DrugWise Daily |
10th August 2026 |
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UK news
Do you want to help advise the Government on issues relating to drug misuse?
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is a leading expert advisory non-departmental public body and seeking new members with a diverse range of backgrounds. ACMD has a statutory duty to keep drug misuse in the United Kingdom under review and advise the Government on measures to prevent misuse and associated health and social harms. Apply here. The closing date is 23:00 on Monday 14 September | ACMD, UK
Medics at ketamine clinic warn of drug's 'severe pain' effects
A Liverpool nurse who treats the health impacts of ketamine addiction says some young patients have told her they have considered taking their own lives because the pain is so unbearable | BBC, UK
How weight-loss medication is changing relationships with alcohol
When Lisa Rees took her first dose of weight-loss medication in April, she hoped she would end up losing a few kilograms. What she did not expect, though, was the side effect she has described as the drug's "best benefit": as well as eating less food, she has been drinking much less alcohol | BBC, UK
SNP told to prove Glasgow's controversial drugs consumption room a success - or shut it down
The Thistle, opened in 2005, is a trial facility aimed at reducing drug deaths in the city | Glasgow Live, UK
Why More Mothers and Pregnant Women Need Access to Residential Treatment
In September Phoenix's National Specialist Family Service based in Sheffield will be holding and Open Houses event. Rachael Clegg explains why more pregnant women and mothers need access to residential treatment | Phoenix Futures, UK
Overcoming barriers to employment: Blue Sky Services feature in landscaping trade press
Blue Sky Services, a social enterprise owned by The Forward Trust, has a double-page spread in the latest quarterly news round-up by the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) | Forward Trust, UK
Stoptober 2026
Stoptober is back with a new suite of resources to encourage people who smoke to make a quit attempt this October! With a whole calendar of both 'ready to use' and localisable resources, you will have the means to tailor this campaign to your specific audiences, from mid-September through to 1st November | DHSC, UK
School-aged outcomes after prenatal opioid exposure with Louise Marryat - podcast
In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr Louise Marryat, a senior research fellow at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. The interview covers Louise’s systematic review on prenatal opioid exposure, and health, social and educational outcomes for school-aged children | Addiction, UK
Busy pubs are ‘British life’, says No 10
Downing Street has vowed to stop councils restricting customers from standing in pubs or ordering at the bar, following criticism of Westminster City Council’s draft licensing policy | Morning Advertiser, UK
Diageo to nearly double Guinness production and cut jobs in turnaround plan
New CEO Dave Lewis lifts investors’ spirits by promising strategic overhaul worthy of his nickname ‘Drastic Dave’ | Guardian, UK
British men accused of trafficking teens to Thailand as drug couriers, court told
Cardiff Magistrates' Court heard on Friday that the men are accused of using two teenage boys as drug couriers, after the youths were allegedly caught carrying 64kg (141lb) of cannabis "concealed within their suitcases" while trying to travel back to the UK | BBC, UK
Dealer caught with £50k of cannabis and gummies
A driver who was arrested after a crash was found to have a "substantial quantity" of cannabis gummy sweets packaged like popular treats, police have said | BBC, UK
Shop closed after vapes allegedly sold to children
A shop accused of selling vapes to children and stocking products containing THC - the psychoactive element of cannabis - has been closed by trading standards officers | BBC, UK
International news
Prediction of individualised 6-month mortality risk in opioid use disorder
An online questionnaire helps identify opioid-using clients at the highest risk of death in the near future, enabling prioritisation of resources and possibly motivating feedback to the patient. The calculations are based on the fates of nearly a quarter of a million opioid users seen by addiction treatment services in England from 2013 to 2022. However, much of what was associated with risk of death remained unaccounted for, and services differed in the degree to which the calculations predicted risk | BJPsych, UK
Relative affordability of heated tobacco products and cigarettes: a cross-country comparative analysis of 55 countries
[Open access] Since their introduction in 2014, heated tobacco products (HTPs) have entered a growing number of countries. However, few studies have systematically compared their affordability with that of cigarettes or examined differences in access across income groups. This study assessed the affordability of HTPs relative to combustible cigarettes with a focus on socioeconomic disparities | Harm Reduction Journal, UK
Stefanie Gratale, Let's talk e-cigarettes, July 2026 - podcast
Associate Professor Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Associate Professor Nicola Lindson discuss the new evidence in e-cigarette research and interview Dr Stefanie Gratale, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy at the Rutgers School of Public Health and core member of the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine & Tobacco Studies (USA) | University of Oxford, UK
‘It Makes Everything Happen’: The Benefits of OPCs Beyond Overdose Prevention
2021 was a monumental year for harm reduction in the United States. In July, the country’s first bill legalising overdose prevention centres (OPCs) – often referred to in other parts of the world as drug consumption rooms – was passed in the state of Rhode Island and, in November, the first two city-sanctioned OPCs opened in New York City | Talking Drugs, UK
The benefits of ‘the ugliest color in the world’: A decade of evidence supports plain tobacco packaging
Twenty countries have implemented the measure based on dozens of studies and reports, but the industry insists there are negative economic consequences | El Pais, France
Psychedelics and the Female experience – Interview with Grace Blest-Hopley, PhD - audio
Women make up more than half of the population, yet they remain significantly underrepresented in psychedelic research. At ICPR 2026, we spoke with neuroscientist Grace Blest-Hopley about the gender gap in psychedelic science, the importance of studying menstrual cycles, pregnancy, menopause, and women’s mental health, and how the field can become more inclusive and scientifically rigorous | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Mental health workers may hold negative beliefs about people who misuse opioids
A new study from the University of Georgia suggests that mental health workers may hold the harshest views toward the very patient population they're supposed to help: people with opioid addiction | Medical Xpress, USA
Global surveys reveal little progress in tobacco risk awareness over two decades
Survey data from more than 240,000 adults reveal persistent gaps in awareness of tobacco-related cardiovascular and secondhand smoke risks despite decades of global prevention efforts | News Medical, USA
Sustained Availability of Dedicated High School Health Courses and Adolescent Substance Use
In California high schools, provision of a curriculum course focused on health for at least two consecutive years was associated with modestly less vaping, cannabis use, drinking and binge drinking among pupils, suggesting that "sustained, dedicated health coursework may be a scalable component of comprehensive adolescent substance use prevention" | JAMA Network Open, USA
The Impact of Various Tax Bases and Rates on Cannabis Consumption Among US Adults Who use Recreational Cannabis
[Open access] Just as with alcohol, in a legal cannabis market tax can be used to regulate consumption, but only if illegal suppliers can't easily step in instead. In the USA, "if the impacts of illegal markets are limited, policymakers can expect increasing cannabis prices using excise taxes to reduce both unit and THC consumption, while generating tax revenues" | Health Economics, USA
Impacts of Global Cannabis Policy Changes on Substance Use: A Systematic Review of Quasi-Experimental Studies
[Open access] Across the world legalisation of non-medical use of cannabis has been associated with increased use among adults, but impacts on drinking and smoking have been less consistent | Millbank Quarterly, USA
The Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Alcohol Craving, Efficacy, Emotion, and Cognitive Function in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial
[Open access] Compared to a non-active 'sham' procedure, across all relevant studies stimulating electrical activity in the brain using an external magnetic field has significantly reduced craving for alcohol among problem drinkers. Across the few studies to assess this, drinking has also been reduced | Brain and Behavior, USA
Psychedelics amplify brain connectivity through serotonin receptors, study suggests
Psychedelics like psilocybin (from magic mushrooms), LSD, DMT and mescaline profoundly alter how we perceive, feel and think. After decades of neglect, they are again the subject of serious scientific inquiry, largely because of their promise for treating depression, anxiety, addiction and other conditions. But this therapeutic promise has run ahead of a more basic understanding | Medical Xpress, USA
Ketamine triggers morning cortisol surge tied to fewer suicidal thoughts—but the link remains uncertain
In 1970, ketamine was approved as an anesthetic. It works by blocking receptors in the brain. Suicidal tendencies are among the dangers that accompany severe depression. Doctors have found that a low dose of ketamine, much lower than what is used for anesthesia, can quickly ease depression and suicidal thoughts. It often works within hours to a day, much faster than conventional antidepressants | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
New NHS figures highlight growing demand for liver transplants across the UK
NHS Blood and Transplant have today launched a report with the latest figures that show that hundreds of people across the UK are still waiting for the call that could save or transform their lives. But the report also highlights the incredible impact of organ donation, with hundreds of liver transplants taking place every year and strong survival rates for transplant recipients | Liver UK blog, UK