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Weekly news - 22nd May 2026

 

In date order, Monday to Friday

Drug-Related and Drug Misuse Deaths 2014-2024 [Northern Ireland]

There were 251 drug-related deaths registered in 2024, 219 (87.3 per cent) of which fell within the definition of drug misuse. Like previous years, males accounted for more than two-thirds of drug-related deaths in 2024. The 35-44 age group had the highest age-specific drug-related and drug misuse mortality rates. Opioids was the most mentioned drug group. Benzodiazepines (which include drugs such as temazepam and diazepam) were the next most common group. Pregabalin was the specific drug mentioned most often, appearing on the death certificates of 101 (40.2%) of drug related deaths | NISRA, UK

Press release: Government to transform mental health care with new strategy

New mental health strategy will transform care in England and drive shift from crisis intervention to preventative care | DHSC, UK

Open call for evidence: Informing the mental health strategy for England

This call for evidence seeks to inform a new strategic cross-government approach to mental health under the 10 Year Health Plan for England. Frontline workers, clinicians and mental health experts are being invited to share their views on how to transform mental health care for children and adults in England. We welcome examples of good practice, from across the UK and internationally, and from across sectors | DHSC, UK

Calls to Tighten Rules Around Alcohol Sales on Delivery Apps - video

Delivery firms say they verify people's ages and avoid handing alcohol to those who seem drunk, but campaigners want stricter rules | BBC, UK

Support for London’s rough sleepers to be revisited after closure of capital's only homeless drug and alcohol clinic

LBC previously highlighted warnings that the loss London's only homeless detox clinic in March would "undoubtedly" lead to a loss of lives and increased pressure on A&E departments | LBC, UK

Early insights from a national scheme providing vaping devices for smoking cessation: A preliminary evaluation to inform future return-on-investment modelling in England

[Open access] Swap to Stop is a government scheme to promote smoking cessation. Local authorities in England were given e-cigarette (vape) starter kits to provide alongside behavioural support in a wide range of settings. This study evaluated the scheme's success | Addiction, UK

More than 12,300 motorists caught drug-driving three or more times in the last 11 years

More than 12,300 drivers have been caught drug-driving on at least three separate occasions in the last 11 years – five times the number caught repeat drink-driving over the same period – new RAC analysis of DVLA data shows | RAC, UK

New High Street crime unit to target gangs fronting shops after BBC investigation

A new £30m High Street organised crime unit has been announced by the government after the BBC's year-long investigative reporting into illegal mini-marts, vape shops and barbers. Over 12 months BBC News exposed drug gangs, child sexual exploitation reports, money laundering, immigration crime and ghost directors linked to shop fronts selling illegal cigarettes and illegal vapes | BBC, UK

Smoking attributable hospital admissions and deaths

There were an estimated 1,107 smoking-attributable hospital admissions per 100,000 population (38,675 admissions). This is a 36% decrease since 2008 (1,735 per 100,000). Men had a higher rate of admissions (1,224 per 100,000) than women (1,006 per 100,000). As measured by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), those living in the 20% most deprived areas had a rate of admissions (2,247 per 100,000) 4.4 times higher compared to those living in the 20% least deprived areas (505 per 100,000) | PHS, UK

Local commissioning of pharmacy smoking cessation in England will improve, says LGA

The Local Government Association has said it expects commissioning of pharmacy smoking cessation services by councils in England to improve over the next year following Labour’s commitment to ringfence funding as part of a £4.4 billion public health grant for local authorities | Pharmacy Magazine, UK

Bigger Canisters, Bigger Harms: How the UK’s Nitrous Oxide Ban Backfired

Walking the streets of London on a Saturday or Sunday morning, it would almost be impossible to miss the discarded silver canisters of nitrous oxide littering the streets, remnants of the previous night. From Shoreditch to Dalston to Brixton, “NOS”, as it is commonly known, has become almost synonymous with the city’s nightlife scene | Talking Drugs, UK

Process evaluation of Combating Drugs Partnerships

Findings from a process evaluation of Combating Drugs Partnerships, exploring local delivery of the national drug strategy through a whole system approach | Home Office, UK

At least 80% responsibility for ill health in old age down to individual, study says

The report, launched at the Smart Ageing Summit in Oxford last week, argues that individuals have far greater control over their longevity than is commonly understood. The authors call on the government to take legislative action on alcohol comparable to restrictions on smoking | Guardian, UK

Scottish Government urged to act on ‘alarmingly high’ smoking death figures

Health campaigners called for greater investment in stopping smoking as “alarmingly high” figures on deaths and hospital admissions attributed to tobacco use were published | STV News, UK

Characteristics of deaths due to drug-related causes among individuals recently released from prison in the United Kingdom, 1997–2025

[Open access] There has been an extensive literature describing the elevated risk of drug-related death following an individual's release from prison; however, few previous studies have reported nationally representative samples or provided granular detail as to which individual drugs were deemed implicated in death. We aimed to determine the (1) case characteristics, (2) circumstances of death and (3) type of implicated drugs among individuals recently released from prison... | Addiction, UK

New EUDA miniguide highlights need for integrated care for people with dual disorders

Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (‘dual disorders’) are a key concern for policy and service planning in Europe, prompting calls for more integrated and coordinated care systems. This is according to a new European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) miniguide released today, which explores how European countries are responding to the challenge | EUDA, Portugal