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Weekly news - 12th June 2026

A BIG shout out to The Association of Police Controlled Drug Liaison Officers - APCDLO - who have renewed their sponsorship to DrugWise Daily. APCDLO have been supporting us for many years - thank you.

In date order, Monday to Friday

A Clear Way Forward: The Case for Better Alcohol Labelling

A Clear Way Forward represents the most comprehensive audit to date of alcohol labels in the UK and demonstrates why mandatory alcohol labelling is so needed. Looking at over 530 products, this analysis shows what information the alcohol industry prioritises, what information is missing or inconsistent between products, and where improved alcohol labelling could benefit consumers and the public | AHA, UK

The 2026 Tobacco and Vapes Act: on to the tobacco endgame

The goal of the tobacco endgame is that no one starts to smoke, that everyone who smokes is supported to quit and that reductions in consumption and profitability mean that the tobacco industry, which continues to be the main barrier to progress, ceases to be commercially viable | BMJ, UK

[Open access] In Devon in England, people in treatment for substance use problems were asked to imagine they were in an introductory support group which focused either on addiction as a biological vulnerability ('brain disease') or as a response to social stress. Brain-disease formulations would, they thought, lead to reduced expectations of recovery and a tendency not to try so hard to stop using | DAD, UK

Joining up services for people facing multiple disadvantage

Policy Lab worked with MHCLG's Changing Futures programme to shape services around the lived experience of people facing multiple disadvantage | Policy Lab, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and HM Treasury, UK

'I was a prisoner in my home': Drug gangs 'cuckooing' hundreds of homes a week, police warn

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people's homes are being taken over by criminals every week in the UK, usually to store and deal drugs, police chiefs have told the BBC | BBC, UK

Over 1.3m illegal vapes seized by UK councils in 2025

More than 1.3 million illegal vapes, e-liquids and e-cigarettes were seized by UK councils in 2025, with Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council confiscating the highest number at nearly 292,000 products | Convenience Store, UK

Challenges and successes implementing a skills-based preventative drug-use intervention early in secondary education

[Open access] Experiences of teachers and pupils at English schools while undertaking the unfamiliar task of implementing a substance use education package aiming to develop pupils' decision-making and social skills using interactive rather than didactic teaching methods | DEPP, UK

Illegal mini-marts to shut for up to 12 months under law change prompted by BBC

Illegal mini-marts, barbers and vape shops could be shut for up to a year under new powers announced by the government, following lengthy investigative reporting by BBC News into organised crime on British high streets | BBC, UK

#NoIDVape: A content analysis of illicit vape messaging in young people's information sources

[Open access] In recent years, the increased prevalence of youth vaping in the United Kingdom (UK) may have coincided with a proliferation in the use of ‘illicit’ (unregulated) vapes. Media or educational content about illicit vaping aimed at young people is scarce and poorly understood. This study aimed to systematically assess the content of both TikTok videos and educational resources relating to illicit vaping | Addiction, UK

Liverpool sees significant drop in young people smoking and vaping

The latest annual Youth Survey shows that regular smoking among 14–17-year-olds has fallen to an all-time low of just 1 per cent, with 93 per cent reporting they have never tried a cigarette. Vaping rates have also dropped from 38 per cent in 2023 to 20 per cent this year | Liverpool City Council, UK

National naloxone programme Scotland - Quarterly monitoring bulletin

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 (October to December 2025/26). 9,552 Take-Home Naloxone (THN) kits were issued in this period | PHS, UK

Circular 003/2026: drug precursor chemicals

The government is introducing changes to control a wider set of drug precursor chemicals (DPCs) in Great Britain, and to ensure that UK-wide criminal offences apply to a wider set of DPCs. This ensures that police forces can act against criminals involved in the import, export, manufacture or supply of potentially harmful DPCs which can be used to make illicit drugs | Home Office, UK

Circular 002/2026: orphines

This circular draws attention to temporary controls which are being placed on 7 orphines, which will come into force on 11 June 2026 | Home Office, UK

Contaminated cocaine and heroin batches cause alarm

The incidents in Somerset have prompted a call for a debate around whether there should be more widely available checking of drugs for contamination. Alison Bell, director of public health at Somerset Council, said "more harm" was being caused to drug users by the contaminated batches which was giving her "really significant concern" | BBC, UK

Starmer meets mum whose teen son died from ecstasy

A mother whose 18-year-old son died after taking ecstasy in an Ibiza nightclub has met with Sir Keir Starmer to raise more awareness of the danger of drugs | BBC, UK

Drug use among Somerset's young people 'becoming normalised' - audio

Somerset's director of public health says a national conversation is needed | BBC Sounds, UK

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