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Weekly news - 6th November 2026 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
Free NHS app support to quit vaping launched as new sales restrictions enforced
People in Wales who want to stop vaping can now get free, evidence-based help to manage their cravings, cut down and plan their quit through a new app module launched by Public Health Wales. It comes as new laws extending restrictions on the sale and promotion of vaping and non-medicinal nicotine products take effect. The vaping module in the NHS Wales Help Me Quit app allows users to set goals, track their progress and tackle the habits that can make quitting vaping difficult | Public Health Wales, UK
Charity celebrates 40 years as 'a beacon of hope'
It took ex-punk metal drummer Alison 25 years to find her love of music again while managing her drug use. She was supported by the Bristol Drugs Project (BDP), established in 1986, which stuck by her through the good and bad days. The charity has since reached 40 years of service and within that time started an arts-based recovery scheme called Creative Communities | BBC, UK
Smokers offered free lung cancer screening
Dr Stefano Santini, clinical director for the lung cancer screening programme for the trust, said: "Lung cancer is often difficult to detect early, and many people do not realise anything is wrong until the disease is more advanced. That's why this programme is so important." | BBC, UK
DDN Magazine November 2026
A perspective from Ireland gives us fresh insight into diverting people away from the criminal justice system (page 6). What are the practicalities of implementing a health-led approach? How many ‘chances’ do we give people to engage with health services? How quickly can we join up people with screening and interventions? | DDN, UK
Forward Trust CEO to Take Part in London CEO Sleepout Following Personal Experience of Homelessness
The Forward Trust's Chief Executive, Mike Trace, will join this year's London CEO Sleepout this November, drawing on his own experience of homelessness to help raise awareness and funds for people facing some of society's toughest challenges | The Forward Trust, UK
Heart harm claims from study of just 17 vapers challenged by experts
Experts have challenged claims about vaping’s harm to the heart after a study involving just 17 vapers raised concerns about blood vessel function and fitness. Four researchers responding through the Science Media Centre questioned how far the findings could be taken, warning that the study could neither establish that vaping caused damage nor show it was as harmful as smoking | Clearing the air, UK
Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales: 2025 registrations
Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales from 1993 to 2025, by cause of death, sex, age and substances involved in the death | ONS, UK
Drug alerts: Fentanyl Found in Heroin Supply in Thurrock and Essex
Forward Trust has been made aware of reports that, since early October, some heroin supplies circulating in the Thurrock and Essex area have tested positive for fentanyl. This information has been verified through fentanyl testing strips and intelligence received by our Thurrock Drug and Alcohol Service. Several people have also reported that heroin currently in circulation appears stronger than usual and has caused them to feel unwell following use | The Forward Trust, UK
Find a Residential Rehab Centre
This new directory brings together residential rehab centres in England that accept publicly funded placements, so you can find out what they offer and learn more about your options. For information about how to access funded rehab, see the Rehab Access Guide | Open Houses, UK
Residential rehabilitation bed capacity in Scotland, August 2026
As at August 2026, the maximum residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation bed capacity in Scotland was 619 beds across 30 facilities. This is an increase of 45 beds (8%) compared with October 2025 (574 beds) | Scottish Government, UK
Drinkaware says increasing-risk drinking represents one of the UK’s biggest opportunities for prevention
Findings from the 2026 Drinkaware Monitor show that nearly one in five (18%) UK drinkers reported drinking at increasing-risk levels in the week prior to the survey | Drinkaware, UK
Smoking ban on school grounds and children’s play areas supported by 93% of polled Scots, as new report is published
A huge majority of people surveyed in Scotland support proposals to extend smoke-free spaces to outdoor areas mainly used by children such as school grounds and play areas, according to an opinion poll commissioned by ASH Scotland | ASH Scotland, UK
Cocaine overtakes heroin as leading cause of drug deaths in England and Wales
The number of deaths from cocaine use in England and Wales has nearly quadrupled in a decade, overtaking those attributed to heroin for the first time. Cocaine was linked to more than one in five drug poisoning deaths registered in 2025, more than any other single substance, with charities blaming its increased purity and availability. Meanwhile a record 115 ketamine-linked deaths were registered, almost twice as many as in 2024, according to Office for National Statistics data | BBC, UK
'Contaminated drugs' kill two inmates and harm others as prison goes into lockdown
Two inmates have died and multiple medical emergencies have occurred at HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire following a suspected bad batch of drugs | Independent, UK
High Returns. The Economic Impacts of UK Cocaine Regulation
This report evaluates the economic impacts of legalising and regulating cocaine for adult non-medical use in the UK from a Treasury perspective of income and spending. The report focuses on government tax and sales revenues under a proposed state retail monopoly | Transform, UK
People may have been getting high off cannabis almost 2,800 years ago, new study suggests
Archaeologists who led a dig at a monumental tomb in Siberia said they turned up evidence of the earliest known use of cannabis for psychoactive purposes | Independent, UK
What do Europeans think about drugs and drug policy? Survey results out on 12 November - First EUDA drug survey: key findings
The results of the first European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) Drug Survey will be released on 12 November, revealing public attitudes towards drugs and drug policy across Europe. Using the European Commission's Flash Eurobarometer methodology, the survey captured the views of the general population on drug-related problems and risks, drug availability and how society should respond | EUDA, Portugal
Afghanistan Opium Survey 2026: Cultivation, production and market analysis (PDF)
In 2026, the drugs ban in Afghanistan appears to be weakening. Although estimated cultivation remains well below pre-ban levels, it increased sharply from around 10,000 hectares in 2025 to more than 43,000 hectares in 2026. There are now 16 out of 34 provinces – five more than in the year before – that saw poppy cultivation. At 76 per cent of total area, cultivation continues to be concentrated in the North-East. Estimated national opium production increased from about 300 tons in 2025 to just under 1,500 tons in 2026 | UNODC, Austria