DrugWise Daily |
5th October 2026 |
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UK news
Green Councils Fight For Drug Consumption Rooms
The Green Party’s success in English local elections has put fresh impetus behind efforts to follow Scotland in providing safer drug consumption facilities to addicts | Politics Home, UK
Hundreds of professionals urge Government to stand firm on tobacco and vape regulations as consultation closes
Hundreds of health, education and public health professionals have written to the Health Secretary urging the Government to stand firm in the face of industry campaigns against new regulations designed to protect children from tobacco and nicotine marketing | ASH, UK
Shut vape loopholes and child-appeal flavour tricks – and fully fund enforcement, LGA urges Government
Government needs to write new vape and tobacco rules so tightly that companies cannot find “loopholes and flavour tricks” to keep appealing to children, councils set out today | LGA, UK
WithYou launches pilot treating the trauma related to substance use - for those who have served
With research showing that 65% of people in the armed forces have a problem with alcohol, and 12% of personnel seeking mental health support, WithYou is launching a veteran trauma-focused treatment pilot in North Lincolnshire, Wigan and Leigh, North Somerset, and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | WithYou, UK
Trauma-informed psychological support alongside long-acting injectable buprenorphine: clients’ perspectives on the Buvidal psychological support service (BPSS) pilot in Wales
[Open access] Long-acting injectable buprenorphine reduces opioid use for up to a month, but along with the benefits comes mental clarity which can expose unresolved trauma and psychological symptoms. Integrated into buprenorphine treatment in Wales, a psychological support service is seen as "a central rather than optional component of care for these clients" | Frontiers in Psychiatry, UK
Drug Education Forum staff training #4 : Psychedelics – what do educators need to know?
Thursday, Nov 12, 3:30 PM - 5 PM.Free Online. This session will be delivered by Professor David Nutt, Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London and Chief Scientific Officer and Founder of Drug Science. It will cover latest developments, popular methods of consumption, well-established risks and myths around psychedelics. It will also explore some of the reasons why people take psychedelics and key considerations to be made when reducing its potential harms | DEF, UK
Comparing the price of alcohol-free and regular strength drinks with Abi Stevely - podcast
In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr Abi Stevely, a Research Fellow at the Sheffield Addictions Research Group in the UK. The interview covers Abi’s article on the price of alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks compared to regular-strength drinks using sales data in Great Britain | SSA, UK
Behind bars: Drugs and illegally-brewed alcohol
Drug seizures at an English prison have more than doubled over a year, as staff continue to battle against "widespread" substance abuse | BBC, UK
Drugs and tobacco seized on 'lawless' high street
More than 50,000 illegal cigarettes and drugs have been seized by police on a high street once described by traders as "lawless" | BBC, UK
International news
Using flavored vapes could have a bigger impact on your health than previously known
Flavor additives commonly found in electronic cigarettes used by millions of Americans can damage joint health – even without any nicotine, according to a study published Wednesday. Cinnamon and menthol flavors proved especially harmful, causing ATDC5 cartilage cells to die, researchers at New Jersey’s Seton Hall University said | Independent, UK
US father and son arrested after suspected kratom drug deaths
A father and son who worked at a Mississippi smoke shop have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of at least one university student who died from a suspected overdose of kratom, sometimes called "gas station heroin" in the US | BBC, UK
Cornell case raises questions about rise of ketamine in sexual assaults: ‘You might not realize you’re being touched’
After a Jane Doe claimed she was encouraged to take ketamine in an alleged gang rape, advocates are urging for tighter laws around the dissociative | Guardian, UK
MDMA, Empathy, and Openness in Couples Therapy | Interview with Anne Wagner, PhD, CPsych
Can psychedelic-assisted therapy help people heal from trauma while also repairing their closest relationships? At ICPR 2026, we sat down with clinical psychologist Anne Wagner, founder of the Remedy Institute, to discuss her pioneering research on MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD and couples therapy, the role of connection in recovery, and the future of trauma treatment | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Study reveals large gaps in care for youths with opioid use disorder
One in 100 adolescents and young adults in the United States has an opioid use disorder (OUD) and, with the rise of fentanyl in the drug supply, overdoses in this age group have risen sharply since 2019 | Medical Xpress, USA
What happens in the brain when cannabis generates anxiety?
For the first time, Northwestern scientists have identified a set of neurons that play a role in generating anxiety after exposure to cannabinoid drugs, especially under stressful conditions. Cannabinoids are a class of substances that includes THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis | Medical Xpress, USA
Duration of Medication Use for Opioid Use Disorder and Risk of Postpartum Overdose and Death
This cohort study including 9360 pregnancies among 7776 individuals found that individuals with a greater days’ supply of MOUD receipt during pregnancy and early post partum were less likely to experience nonfatal overdose and death | JAMA Network Open, USA
Harm reduction vending machines as safer supply-supporting infrastructure
Vending machines were sited in supportive housing for homeless US ex-military personnel, dispensing free injecting and drug-checking equipment and other health supplies. Staff and residents saw them"as supporting safety, health, well-being, and community conditions, with no perceived increase in visible disorder or safety concerns". Same lead author has used this experience to review the benefits of such machines in general | Frontiers in Psychiatry, USA
A Long-acting Naltrexone Implant (iSTEP-N) for Opioid Use Disorder
[Open access] In the USA, approved naltrexone implants help block the effects of opioids for up to a month, but many patients do not renew the implants. Six-month implants have been tried, but this report is the first to evaluate a new implant whose effects may last for a year | Journal Addictive Medicine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
BuzzBallz, bubblegum vapes and 99p shots: Have we reached the peak ‘kiddification’ of booze and smoking?
A new alcoholic drink has raised alarm bells thanks to its fun, bright packaging and pocket money-friendly price tag. It’s time we stopped giving ‘adult’ products the CBeebies treatment | Independent comment, UK