Home | Archive | Weekly | Reports

Weekly news - 13th March 2026

In date order, Monday to Friday

Substance use and addictive behaviours Initial findings from the Millennium Cohort Study at Age 23 (PDF)

This briefing examines a range of substance uses and addictive behaviours among participants in the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a UK nationally representative cohort tracking the lives of over 19,000 individuals who were born around the millennium. It focuses on young people’s experiences at age 23, where a total of 9,675 took part in the survey | UCL, UK

Government "Swap to stop" scheme sees approximately 125,000 more people using vapes to try and quit smoking cigarettes

New research from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit in Addictions at King’s College London and University College London has found that the introduction of the Government’s Swap to Stop scheme resulted in a significant increase in the number of people using vapes (also known as e-cigarettes) to help quit cigarette smoking | KCL, UK

Man dies outside UK's first drug consumption room in Glasgow

Police sealed off the entrance to The Thistle on Hunter Street after the death was reported at about 10:20 on Sunday morning. The force said that inquiries were ongoing but there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances and a report would be sent to the procurator fiscal | BBC, UK

From Scotland, pros and cons from the patient's point of view of monthly buprenorphine injections versus daily doses of methadone or non-injectable buprenorphine. The injections were "overwhelmingly seen as a 'game changer', having a positive impact" | DADR, UK

Does illicit drug use increase stroke risk? A systematic review, meta-analyses, and Mendelian randomization analysis

[Open access] The recreational drugs cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines significantly increase the risk of stroke—including among younger users—Cambridge researchers have concluded after analyzing data from more than 100 million people | International Journal of Stroke, UK [See also Guardian article]

The Loop launches London's first drug checking service

The Loop Drug Checking Service, the charity which introduced drug checking in the UK, has launched London’s very first drug checking services. The Loop has brought its pioneering harm reduction service to Hackney and Camden, combining personalised health advice with rapid chemical analysis of substances of concern, and collecting information on current trends within local drug markets, to share with stakeholders and local communities | The Loop, UK

The costs of tackling drug harms in prisons (PDF)

In April 2025, approximately 40,000 people in prisons in England and Wales (50%) had an identified drug problem. Misuse of illicit drugs by people in prison creates or exacerbates risks to their health, well-being and personal safety. Between December 2022 and December 2024, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigated 833 deaths, of which 136 (16%) were drug-related. Conveyance, supply and use of illicit drugs also increase risks to the safety and stability of the prison regime. Availability of drugs inside prisons creates an illicit economy that can fuel debt, which can lead to assault, extortion or self-harm | NAO, UK

Black people up to 48 times more likely to be stopped and searched in richest areas of London

Research found extreme disproportion in use of police power in districts such as Richmond-upon-Thames | Guardian, UK

Next phase of alcohol and drugs response

A new plan (PDF) to reduce deaths and harms caused by alcohol and drugs has been published. The joint Scottish Government and COSLA plan aims to improve collaboration between government and grassroots delivery with a locally-led, accountable system, guided by clear national direction and support. Backed by more than £160 million in 2026-27, the plan builds on the Scottish Government’s five-year National Mission on Drugs which ends in April. A key priority is to expand treatment standards to include alcohol and all drugs | Scottish Government, UK

Generational smoking ban for UK edges closer to reality

Ministers are set to gain new powers to control the flavours and substances in smoking products | Independent, UK

[Open access] Driven by longstanding social inequality, policy stagnation, and an increasingly toxic, adulterated, criminalised drug market, the UK has experienced sustained increases in mortality from alcohol and other drugs over the past decade. Despite the scale of this crisis, public health discourse frequently treats people who use substances as one homogenous group, obscuring structural drivers that concentrate harm within marginalised communities | IJDP, UK

Liverpool launches ketamine plan

Users trying ketamine for the first time in Liverpool are as young as 14, with action being taken now to prevent escalation. Liverpool Council has launched a new action plan to tackle ketamine-related harms across the city, focusing on prevention, early intervention, and supporting families and young people | Birkenhead News, UK

Girl, 14, needs incontinence pads after using ketamine

A 14 year-old pupil has been forced to wear incontinence pads to class after ketamine use damaged her bladder, a school worker has told the BBC | BBC, UK

The 'powerful new tool' being offered to help people in Wales stop smoking

Smokers in Wales are being offered a "powerful new tool" to help them quit the habit. A new Public Health Wales app will offer "free, bilingual and personalised support" to help people quit for good | North Wales Live, UK

Ketamine in Europe: EMPACT situation report

This publication presents a consolidated EU-level assessment of ketamine trafficking and related emerging risks, developed under Operational Action 1.5 of the 2024–2025 EMPACT Synthetic Drugs and New Psychoactive Substances action plan. Drawing on contributions from 32 countries, complemented by expert discussions and EUDA monitoring activities, the report provides an evidence-based overview of ketamine’s availability, supply patterns, non-medical use and associated security concerns across Europe | EUDA, Portugal

ACMD work programme 2026

Letter to the the Minister for Policing and Crime from the Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) discussing the ACMD work programme for 2026 | ACMD, UK

Over a Million Quit Smoking in 2025, as Health Charities Urge Smokers to Join the Smokefree Generation

New figures released to mark National No Smoking Day (11 March) shows that more than one million people in Great Britain quit smoking in 2025. Analysis from UCL’s Smoking Toolkit Study found that, among people in Great Britain who reported smoking in the past year, 35% tried to stop, and of those, 29% quit successfully– equivalent to more than a million people across the country. Separate YouGov polling for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows the appetite to quit is already strong: 53% of smokers say they want to stop, including 22% who “REALLY want to stop” | ASH, UK

Drugs: Departmental Responsibilities

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she can list the (a) Ministerial responsibilities and (b) the responsibilities and reporting arrangements of any relevant cross-departmental units in relation to drugs policy | They work for you, UK

Swap to Stop smoking programme extended for another year

The service, available over a period of 12 weeks, is delivered by trained members of staff who provide support and weekly 'check in' sessions at local community venues to help people on their quitting journey. And in the first 3 quarters of this financial year, 279 people in Wolverhampton have successfully quit with support from Swap to Stop | City of Wolverhampton Council, UK

Rise in children and teenagers being sold vapes illegally in shops, ITV News investigation finds - video

Trading Standards have warned fines for shops selling to under-18s are not tough enough and are even factored into business costs | ITV, UK

Ketamine - EDM (Early Day Motion)2943: tabled on 11 March 2026

Motion text: That this House notes with concern the increased problematic use of ketamine, particularly among young people; further notes that its severe impacts can include cognitive impairment, psychological difficulties and physical damage to the bladder, kidneys and urinary tract, leading to dependency and contributing to deaths; recognises that those affected may require incontinence pads or surgery; pays tribute to those providing peer-support in friendly, safe groups free from stigma... | UK Parliament, UK

Extend Studio