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Weekly news - 2nd April 2026

 

In date order, Monday to Friday

Why is this Yorkshire town the ketamine capital of Britain?

Barnsley is at the centre of soaring UK ketamine health problems, but nobody seems to be able to fully explain why. Fergal Kinney talked to some people with some answers | The Face, UK

‘Definitely dodgy’: how to spot a fake vape

Examining the packaging is key to avoiding illegal and potentially harmful devices, as millions are seized each year | Guardian, UK

Jack McConnell: The smoking ban made Holyrood grow up

Thursday marked 20 years since Scotland’s indoor smoking ban was brought in under Jack McConnell’s Scottish Labour government. In that time, smoking rates have plummeted by almost half while health conditions exacerbated by smoking – like strokes and asthma attacks – have come down. But the former Labour first minister wasn’t always a devotee of the policy | STV News, UK

Woman calls for tougher restrictions on food delivery apps after late sister's spending on alcohol

A woman from Lincoln is calling for tougher restrictions on delivery apps after discovering her late sister was spending up to £1,500 a month getting alcohol delivered to her door | ITV, UK

'I nearly broke trying to help my partner with addiction issues'

When Claire Harkin met her husband 11 years ago she didn't know he was hiding a secret that would tear her world apart. For years Michael Harkin's life was consumed by a cocaine and alcohol addiction and he was spiralling out of control | BBC, UK

Expert reaction to qualitative risk assessment on the carcinogenicity of e-cigarettes

A risk assessment published in Carcinogenesis looks at the carcinogenicity of e-cigarettes. Here, a number of experts give their opinion on the study | Science Media Centre, UK

DDN April 2026

Our cover story this month challenges a familiar narrative – that knowledge and willpower are enough to keep people alive. They’re not. Too many drug deaths are happening because people are alone. Looking at why people might take drugs in isolation, I was struck by how relatable these reasons are – wanting control over the situation, avoiding judgment, not wanting to be seen, as well as the more obvious one of having nowhere else to go. But the problem with drugs is that when no one’s around to notice something going wrong, survival becomes a matter of chance | DDN, UK

Estimated prevalence of opioid dependence in Scotland

The estimated number of people with opioid dependence in Scotland was 43,400 (95% CrI: 42,000 to 45,400). This represents an estimated prevalence of 1.13% (95% CrI: 1.09% to 1.18%) of 15- to 69-year-olds | PHS, UK

National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times

10,863 referrals were made to community-based specialist drug and alcohol treatment services, a decrease of 10.9% from the previous quarter (12,195). Lower numbers of referrals in each quarter ending December reflect reduced service availability during the festive period | PHS, UK

‘Should never have been prescribed’: private UK cannabis clinics face call for tighter regulation

Family pushing for greater controls after inquest finds Oliver Robinson’s prescription was ‘obstacle’ to proper care | Guardian, UK

Mothers 'terrified' to seek help for alcohol abuse

Women struggling with alcohol issues in Blackpool have avoided getting help because they feared they might lose their children. One mum said she was "terrified" she would lose her kids if she asked for help, according to the 2024/5 Healthwatch Blackpool report, delivered to Blackpool Council's Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee | BBC, UK

Public asked for views on Edinburgh drug consumption room

Edinburgh residents have been invited to share their views on the potential opening of a safer drug consumption facility in the city centre | BBC, UK

Drug alert: Etonitazene found in Heroin in Canterbury area

Kent County Council have identified a heroin supply found to be containing etonitazene as a significant factor in one death and over ten overdose incidents in Canterbury between 11 and 12 March 2026 | Forward Trust, UK

What We Learned About England’s State-Funded Residential Rehab

Over the last decade, England’s residential rehab sector has been quietly shrinking. Rehab placements have fallen by almost 50%. At the same time, service quality and regulatory expectations have never been higher. Yet despite this increased scrutiny, very little is known about the true size, shape, or functioning of England’s state-funded rehab system. To help fill that gap, Phoenix Futures submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every local authority in England, asking for details of their budgets and expenditure on residential rehab over the past three year. What we received back offers one of the clearest pictures in years of how rehab is funded in England | Phoenix Futures, UK