DrugWise Daily |
8th May 2026 |
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UK news
Association between gabapentinoid treatment, concurrent use with opioid or benzodiazepine and the risk of drug poisoning: A self-controlled case series study
Consumption of gabapentinoids has increased worldwide in recent years, and the association between its use and drug poisoning is of public health concern. This study aimed to investigate the association between gabapentinoid treatment and the risk of drug poisoning | PLOS Medicine, UK
Dawn airport drinkers call out Ryanair boss on proposal to ban ‘holiday ritual’
Stansted passengers disagree that stopping airports serving alcohol before early flights will reduce bad behaviour | Guardian, UK
Recovery Street Film Festival 2026
Recovery Street Film Festival returns for its 12th year.
Our 2026 theme is: “Rewriting the Script.” Everyone has a story. Sometimes it can feel like it’s already been written for us—but it’s not fixed. So—what’s your script? Who’s in it? And what happens next? This year’s theme is about turning points: the moments where something shifts, a new choice is made, and a different path opens up. This is your chance to take control of the narrative—to flip it, challenge it, and rewrite it | RSFF, UK
Alcohol policy in Scotland, challenges change the road ahead with Alcohol Focus Scotland - podcast
In this episode, Kirsten and Jason are joined by Carolyn Lochhead, CEO of Alcohol Focus Scotland. They explore the charity’s ambitions under Carolyn’s leadership, the complexities of Scotland’s relationship with alcohol and the ongoing debate around how alcohol is regulated and perceived in public life. The conversation also tackles some of the biggest policy questions facing Scotland today, including the integration of drugs and alcohol strategy, gaps in current support systems and what meaningful change could look like over the next few years | Drugs Uncut, UK
Everyone’s a Winner at Forward’s Dragon’s Den–Style Showcase in London
A powerful celebration of resilience, creativity and second chances took centre stage today as aspiring entrepreneurs with lived experience of the criminal justice system pitched their ideas at a Dragon’s Den–style event in London, and in a rare twist, everyone walked away a winner | Forward Trust, UK
Paranoid cannabis user guilty of friend's murder
A paranoid cannabis user who tortured his 93-year-old friend over a period of more than 24 hours has been found guilty of his murder | BBC, UK
Three jailed for murder of teen in park ambush
Three men have been jailed for life for lying in wait and murdering a teenager in a knife attack at a park in west London | BBC, UK
International news
Getting to SAFER, Faster: Reflections on GAPC 2026 - podcast
This month on the Alcohol Alert Podcast we were joined by Laura Cury from ACT Health Promotion in Brazil and Emma Thompson from IAS and the University of Edinburgh to reflect on the Global Alcohol Policy Conference (GAPC), held for the first time in Latin America | IAS, UK
Australian drink named Methanol Moonshine labelled ‘deeply insulting’ to memories of mass poisoning victims
Company says branding was created well before the 2024 Laos tragedy and reflects its ‘motorsport heritage’ | Guardian, UK
The feasibility of mindfulness-based relapse prevention for adults with substance use disorders (illicit drugs) in a Chinese population: A pilot randomized controlled trial
[Open access] Users of illegal drugs already being supported/treated in Hong Kong gained few statistically significant benefits from adding eight weekly two-hour sessions of mindfulness‐based relapse prevention to existing programmes. However, several non-significant trends substantially favoured those allocated to mindfulness | Addiction, UK
Cash Crop: The Extractive Cannabis Industries Of the Global South
For the past couple of years, many Global South nations have sought to capitalise on the global cannabis boom, reforming their drug laws just enough to allow for domestic cultivation industries to blossom, yet maintaining usually harsh systems of criminalisation | Talking Drugs, UK
Irish smokers buying more tobacco abroad due to ‘stark’ price differences, say retailers
Spain is biggest market for tobacco purchases, with excise duty on pack of cigarettes about €3 compared to almost €11 in Ireland | Irish Times, Ireland
Supermarkets in Belgium allowed to sell cigarettes again from 2027
Supermarkets will once again be permitted to sell tobacco products from next year as Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) has accepted the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the tobacco ban | Brussels Times, Belgium
Opioid overdose survivors face higher risk of death than previously thought, study finds
After an emergency department visit for an opioid overdose, 9% of individuals died and 21% experienced a repeat opioid overdose in the following year, according to a new study from ICES and the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) | Medical Xpress, USA
Best Practices for Hospital-Based Initiation of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
In this survey study, 42 experts agreed rapid methadone initiation, low- and high-dose buprenorphine initiation, and provision of full agonist opioids to treat opioid withdrawal were appropriate in the hospital setting | JAMA Network Open, USA
Cost-Effectiveness of the START Hospital Addiction Consultation Service for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
In this economic evaluation of 325 patients, a hospital-based ACS was cost-effective compared with usual care. From a health-sector perspective, the ACS was associated with an incremental cost of $162 and 0.0103 quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained per person, leading to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $15 750/QALY gained | JAMA Network Open, USA
One powerful treatment, two opposite outcomes: Psychedelic therapy may heal some patients while deeply unsettling others
Psychedelic-assisted therapy is the subject of renewed focus. It involves using psilocybin—a substance found in psychoactive fungi—or LSD to treat mental disorders. Numerous studies are currently underway, with talk rife of a "revolution in psychiatry." However, doubts also persist. While some patients benefit from this therapy, others do not, and some patients even deteriorate as a result | Medical Xpress, USA
Louisiana Advances Bill to Jail People Who Use Marijuana Near Campuses
ALouisiana Senate committee has approved a House-passed bill that threatens to send people to jail for up to one year if they smoke marijuana within 2,000 feet of a school property—including a college campus | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
How the generational smoking ban came to pass
Legislation to prohibit the sale of tobacco to anyone born from 2009 onwards is now on the statute books and will come into force from January 2027. First introduced by Rishi Sunak when he was prime minister, the legislation received royal assent under a Labour government | Kings Fund blog, UK
Melanie Jones obituary
My friend Melanie Jones, who has died aged 71, was a social worker specialising in help people with addictions, and a founding member of the Wirral Rape Crisis Counselling Service, set up in Merseyside in 1986 | Guardian, UK
FDA fruit-flavoured vape approval risks new youth addiction crisis
This week, the US Food and Drug Administration approved fruit-flavoured nicotine vapes. Media reports suggest the move followed pressure on Commissioner Marty Makary from President Trump, aimed at energising young MAGA voters | UnHerd, UK
Higher-strength medicinal cannabis may be linked to a disturbing pattern of side effects, our study shows
In recent years, we’ve seen a sizeable shift in medicinal cannabis prescribing, to products containing higher levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) – the component that can cause drowsiness or a high. Now, our new study shows some of the harms with this shift, including from products containing far more THC than naturally found in cannabis plants | Conversation, Australia