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Weekly news - 23rd January 2026 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
The government’s response to the amendment to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) report on the evidence on the use and harms of xylazine, medetomidine and detomidine
This letter from Sarah Jones MP, Minister for Policing and Crime, provides responses to the ACMD's recommendations regarding the use and harms of xylazine, medetomidine and detomidine Sarah Jones MP | ACMD, UK
Dry January drives London's thirst for low and zero alcohol drinks
As Dry January gains momentum across the capital, Londoners are increasingly turning to low and zero alcohol drinks – and businesses are keen to meet the demand | BBC, UK
New campaign targets rising ketamine abuse
Dorset's 'Forget The Ket' campaign is shaped by people with lived experience of ketamine use. Liv first took drugs aged 11 but said she started taking harder substances when she went to university. "In just a few years I went from being an A-star student to being in hospital every week for seizures and overdoses...| BBC, UK
Children as young as 13 admit vaping, say NHS staff
Staff on a paediatric ward are highlighting the dangers of e-cigarettes after patients as young as 13 "openly admitted to vaping". Kettering General Hospital said the popularity of the habit is rising, even though it is illegal to sell nicotine vaping products to anyone under 18 | BBC, UK
The government's response to the ACMD review of the evidence on the use and harms of etomidate
Letter to the ACMD from Sarah Jones MP, Minister for Policing and Crime, responding to the ACMD recommendations on the use and harms of Etomidate | ACMD, UK
Drug Alert: Methoxetamine Found In Cocaine Samples
Surrey Combatting Drugs partnership have shared information received from OHID regarding potential high risk cocaine in circulation in the Hillingdon area. A large amount of white powder, originally thought to be cocaine was tested forensically, with results confirming that the substance contained no cocaine, but did contain Methoxetamine (MXE) commonly referred to as ‘mexxy’ | Forward Trust, UK
Naloxone: Public Consultation
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish a consultation on access to naloxone | They work for you, UK
National naloxone programme Scotland - Quarterly Monitoring Bulletin April to June (Q1) 2025/26
This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents information on the number of take-home naloxone kits issued by the National Naloxone Programme (NNP) in Scotland | PHS, UK
Public health evaluation of BBV opt-out testing in EDs in England, 33-month final report 2025
[From December] Data shows that over 7 million tests were undertaken for blood-borne viruses (BBV) in the 34 emergency departments over a 33-month period. There were 3,667 new Hepati-tis B (HBV) diagnoses, 831 new Hepatitis C (HCV) diagnoses and 719 new HIV diagnoses across the subset of 24 sites | UKHSA, UK
Continuing use of e-cigarettes after stopping smoking and relapse: Secondary analysis of a large randomised controlled trial
[Open access] Smokers quitting successfully with the help of e-cigarettes often continue vaping. It is not known whether this promotes or prevents relapse back to smoking. This study aimed to determine whether use of e-cigarettes after successful smoking cessation affects the probability of relapse later on | Addiction, UK
New Centre marks the future of drug and alcohol support in Hartlepool
A new Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre officially opens its doors in Hartlepool this week, welcoming patients, staff and partners into a modern, purpose-built space where high-quality drug and alcohol treatment will be delivered to give residents the best chance of recovery | Hartlepool Borough Council, UK
Treating ADHD, preventing harm: can medications help with non-core ADHD symptoms?
Research surrounding ADHD has been shifting to explore the broader impacts beyond the core clinical symptoms described in diagnostic manuals. A recent Mental Elf blog discussed the findings from an umbrella review highlighting the mental health, physical health, social and lifestyle risks that are associated with ADHD. The results suggest that ADHD may have far reaching adverse impacts across a variety of domains in life. This then raises the crucial question; could medication mitigate the impacts beyond core ADHD symptoms? Or more specifically, does pharmacological treatment of ADHD reduce the risks of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, accidental injuries, transport accidents and criminality? | Mental Elf blog, UK