DrugWise Daily |
19th August 2026 |
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UK news
Evidence and analysis on impact of drugs consumption room on drug deaths: FOI release
Information requested: 1. Could you supply any internal analysis or analysis seen by the Scottish Government on the impact of the drugs consumption room on drug deaths, from the last six months? 2. Neil Gray said on October 27 that the drugs consumption room has "demonstrably" saved lives - could you provide the evidence to back up this statement? | Scottish Government, UK
A different kind of justice — inside Scotland’s alcohol and drug problem-solving court
Scotland, and indeed Britain as a whole, is amid a penal crisis. Dr Robert McLean, criminal justice lecturer, Education and Social Sciences at the University of the West of Scotland, considers if it's time for an alternative approach | Law Society of Scotland, UK
End the delivery trap
Rapid delivery services bring alcohol to our doors within minutes, but at what cost? The rising harms caused by outdated regulations for alcohol delivery services cannot remain unchecked - it's time to take action to protect and save lives | Alcohol Change UK, UK
Medicinal cannabis growers call for change to package produce on island - video
The drug has to be exported to be turned into medicine rather than being processed in Jersey | ITV, UK
Waythrough CEO and Chair respond to the death of Professor Jason Arday
We are deeply saddened to hear about the death of Professor Jason Arday, having seen from a distance the horrible way this story unfolded | Waythrough, UK
Drugs worth £160m seized at same port in a month
On 28 June, Border Force officers discovered 477kg (1,040lb) of cocaine, with an estimated street value of £38m, concealed among pallets of bananas in a shipping container. Later the same day, officers seized a further 530kg (1,190lb) of cocaine worth about £47m from another container, the Home Office said | BBC, UK
International news
The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2026: A Situation Report
The fifth in our landmark series of reports, The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) 2026: A Situation Report covers developments and progress in harm reduction for tobacco from January 2025 to the early months of 2026 | GSTHR, UK
I was abused as a child – and thought I had healed. Then I began drinking in lockdown
Decades after being sexually abused, the author and doctor Frank Spinelli believed he had moved on emotionally. But alcohol destroyed his sense of security. He describes how he confronted his shame | Guardian, UK
Nigeria influencer arrested after seizure of cocaine worth $28m destined for the UK
A Nigerian social media influencer suspected of links to a global drug trafficking network has been arrested after the authorities seized cocaine worth nearly $28m (£21m) destined for the UK | BBC, UK
International Aid is Paying for Drug-Related Executions, Even as it Cuts Harm Reduction
On the surface, international aid seems like a noble cause.
International aid is defined as money administered with the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries as its main objective. But a new report called Aiding Executions?’, published in June by Harm Reduction International and the Institute for Journalism and Social Change, may challenge that definition | Talking Drugs, UK
Penn State frat house at center of cocaine trafficking ring revealed on TikTok hours after bust
State officials accused current and former Penn State students of packaging cocaine at fraternity houses and then selling it to their peers | Independent, UK
HSE detects high-risk cannabinoids in vape products sold in Ireland
The HSE has said it has identified high-risk cannabinoids in vapes, vape 'juice' and other products, like edibles, sold in shops and on the illicit market in Ireland. The identification is part of the HSE Drugs Early Warning System, through its National Drug Treatment Centre Laboratory in Dublin | HSE, Ireland
Can nicotine pouches drive Big Tobacco's future beyond cigarettes?
Fast-growing nicotine pouches have emerged as one of Big Tobacco's most important bets on a future beyond cigarettes, offering rapid growth, attractive margins and, for now, lighter regulation than many rival smoking alternatives | Reuters, USA
ASHES, Vol. 22(9) – Did you clock that?: Youth awareness of anti-tobacco campaigns
This week, ASHES reviews a study by Rime Jebai and colleagues that evaluated youth’s awareness of anti-tobacco campaigns and whether disparities existed among their sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviors | BASIS, USA
Cannabis use linked to earlier onset of psychosis
Cannabis users develop psychosis an average of two-and-a-half years earlier than nonusers, a new meta-analysis by UNSW Sydney researchers shows. This earlier onset of psychosis becomes more pronounced with age, stretching to a difference of more than six years between cannabis users and nonusers who develop psychosis in their 30s, according to the global analysis, published in Biological Psychiatry | Medical Xpress, USA
Gender gap in health care for female users of performance and image-enhancing drugs
A study of women who use performance- and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs), such as steroids and peptides, suggests health care has not kept pace, with most research on the topic focused on men | Medical Xpress, USA
New study to trial online CBT for people who use methamphetamine
An innovative therapy program for people who want to reduce their methamphetamine use will be trialled in a new study from the National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED) | UNSW, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Harry's blog 134: Filtering out lies and misinformation
The only major global journal focused on harm reduction has gone bust. Since 2017, Filter has advocated through journalism for rational and compassionate approaches to drug use, drug policy and human rights, while also standing out for its coverage of tobacco harm reduction. Its closure is a significant loss - particularly at a time when well-funded opponents of tobacco harm reduction continue to thrive | NSP blog, UK
Is the 'Lets-ban it' generation regulating away personal responsibility and choice?
The sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s is to be banned in England from April 2027. Disposable vapes have already been entirely banned and then there is the Government's plan for a smoke-free generation. When did banning things become Plan A for solving every problem? | LBC opinion, UK
‘Low carb’, ‘gluten-free’, with collagen or electrolytes: is it really possible for alcohol to be healthy?
Premixed drinks are ultra-processed products but their marketing claims create a ‘health halo’ that takes the focus away from the harms of alcohol, researchers say | Guardian, UK
Severe flooding raises deadly overdose risk in rural Appalachia, study finds – and the harm lasts for years
When she went to sleep on July 27, 2022, McKayla wasn’t worried about the storm that was raging outside her trailer in southeastern Kentucky. Intense storms came frequently in summer. While the creek in front of her home would often rise, water never came close enough to be a concern | Conversation, USA
Cannabis isn’t ‘safer’ in your 20s and 30s – it’s linked to an earlier onset of psychosis
People who use cannabis in their 20s and 30s are developing psychosis years earlier than non-users, according to our new study, published today in the journal Biological Psychiatry. This challenges the idea that delaying cannabis use until your mid-20s – when people believe their brain has finished developing – is a safer option to avoid the risks of psychosis | Conversation, Australia