DrugWise Daily |
2nd October 2026 |
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UK news
Children and young people's alcohol and drug services: framework
This framework sets out guidance for designing, commissioning and providing alcohol and drug support for children and young people in England | DHSC, UK
Safeguarding children affected by a parent's alcohol or drug use
Updated guidance to reflect current safeguarding policy and programmes. It also focuses more on workforce expectations and ways of working, the effects of stigma and trauma, and pregnancy and the perinatal period. The page also now includes a self-assessment checklist to support commissioners and service providers to assess and improve current performance | DHSC, UK
Beer and wine in Wales costs more as minimum alcohol price rises by 30%
The minimum price of alcohol (MUP) in Wales has risen by 30%, to bring the rate in line with Scotland. Some people in Cardiff welcomed the change on Thursday, which means low-cost alcohol will now be more expensive to buy, while others feared it could impact a hospitality industry which is "already in a state of crisis". Alcohol Change UK supported the rise and said there would be "little or no change" for moderate drinkers, as the policy would not change the price of a pint | BBC, UK
Preliminary findings show that 1720 people - including 51 children - died while homeless in 2025
Independent research found that deaths rose 6.8% in 2025 vs the previous year. Over 30% of the deaths in 2025 were either on the streets or in rough sleeper’s accommodation. Bristol, Brighton and Hove, Edinburgh, Camden and Stirling had the five highest rates of reported deaths per 100,000 population across the UK. ‘Deaths of Despair’ caused by drugs, alcohol or suicide are the most common (52%). Recovery, harm reduction and mental health services need urgent investment | Museum of Homelessness, UK
Researchers explain the three things that could prevent half a million children from vaping
Ministers previously announced a raft of measures to ‘crack down on vapes targeting kids’ | Independent, UK
Alcohol and drug statistics
Added 'Alcohol licensing, England and Wales, April 2025 to March 2026' and updated 'Home Office alcohol and late-night refreshment licensing statistics: user guide' | Home Office, UK
Singer Lola Young says vaping has made breathing feel like a 'chore'
Vocal coach Lizzii Hills has told BBC Newsbeat vaping is "not advised" for artists and that difficulty breathing can affect a singer's voice and performance | BBC, UK
Clouds House graduate to climb the highest mountain in Africa
This month, an inspirational recovery graduate will take on one of the world's most iconic challenges: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro | Forward Trust, UK
Drugs cash used to fund raids on suspected dealers
A police boss funding a series of raids against suspected drug dealers said the money came from half a million pounds found under another dealer's bed | BBC, UK
Call to make public spaces smoke and vape free [Guernsey]
A Guernsey businesswoman is calling for vaping and smoking to be banned in all public places | BBC, UK
International news
MDMA Adulteration Warning
Since late July 2026, drug checking services in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland have found PMMA in pills sold as MDMA (ecstasy), either alone or mixed with MDMA. PMMA is much more dangerous than MDMA. Seven logos are affected so far, and the same logo can have a different content depending on the batch | TEDI Network, UK et al
‘Addiction is not only caused by weak will’: how a talking pigeon got Czechia to face up to its alcohol problem
Director Pepa Lubojacki’s heartbreaking film chronicles the lives of her brother as he struggles with drink and homelessness – and her own shame in the face of societal prejudice | Guardian, UK
The association between chronic pain and non-fatal overdose in people who inject drugs: Longitudinal cohort study in Montreal, Canada, 2017 to 2025
[Open access] The prevalence of chronic pain is elevated among people who inject drugs. Chronic pain may motivate drug use, potentially increasing the risk of non-fatal overdose. We aimed to estimate the association between chronic pain and non-fatal overdose in people who inject drugs | Addiction, UK
EUDA hosts first technical meeting on city-level drug policy in Europe
Cities are on the frontline of drug-related challenges and are key partners in shaping effective responses. Recognising the important role they play, the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) is this week hosting its first Technical meeting on city-level drug policy in Europe. Bringing together experts from 16 countries and 20 cities, the event provides a forum to share experiences, identify needs and strengthen cooperation on local drug policy responses | EUDA, Portugal
Heroin to save lives: Inside Habib - Bergen's heroin assisted treatment program
In September 2026, the Norwegian government announced that heroin-assisted treatment now becomes a permanent treatment option in the country. Join us on a visit to Bergen’s HABIB, one of the pilot heroin-assisted treatment programs, to learn how heroin-assisted treatment works in practice | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Shaping Spaces, Shaping Services: Designing Drug Consumption Rooms - webinar
Tuesday 27 October, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm. Online. This webinar is relevant for a wide range of harm reduction professionals, including social workers, outreach workers, peer workers, service coordinators, and policymakers. Participants will gain practical insights into the design and operation of drug consumption rooms, and the ways in which physical environments can influence service accessibility, safety, and wellbeing — insights that can be applied across other low-threshold services | C-EHRN, The Netherlands
Vaping was supposed to get people off smoking. Now e-cig users are switching to cigarettes to try to quit
More than 60 years after the U.S. Surgeon General released its landmark report on the dangers of smoking, a new breed of “cigfluencers” has emerged in popular culture of celebrities puffing cigarettes in paparazzi photos. While some speculate whether smoking is actually making a comeback, other public health experts are noticing a more worrisome trend in people’s relationship with cigarettes | Fortune, USA
System dynamics and related modeling of opioid use and interventions: a scoping review
[Open access] Modelling the interactions between policies and services affecting opioid-related mortality aims to capture the complexity and dynamism of an overall system. Across these studies, a "clear consensus emerged that expanding [opioid agonist therapy/medication-assisted treatment] access is the most effective and cost-effective intervention for reducing opioid-related mortality – a vote of confidence in programmes like methadone and buprenorphine prescribing | Harm Reduction Journal, UK
Blogs, comment and opinion
Starting Where You Are: Influencing as an Individual with Lived Experience
I’ve always believed that community is the superfood of behaviour change. Realising that you’re not alone is genuinely inspiring, and lived experience provides the nuance that standard advice simply can’t. Of course it’s not for everyone, but if you feel happy to share your story, the positive effects on others, systemic structures and stigma more broadly, can be profound | AntiStigma Network, UK
"When people get support from the day they're released, it can make a lasting difference to their lives": Karen Ratcliff on the prisoners early release scheme
The first few weeks after leaving prison are vital. People return to their old homes, friends, and lives. Some of the lucky ones will continue the drug treatment they received in prison, in the community. Some will lose touch with that support as they return to their communities, which can be hundreds of miles from their prison. More fatally, drug tolerance drops when someone is in prison and away from their usual supply - people may take the dose they’re used to, which their body can no longer tolerate | WithYou, UK
The Blind Spot in Scotland’s Public Service Reform Plans
As a liver doctor, I have spent my career caring for men and women suffering the consequences of alcohol harm. By the time someone comes to me with advanced liver disease, they have usually been in contact with public services many times over: the GP surgery, A&E, an ambulance crew, perhaps the police, perhaps social work. Each of those contacts, as well as costing money, is an opportunity to intervene to help that person before it is too late. Sadly, most of these opportunities are missed – very few of them are designed to recognise and stop the alcohol harm at the root of the problem | Enlighten, UK