DrugWise Daily |
25th February 2026 |
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UK news
“It gives people a purpose. It gives them hope”: The DWP peer mentoring pilot transforming lives
The DWP Peer Mentoring Service is a life-changing initiative to bridge the gap between job centres and recovery services. By supporting people to move forward with their recovery and achieve their goals, it is tackling stigma and transforming lives. Danielle Diovisalvi was the Strategic Manager of the service when it first launched at Change Grow Live. She explains how the project is changing lives and helping people move forward with their recovery | Change Grow Live, UK
Conversations about Alcohol - Episode 5 - Maree Todd MSP - audio
In this episode, our podcast host and GP Dr Rachel Phillips is joined by Maree Todd MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy and Sport. Maree outlines her work to tackle the harms caused by alcohol and drugs in Scotland and reflects on her family's experiences of alcohol misuse and offers hopeful stories of her mum and dad's recoveries | RCGP, UK
Plans to reduce drink-drive limit in England and Wales - audio
On this month’s podcast, we spoke to Luca Straker, Campaigns Manager at the road safety charity Brake. Luca welcomed the strategy, but highlighted that there needs to be more support for victims and families of those killed or injured in road collisions | IAS, UK
Sense-Making Around Psilocybin in UK Women Experiencing Cancer-Related Existential Distress: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
[Open access] People with cancer often experience anxiety and depression following a diagnosis and can face barriers to accessing treatment for their mental health. An increasing number of patients are considering alternative approaches to managing their mental health symptoms, such as the psychedelic, psilocybin. A growing number of clinical trials show significant and enduring improvements in mood and quality of life following psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) in this patient group | Qualitative Health Research, UK
Teacher banned for agreeing to receive cannabis
A "popular" PE teacher has been banned from his profession for six years after agreeing to receive "a significant volume" of cannabis for a drug dealer | BBC, UK
Music teacher who was ‘absolutely plastered’ during drum lesson avoids classroom ban
Nicholas Smalley appeared ‘absolutely plastered’ while teaching drums at a primary school - but an allegation he was drinking on school premises was not proven | Independent, UK
Pharmacy worker who snuck drugs into prison jailed
Tanya Petrie from Worle in north Somerset took drugs wrapped in cling-film - including cocaine - into HMP Bristol where she worked after collecting a package from a wheelie bin on 17 October 2023 | BBC, UK
International news
Inside Singapore’s war on vapes- audio
Singapore has launched a crackdown on vapes, eight years after banning the product, moving in lockstep with several countries around the world in clamping down on e-cigarettes. The campaign comes as a rising number of teenagers in the country are found to have been using k-pods - vapes that are laced with the drug etomidate, an anaesthetic agent used in hospitals. The new penalties include fines, mandatory rehab, and caning for suppliers of k-pods | BBC Sounds, UK
Historical trends in U.S. heroin use: Initiation after 2000 differs from earlier patterns
The production, distribution, and consumption of illegal opioids create problems for public health and safety in many countries. Overdose rates are particularly high in Canada and the United States, which experienced three waves of deaths associated first with prescription opioids, then heroin, and most recently, illegally manufactured fentanyl. But we know little about historical patterns of initiation into use of such drugs | Medical Xpress, USA
Teen cannabis use trends mirror established alcohol consumption patterns
A new study published in the journal Addiction shows that cannabis use among Swedish adolescents appears to follow the same population-level pattern previously observed for alcohol. The findings suggest that changes in average cannabis use among young people are reflected across the entire group-from those who use infrequently to those who use frequently | News Medical, USA
The DRAM, Vol. 22(2) – Coping with the “fear of missing out” when reducing alcohol use
FoMO, or the “fear of missing out,” is the feeling that others are having fun that one is absent from. Research has shown that FoMO can influence drinking behavior, including intentions to drink and amount consumed. Helping people cope with FoMO might support their attempts to stop drinking or drink less. This week, The DRAM reviews a study by Kendell Dew and colleagues that analyzed Reddit discussions to explore how people manage FoMO when reducing their alcohol use | CHA, USA
Harm Reduction Without Humans? The Risks and Potential of AI
In November 2023, California teenager Sam Nelson put a question to ChatGPT. “How many grams of kratom gets you a strong high?” the 18-year-old typed. “I want to make sure so I don’t overdose. There isn’t much information online and I don’t want to accidentally take too much.” | Filter Magazine, USA
Illinois HOPE Act Would “Codify Harm Reduction” and Housing-First
Illinois is considering a wide-ranging harm reduction bill that advocates believe may have traction with legislators. If enacted, the Holistic Overdose Prevention and Equity (HOPE) Act would support “Housing First,” naloxone access for prisoners and the addition of harm reduction-specific positions to the state health department | Filter Magazine, USA
The Promotion of Alcohol, Cannabis, Gambling, Tobacco and Vaping Products: A Comparative Analysis of the Potential of Legal Frameworks to Limit Exposure Among Minors
Promotions deemed attractive to minors concerning alcohol, cannabis, gambling, tobacco and vaping are circulating in media outlets and places where minors are very active. This report examines the different legal frameworks in Canada that restrict the commercial promotion of these types of products to minors | CCSA. Canada
Blogs, comment and opinion
European health organisations are powerless against the wine lobby
In alcohol policy, the influence of prominent global producers such as Heineken, AB InBev, Carlsberg, Diageo, and Pernod Ricard is well recognised and discussed. The wine industry is configured differently, with fewer major producers and well-known brands but collectively the industry is no less influential than the beer and spirits sector, as has been made clear by developments in the EU in 2025 | IAS blog, UK
Vaping is less harmful than smoking, experts say. Why don’t smokers know this?
Some scientists think anti-vaping public health messaging has failed current smokers | Science Line, USA
Prohibitive policies drove organised crime in Australia 100 years ago. It’s happening again
Organised crime has a long history in Australia. For more than a century, criminal groups have accumulated vast fortunes, committed countless acts of intimidation and coercion and, at times, extreme and spectacular violence | Conversation, UK
Violent aftermath of Mexico’s ‘El Mencho’ killing follows pattern of other high-profile cartel hits
The death of a major cartel boss in Mexico has unleashed a violent backlash in which members of the criminal group have paralyzed some cities through blockades and attacks on property and security forces | Conversation, USA