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Weekly news - 16th October 2026 |
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In date order, Monday to Friday
New addiction support for rough sleepers
A new NHS app has launched for people in Surrey who are rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness. The Rough Sleeping Service provides dedicated drug and alcohol addiction support by meeting people in the community, rather than expecting attendance at appointments. It has been created by i-access, Surrey's specialist drug and alcohol support service run by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with alcohol and drug charity, Via | BBC, UK
I’ll drink to that - offering alcohol-free beer on tap boosts pub choices while keeping revenues intact, new study shows
Simple changes to pub environments can encourage drinkers to choose alcohol-free options without harming profits, according to new research | University of York, UK
UK Drug Trends Intelligence - First edition - October 2026 - What is changing in the UK drug market and what services need to know.
This first edition brings together a national picture at a fixed publication cut-off. The report covers changes in the UK drug market, emerging substances and mixtures, prevalence, serious harms, treatment implications and practical responses. It also considers prices and supply, wastewater intelligence, young people, safeguarding, prisons, housing and sexual health settings | TD Research Lab / TD Consultancy, UK
Are Increases in Purchasing Alcohol-Free and Low-Alcohol Drinks Associated With Attempts to Cut Down on Alcohol Consumption in England? A Time Series Analysis
Alcohol-free and low-alcohol products may support people in reducing alcohol consumption, but their impact on public health is unclear. To address this gap, we analysed whether changes over time in the prevalence of households purchasing no/lo products were associated with at-risk drinkers reporting: (i) high motivation to cut down; (ii) cut down attempts; (iii) serious cut down attempts; and (iv) using no/lo products during attempts | DAR, UK
Alcohol allowed at seats for Scotland's World Cup play-off
Spectators will be able to consume alcohol at their seats when Scotland host the Czech Republic in the second leg of their Women's World Cup play-off in Paisley on Tuesday | BBC, UK
Midwives awarded £750k in compensation for dangerous exposure to nitrous oxide
The substance, known as laughing gas when used recreationally, forms the main element of gas and air, routinely used for labour pain relief. While safe for women giving birth, long-term exposure can trigger adverse side effects. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) stated that poor maternity unit ventilation and leaking gas lines exposed staff at Basildon University Hospital between 2021 and 2023 | Independent, UK
Tackling stigma - EDM (Early Day Motion)905: tabled on 12 October 2026
Motion text: That this House commends Drugs: It’s Complicated, the series of short films produced by Dr Adam Holland at the University of Bristol and funded by the Medical Research Council; welcomes this exemplary intervention as an effective contribution to understanding drug use and users, challenging prevalent negative stereotypes... | UK Parliament, UK
National Drugs Strategy 2026-2030 [Ireland]
Published yesterday - the National Drugs Strategy 2026-2030, The strategy Action plan, and the Government response to the recommendations of the recent Citizens' Assembly on Drug Use | Gov.ie, Ireland
Wastewater analysis: estimating drug consumption, 2021 to 2026
This report presents the latest findings from the Wastewater Analysis for Narcotics Detection (WAND) programme. It updates the 2021 to 2026 trend analysis for 6 key drugs: cocaine, ketamine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, and heroin. The trend analysis is based on samples from 16 English sites monitored consistently since 2021. Cocaine remained the most consumed of the 6 key drugs, while estimated ketamine consumption decreased by 11% between 2025 and 2026 after several years of sustained growth | Home Office, UK
Ketamine information sheet
This ketamine information briefing has been designed to raise awareness of ketamine-related harms among health professionals and to support with conversations that help people access the support they need | Public Health Scotland, UK
What Britain can learn from other countries about reducing drug deaths
The question is whether we are willing to examine approaches that challenge our assumptions about addiction | Big Issue, UK
National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2025 to 2026
Sets out the progress made between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 by national government, local government and third sector partners towards reducing drug deaths and improving the lives of those impacted by drugs in Scotland | Scottish Government, UK
City where 67,000 adults drink in excess and what is being done to change it
Liverpool City Council has approved a new five-year plan to curb binge drinking and alcohol-related harm after figures showed more than 67,000 adults in the city are estimated to drink to excess | BBC, UK
Smoking alters reproductive organs in both men and women, new study finds
Exposure to cigarette smoke could affect reproductive health, as new research identifies changes in biological processes involved in ovarian function and sperm production | University of Sheffield, UK