DrugWise Daily |
3rd October 2025 |
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UK news
Unions urge UK theatres to limit at-seat alcohol sales as staff face ‘unacceptable abuse’
Rowdy audience members have disrupted performances with heckling, violence and even copulation in the stalls | Guardian, UK
Alcohol-specific Deaths
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that alcohol-specific deaths in Scotland remain above 1,000 for the 12th year in a row | They work for you, UK
Drugs consumption room may need to open overnight to keep up with demand from users of 'moreish' cocaine
Dr Saket Priyadarshi, Associate Medical Director and Senior Medical Officer at Glasgow Alcohol and Drug Recovery Services, said the prevalence of cocaine had been a ‘surprise’ | Mail Online, UK
Barney ad banned for ‘encouraging underage drinking’
An advert by a Manchester bar that showed Barney the Dinosaur alongside the phrase “T-wrecked” has been banned for encouraging irresponsible and underage drinking | Independent, UK
Co Occurring Mental Health Alcohol and Drugs (COMHAD)A National Overview - webinar
Thu, 6 Nov 2025 10:00 - 16:00 GMT. Learn about the latest national policies and research on co-occurring mental health, alcohol, and drug issues at our online event COMHAD. Speakers include Clare Murdoch, Dr Owen Bowden Jones, author of the CoSum report, Will Side – policy lead from the Department of Health, Speakers from NCISH and our very own Liz Hughes | Progress and NHS Futures, UK
Co Occurring Mental Health Alcohol and Drug Use (COMHAD) Best Practic - webinar
Nov 12 · 10:00 GMT. Learn about the best practices for addressing mental health, alcohol, and drug use issues that occur simultaneously in this online event. Join us as guests and members of Progress talk about Naloxone, Assist Lite, Chemsex, Ketamine, Family work and more…| Progress and NHS Futures, UK
Woman admits drugs charge linked to girl's death
A 21-year-old woman has admitted supplying ecstasy to a schoolgirl who died after after collapsing at the Belsonic music festival in Belfast more than two years ago | BBC, UK
New drug needle bins installed to tackle littering
Peterborough City Council said it worked with organisations including Cambridgeshire Police, the drugs support group Aspire and local campaigners to tackle the littering and was confident that the new bins would help keep communities safe | BBC, UK
Trio ordered to pay compensation to Dogs Against Drugs for supplying illegal substances
Sheriff Cruickshank said he would consider a “liberal” interpretation of the law and force each to pay compensation to charity Dogs Against Drugs. This was considering each had potential to contribute to the community | Shetland Times, UK
Duvet covers used to bag up suspected cannabis
In a bid to dismantle "the grow", officers ran out of "extra large evidence bags" and had to "borrow the suspects' duvet covers" in order to recover all of the 225 plants, police said in a social media post | BBC, UK
International news
British tourist faces death penalty after being arrested for drug smuggling in Thailand
Thai police allege George Wilson, 23, received suitcase containing narcotics from another Briton to deliver it abroad | Independent, UK
Trump officials push claim that US in ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
Administration attempts to justify strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats by claiming US under ‘armed attack’ | Guardian, UK
Let’s talk e-cigarettes, September 2025, episode 45
In the September podcast Ryan Courtney talks about his recent randomised controlled trial looking at vaporised nicotine products (VNP, e-cigarettes) compared to nicotine replacement therapy (gum/ lozenges) for smoking cessation among people experiencing social disadvantage. This study was funded by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and included 1045 people at the start of the study with 866 people completing follow up | University of Oxford, UK
From bank robber to scholar: the Knoxville dropout fighting to change how we see addiction – podcast
Kirsten Smith was 19 when she first tried heroin; within a few years she was in prison. She says she willingly made bad choices and wants society to stop treating addiction as a disease | Guardian, UK
What is zebra striping and why are more Irish people choosing to drink in moderation?
A growing number of Irish people are turning away from regular alcohol consumption, but what are the creative ways in which people are reshaping drinking habits? | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Delayed ‘vape tax’ to be brought in from November 1
A new tax on vape liquid will take effect from November 1, it has been confirmed. The tax, which was announced last year as part of Budget 2025, had been subject to delays in order to give the industry time to prepare for its introduction | Irish Independent, UK
Addressing pressing health challenges at the 2025 CND Thematic Discussions
“The world drug problem is growing, becoming more sophisticated, more unpredictable, and more harmful… If we are to meet these challenges, our responses must be guided by science, grounded in evidence, and supported by international action,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in her opening remarks to the 2025 thematic discussions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs | UNODC, Austria
The evolving burden of drug use disorders: a comprehensive epidemiological analysis from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease study
[Open access] Drug use disorders (DUDs) pose a substantial global health burden, yet comprehensive analyses of their epidemiological trends, sociodemographic drivers, and cross-national disparities remain limited. Leveraging data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study, we evaluated the global, regional, and national burden of DUDs from 1990 to 2021, focusing on opioids, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, and other substances | Frontiers in Psychiatry, USA
Stakeholders’ opportunities and attempts to influence drug policy in Sweden
[Open access] Drug policy is a polarized and value-laden policy area with divergent interests of stakeholders. Through a Swedish case study, this article examines stakeholders’ strategies to influence drug policy, and perceptions of their own and others’ opportunities to influence drug policy—a topic that has not been systematically analyzed previously | DEPP, USA
Alcohol brands want a seat at fashion week. Here’s why
Collectable drops, collaborations and runway sponsorships are turning alcohol into lifestyle markers for a new generation of drinkers | Vogue, USA
Significant barriers to safe steroid discontinuation
Australians who use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are turning to online forums for advice on how to safely discontinue steroid-use, rather than seeking expert clinical support. New Griffith University research has delved into the practice of "post-cycle therapy" (PCT), a controversial process aimed at restoring the body's natural hormone balance after stopping steroid use | Medical Xpress, USA
Enhancing substance use detection in clinical notes with large language models
[Open access] Aided by artificial intelligence, computerised analysis of free-text notes in electronic health records at a Boston hospital achieved remarkable accuracy in identifying substance use among inpatients, even when this had not been formally documented by clinicians | DAD, USA
Montenegro Cracks Down on Transnational Cocaine Ring, Indicts Five
Montenegro has indicted five more suspects in Operation “General,” a transnational cocaine-smuggling network targeting South America, Europe, and Australia. The charges build on a January indictment against 20 others from the same network | OCCRP, USA
New “Fentanyl Poisonings” Act Would Target Social Media Sales, Again
In late September, Representatives Adam Gray (D-CA) and Gabe Evans (R-CO) introduced the “Combatting Fentanyl Poisonings Act of 2025.” It’s the latest proposal to capitalize on the term “poisoning” as distinct from “overdose,” and use the concept to funnel money to law enforcement. The Act is currently in the House Committee on the Judiciary | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Invisible in A&E: What Jack’s Story Teaches Us About Ketamine Stigma
When working with ketamine clients, one aspect of care that stands out for me is the lack of knowledge and increased stigma that occurs. I feel this comes from a lack of experience and awareness around ketamine. The clients we see today are very different from the ones we have cared for over the last 2 decades | AntiStigma Network blog, UK
Making the case for regulating alcohol marketing in Scotland: A recent review of the evidence and next steps
A recent rapid review of evidence on alcohol marketing and advertising by Public Health Scotland has found that such marketing is pervasive and persuasive, and exposure to ads drives alcohol-related harm, including in children and young people | IAS blog, UK
Venezuela and US edge toward war footing − but domestic concerns, international risks may hold Washington back
For many in Venezuela, the question is no longer whether tensions with Washington will reach a boiling point – they already have. Rather, the big unknown now is whether the U.S. will follow up on threats and the sinking of drug boats with something more drastic: direct military engagement or even regime change | Conversation, Brazil