DrugWise Daily |
3rd August 2026 |
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UK news
Under the influence? Perspectives of alcohol in the parliamentary workplace among UK MPs and staff
This report looks behind the curtain to explore the prevalence, perceptions, and impact of alcohol-related harm among MPs and staff working both in Westminster and constituency offices. It also looks at what support is available in the parliamentary workplace for people experiencing challenges related to alcohol | IAS, UK
‘MPs have had their stomachs pumped’: concerns over ‘alcohol-soaked’ culture in Westminster
Alcohol is embedded in profession where long hours, loneliness and lobbying are the norm, report finds | Guardian, UK
Switching from chlordiazepoxide for the management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome
Guidance to help healthcare organisations affected by the supply shortage of a medication used to manage medically assisted alcohol withdrawal has been published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The group led by Professor Julia Sinclair Chair of the UK Alcohol Care Team Innovation and Optimisation Network ACTION brought together experts in the field to help organisations navigate some of the challenges posed when supply chains are disrupted, in an area where clear guidance is lacking | RCPSYCH, UK
The boy who gave drugs away for free
James Mawhinney is a Senior Social Worker in our Liverpool and St Helens service. Having spent many years working with young people and adults affected by the region's worsening ketamine crisis, he shares his insights with us - and explores what it can tell us about the future of drug use | Change Grow Live, UK
Concerns voiced over vapes restrictions plans
Scottish retailers fear that proposals to restrict tobacco, vaping and wider nicotine products across stores will simply drive up the illicit trade. The Scottish Government revealed plans last month to limit displays, packaging and the appearance of nicotine products in stores in a bid to “make them less appealing to young people”. It launched a public consultation on 10 July that will run for 12 weeks | Scottish Grocer, UK
SHAAP’s 20th anniversary: lessons from two decades of alcohol policy reform - podcast
This year marks 20 years since the founding of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP), and we sat down with chair Dr Alastair MacGilchrist and founding member Dr Lesley Graham to trace its history – from spotting Scotland’s alcohol death rate spiralling in the early 2000s, to becoming a driving clinical voice behind the world’s first minimum unit pricing law | IAS, UK
Navigating the promise and risks of industry-funded partnership
Monday 7 September • 12:45 PM - 2 PM GMT+1. Online. The third seminar of the 2026 Alcohol Occasionals will be delivered by Abbie Irving (University of Edinburgh). It will focus on research conducted during Abbie's PhD which examined local CAP partners' participation in CAP and their views on the significance of its alcohol industry funding | SHAAP, UK
Man, 25, died at Royal Welsh showground after suspected drug overdose
A man who was found dead on the weekend before Wales' biggest annual agricultural festival died from a suspected drug overdose, an inquest opening has heard | BBC, UK
The final hit: Is Glasgow’s 25-year gruesome gangland feud finally over?
The double assassination of two Scots in the Costa del Sol may have ended the war between the Lyons and the Daniels – but the crimes haven’t gone away | Guardian, UK
International news
Controlled breathing and heart rate variability biofeedback for substance use-related outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
[Open access] Across all relevant studies controlled-breathing interventions have reduced craving, though whether this would translate into better substance use outcomes is unknown. In their favour is low cost and accessibility | Addiction, UK
‘Free up the ganja’: Rastafarians in Kenya fight to decriminalise marijuana
Marijuana plays a sacred role among Rastafari followers and they say criminalising it violates their rights | Guardian, UK
Marijuana brand launches ‘senior-targeted’ cannabis kiosk at retirement community
The kiosk will feature large buttons and a simple ordering process for easy navigation | Independent, UK
Nicotine levels are rising among teens who vape, new study warns
Vape devices are flooding teens' bodies with increasingly heavy doses of addictive nicotine, a new study finds. Average urine levels of a key nicotine metabolite, cotinine, nearly tripled among teenagers over a period of a few months in late 2024, researchers report in JAMA Psychiatry | Medical Xpress, USA
Can a low-cost, over-the-counter supplement help treat co-occurring PTSD and alcohol use disorder?
Despite the common co-occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder, no medications have been approved to effectively treat both conditions. This study tested whether an over-the-counter supplement could serve as an adjunctive “medication” to reduce PTSD symptoms and alcohol use alongside therapy | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Study showing quality-of-life gains in patients receiving extended-release naltrexone limited by high drop-out
Extended-release naltrexone is a helpful, FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder, but research is needed to examine impacts on quality-of-life beyond opioid use. This study examined changes in quality-of-life among patients with opioid use disorder during 1 year of extended-release naltrexone treatment and 1 year later | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Annie thought perimenopause symptoms were keeping her awake. Alcohol was playing a role too
Hot flushes, anxiety, poor sleep and mood swings are common during perimenopause. But the very thing Annie was using to manage her symptoms had become an even bigger problem | Guardian, UK
The inability to deliver the changes Indigenous Australians need is no longer just a moral failure but a civilisational one
After the rejection of the voice, the conversation about structural reform of the federal arrangements governing Aboriginal affairs must resume | Guardian opinion, UK
Will a new ‘Good Samaritan’ law really reduce drug overdose fatalities?
Roughly three New Zealanders die from accidental overdoses every week – that’s 1,295 people since 2016. Some of those lives might potentially have been saved, however, had help arrived sooner – and people were less afraid to dial 111 in a drug emergency. That’s the reasoning behind Green MP Kahurangi Carter’s “Good Samaritan” member’s bill, which has just finished hearings before the Health Select Committee | Conversation, New Zealand