by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB) (Birmingham, United Kingdom) aimed at preparing high-risk individuals for detoxification | Journal of Addictive Diseases, UK [See also - New study reveals strategies for safe alcohol detoxification | University of South Wales, UK]
Thousands of opioid deaths missed off official figures
More than 13,000 heroin and opioid deaths have been missed off official statistics in England and Wales, raising concerns about the impact on the government's approach to tackling addiction | BBC, UK
Mobile drug consumption units could be introduced in Scotland
A report into Glasgow drug consumption facility The Thistle - which opened for a three-year pilot at the start of 2025 - raised the possibility of additional alternative models being considered. The document by the Scottish Affairs Committee found smaller mobile facilities - like those used in Portugal and the Netherlands - could be more cost-effective, while reaching a greater number of drug users | BBC, UK
Interventions to reduce harms from cocaine
There is a trend of increasing drug deaths and cocaine harms in Scotland. The most severe consequences of cocaine use include dependence, overdose and death, but harms also include increased risk behaviours, wounds and infections as well as deteriorating mental and physical health and social exclusion. We undertook a scoping review to map published and unpublished review-level evidence to help understand what is known and not known about interventions to reduce harms associated with cocaine use | Public Health Scotland, UK
Crack cocaine warning after man dies in spate of 'drug incidents'
Glasgow's health board has warned drug users against inhaling crack cocaine following a series of suspected drug incidents. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the drug could be very strong or cut with other dangerous substances | BBC, UK
Open call for evidence: Cannabis-based products for medicinal use
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is currently reviewing the impact of the 2018 changes to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 which included cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs). CBPMs are cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans, which have not been assessed by the medicines regulator. The review will: consider whether the legislation had the intended impact / identify unintended consequences / make recommendations on how to mitigate unintended consequences. The call is intended for: healthcare professionals / researchers and academics / importers and manufacturers / individuals with lived or living experience / patients and families of patients / regulatory and enforcement bodies | ACMD, UK
Evaluation of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) in community drug and alcohol treatment services
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), part of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) commissioned RAND Europe, Figure 8 and King's College London to conduct an evaluation of the scale-up of IPS in drug and alcohol treatment in England. The aim of this study is to evaluate the implementation and delivery of IPS at a national scale and to inform service improvement, drawing on learnings and knowledge of good practice from more experienced IPS teams | RAND, UK
Residents in Edinburgh to be asked opinions on city centre drugs consumption room with public consultation
Public consultation on plans for a new safe drug consumption room in Edinburgh is set to get underway in early 2026, according to a report for city health bosses | Edinburgh Evening News, UK
Alcohol-induced deaths in the United States across age, race, gender, geography, and the COVID-19 pandemic
[Open access] We analyze alcohol-induced deaths by race, gender, age and geography on a yearly (1999–2024) and monthly (2018–2024) basis, using data from the National Vital Statistics System. Crude rates for alcohol-induced deaths increased by 89% from 1999 to 2024. The largest relative increase occurred among females aged 25–34, with a 255% increase, and males aged 25–34, with a 188% increase | PLOS Global Public Health, USA