DrugWise Daily |
30th June 2026 |
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UK news
DDN Magazine July/August 2026
One of the biggest changes in drug and alcohol treatment over the last few decades hasn’t been a new medication or a radically new strategy. It’s been a gradual shift in recognising that the person sitting opposite us isn’t simply the recipient of treatment – they’re an equal partner in it. As our articles throughout this month’s issue demonstrate, the conversations that matter most are the ones where people feel listened to, respected and involved in decisions about their own care. They recognise that the expert at the heart of treatment is the person themselves | DDN, UK
Precursor chemical import and export authorisation wallchart
Updated. This chart shows the regulation of precursor chemicals in the UK | Home Office, UK
Karen Tyrell: ‘Drinkaware is not a trade association’
As it launches a five-year strategy to tackle alcohol harm, Drinkaware’s CEO rejects any suggestion it should do more to help struggling booze suppliers | Grocer, UK
'Cigarettes should never be a fashion statement': Charity concerned at coverage of celebrities smoking
Video of Chari XCX and Madonna smoking at Milan fashion week led to some hailing a renaissance for "edgy" cigarettes to the concern of Action on Smoking and Health | LBC, UK
PROGRESS Webinar - Alcohol Awareness Week
Thursday, July 9 • 9:30 AM - 12 PM GMT+1. This session will feature specialist speakers including Professor Julia Sinclair (Addiction Psychiatry, University of Southampton), Mike Ward (Alcohol Change UK), Saskia Bauweraerts (COMHAD Lead, Leicestershire Partnership Trust), and Dr Viki Teggart (Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust). The webinar will explore key challenges in engaging hard-to-reach populations, the application of current alcohol treatment guidelines in clinical practice, and the importance of recognising liver health within mental health services | Progress Consortium, UK
Inmate found in cell had history of drug use - inquest
An inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell at a prison in Nottinghamshire "had a history of drug use", an inquest has heard | BBC, UK
International news
How state regulations shape kratom exposure and harm with Grant Comstock and Ryan Feldman
In this episode, Dr Tsen Vei Lim talks to Drs Grant Comstock and Ryan Feldman. The interview covers Grant and Ryan’s article examining the association between state-level kratom regulations and poison center-reported severe medical outcomes and healthcare use in the United States (US) | SSA, UK
Growing scientific evidence links e-cigarette chemicals to heart health risks
The American Heart Association says consumers, policymakers should be aware that e-cigarette chemicals may harm cardiovascular health | AHA, USA
Millions of New Yorkers consume cannabis; far fewer understand details, such as content and dosage
In 2023, about 2 million adults in New York state reported consuming some form of cannabis. However, only a small portion has a full understanding of cannabis product labeling, which includes ingredients, dosages and whether the products were legally produced in New York, according to a recent study led by Daniel J. Kruger, Ph.D., research associate professor of community health and health behavior in the University at Buffalo | Medical Xpress, USA
Examining the Impact of Trial Length on Detecting Medication Effects for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Meta-Regression Study
[Open access] Twelve weeks is the usual duration of researched pharmacotherapies for drinking problems. In this synthesis of findings, when treatments were effective at all, they were significantly less so when assessed over longer than 12 weeks. It suggests that promising results from 12-week trials may not be replicated in real-world treatment | ACER, USA
Uncovered, underfunded, and undervalued: How policy contexts shape knowledge production in multi-site substance use trials
[Open access] When researchers in Canada asked why people joined their opioid use treatment trial, the answers revealed that social, political, and health service contexts affect motivations, meaning caseloads and outcomes at one site could appreciably differ from those at another | IJDP, USA
Public perspectives on supervised consumption sites across Canada: A cross-sectional study
Canada continues to face high rates of drug poisoning, prompting the implementation of harm reduction measures, including supervised consumption sites (SCS). SCS remain politically and socially contested despite evidence supporting their effectiveness. Given recent debates on SCS operations and limited national data on public perceptions of them, this study examined data from a large bilingual pan-Canadian survey to assess attitudes of the general public towards SCS | IJDP, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Decriminalisation, Harm Reduction, and the Economics of Justice: Why the New UNAIDS Guidance Must Be a Turning Point
The publication of UNAIDS’ Decriminalization of Drug Use to Reduce HIV and Harm guidance marks a decisive moment at the intersection of drug policy, global health and human rights. It represents the most authoritative articulation to date from within the UN system that criminalisation is incompatible with an effective HIV response, and that decriminalisation is a critical element of one | Drug Science, UK