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Weekly news - 8th May 2026

 

In date order, Monday to Friday

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill - Frequently asked questions

This page provides responses to frequently asked questions about government plans to ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 to create a smokefree generation | ASH, UK

Addiction & Drugs - Biannual public opinion trackers

Explore the latest public opinion about Addiction & Drugs with these newly updated trackers | YouGov, UK

How easy or difficult do you think it would be for you to purchase cannabis, if you wanted to?

Survey conducted on 23 April 2026 on 5355 GB adults | YouGov, UK

What do people with experience of alcohol dependence think about alcohol pricing policy?

This briefing note reports on findings from a study evaluating alcohol pricing policies in Great Britain. These include Scotland’s minimum unit pricing (MUP) policy - originally introduced in 2018 and subsequently increased in 2024 - and reforms and increases to alcohol taxes introduced across the UK in 2023. The research aimed to find out what people with experience of alcohol dependency think about alcohol pricing policies and their perceived impacts, as well as exploring the other policy options they would recommend | SARG et al, UK

Context, mechanisms and outcomes of a social enterprise model of residential rehabilitation for problem substance use: A realist-informed process evaluation

[Open access] Meaningful work was seen as the key to successful recovery in a therapeutic community in Scotland. It could work, especially for those best placed to benefit, but by minimising the role of psychosocial support the project may have consigned its most needy residents to failure, two of whom (out of nine in the study) nearly died due to post-drop-out overdoses | Addiction, UK

Trading Standards ‘ready to enforce smoke-free future’ as Tobacco and Vapes Bill becomes law

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has welcomed the passing of the Bill, having played a central and sustained role in supporting its development from the outset | Talking Retail, UK

Five arrested after contaminated drug overdoses

Humberside Police said they had received reports on Thursday and Friday of four people becoming unwell after taking what are thought to be contaminated drugs. All four remain in hospital | BBC, UK

Cannabis Microdosing More Common Than Psychedelics Among US Adults, National Survey Finds

Cannabis is the most commonly microdosed substance in the U.S., with about 9.4% of adults — roughly 24 million people — reporting lifetime use. More people reported microdosing for recreational reasons than for medical reasons. Cannabis microdosing was nearly twice as common as psilocybin, LSD or MDMA, challenging the perception that microdosing is mainly a psychedelic practice | UC San Diego, USA

DDN May 2026

We all want to feel like we belong and for young people peer influence can be intense. This month’s cover story shows how supported accommodation – such as hostels and shared housing – can multiply risks, but also provide many opportunities. The challenge is where and how to intervene, and that’s not about trying to dismantle peer networks (unrealistic!) but about reshaping the places in which they operate – something we do have influence over. Can we create spaces where young people are not just supported to cope, but to move forward? | DDN, UK

Public Health Campaign to Raise Awareness of Drug Supply Contamination

Ethypharm has recently launched the “Gear has changed” public health campaign in April, calling for greater awareness around accidental overdoses caused by street drugs adulterated with lethal illicit substances such as nitazenes. The campaign involved several public health adverts published across Birmingham, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Glasgow and Blackpool – the five UK cities with the highest drug-related deaths per capita. These posters are targeting people actively consuming substances, new and experienced, and their friends, family and surrounding communities | Talking Drugs, UK

Is it true that … your lungs regenerate when you quit smoking?

Our lungs have evolved to heal from damage, but some smokers will suffer irreversible effects | Guardian, UK

Scotland's vape capital - what's behind the boom?

Sofy Saleem decided to shake up the stock in his Greenock hardware shop a couple of years ago. He still sells screws, nails and DIY products, but now he has a huge section dedicated to vaping. Initially, it started out as one small corner, but grew and grew. Now the majority of his sales come from vapes. It's all about "supply and demand", he said. He sees it as simply providing his customers with what they want | BBC, UK

Attempts to stop prison drone drug deliveries hampered by crumbling Victorian walls

Plans to install tougher netting and window grilles set back because walls cannot take extra weight, prison governors say | Guardian, UK

Do the Reasons People Drink Alcohol Aid Our Understanding of Sociodemographic Differences in Alcohol-Free and Low-Alcohol Consumption? A Path Analysis on a Cross-Sectional Study of Adult Alcohol Drinkers in Great Britain

In the UK, consumption of alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks is more prevalent among heavier drinkers and socially advantaged groups. If heavier drinkers are substituting alcoholic drinks with NoLo drinks, this could improve public health. However, socioeconomic differences in consumption could exacerbate alcohol-related health inequalities. Socioeconomic groups vary in their reasons for drinking alcohol, with less advantaged individuals more likely to drink to cope. This study examined whether alcohol drinking motives can help explain differences in NoLo consumption | Addiction, UK

Ryanair boss calls for ban on early-morning airport drinks as bad behaviour rises

Michael O’Leary says his airline has to divert one flight a day on average because of disruption from passengers | Guardian, UK

EAT rules rail worker’s drug test result was disability discrimination

An employment tribunal was wrong to dismiss a disability discrimination claim lodged by a rail worker who had been prescribed medical cannabis | Personnel Today, UK

HRB and Pobal report shows strong link between deprivation and addiction

The report, An Exploration of the Relationship Between Addiction Treatment and Geographic Deprivation, was produced by the Health Research Board (HRB) and Pobal on behalf of the Department of Health. It shows Ireland’s most disadvantaged* communities experience significantly higher levels of drug and alcohol treatment than affluent ones.Areas classified as very disadvantaged and disadvantaged represent 14% of Ireland’s population, and account for 35% of all treatment cases. By contrast, affluent areas represent 15% of the population, but account for only 8% of all treatment cases | HRB, Ireland

Association between gabapentinoid treatment, concurrent use with opioid or benzodiazepine and the risk of drug poisoning: A self-controlled case series study

Consumption of gabapentinoids has increased worldwide in recent years, and the association between its use and drug poisoning is of public health concern. This study aimed to investigate the association between gabapentinoid treatment and the risk of drug poisoning | PLOS Medicine, UK