DrugWise Daily |
18th June 2026 |
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UK news
Research identifies tobacco industry tactics targeting policy implementation
Tobacco industry interference extends beyond policy adoption and includes tactics that serve to shape how policies work in practic | University of Bath, UK
How children are being lured and groomed with vapes
Criminal networks are using vapes to groom children as young as 13 – targeting them straight from the school gates. This programme has spent months reporting on the new frontier of exploitation around vaping and rogue vape shops, including shocking revelations of child sexual abuse | Channel 4, UK
FM’s ‘disappointing’ reply to concerns around alcohol ads during World Cup
At Tuesday’s First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Labour MSP Carol Mochan, raised a question about children and young people being exposed to alcohol marketing during major sporting events, including the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK
Hundreds of inmates caught hiding drugs - watchdog
In the latest review of HMP Leicester, which took place from February 2025 to January 2026, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) found former inmates were under pressure to smuggle in drugs when they were recalled to the jail | BBC, UK
Border Force makes its largest ever cannabis seizure worth £139m at Southampton Port
Officers have seized 12 tonnes of cannabis worth around £139 million in the Border Force’s largest ever seizure of the drug. Some 1,200 boxes of cannabis were found crammed into two shipping containers at Southampton Port which had arrived from Canada, the Home Office said | ITV, UK
'Untouchable' family-run crime gang sentenced
Eight members of an organised crime group whose "safehouse" was equipped with machetes, CCTV and security gates have been sentenced | BBC, UK
International news
Cannabis commercialisation not decriminalisation drives up usage, study finds
Review reveals rise in users and rates of psychosis in countries where cannabis is sold commercially | Guardian, UK [See Lancet article here]
Psychoactive drug use among athletes: motives and risk factors beyond sports performance – A scoping review
[Open access] This scoping review explored psychosocial motivations and associated risk factors for psychoactive drug use across varied athletic populations including young, professional, elite and retired athletes | IJDP, UK
Bolivia signs $20m deal with US to fight drug trafficking, foreign ministry says
The foreign ministry said that under the agreement, the US would provide up to $20m (£15m) to train and equip Bolivian forces as part of a joint fight against drug smuggling | BBC, UK
HIQA publishes two reports to help inform an update to Ireland’s low-risk alcohol guidelines
HIQA has today published two reports to support an update to Ireland’s low-risk alcohol guidelines. The first of these reports models the risk of death and admission to hospital due to alcohol consumption, using Irish mortality, hospital admission, and alcohol consumption data to characterise the risks at different levels of alcohol consumption. The second report is a systematic review of international evidence on the association between alcohol consumption and mental health. This review examined 104 international studies on the link between alcohol and the presence of or later development of mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts | HIQA, Ireland
Internmational guidelines on human rights and drug policy: From Principles to Rights-based Action
How can international human rights standards influence real-world drug policy reforms? From the abolition of the death penalty for drug offences in Pakistan to policy changes in Latin America and beyond, Drugreporter’s new short film explores how experts, activists, and policymakers have used the International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy to advocate for more humane and evidence-based approaches around the world | Drug Reporter, Hungary
Interventions to enhance HIV medication adherence among individuals using substances: a systematic review and critique of the literature
[Open access] Imperfect compliance with medication regimens is common in chronic diseases, an issue aggravated by a lifestyle centred on substance use. How have researchers tried to mitigate the problem for substance-using HIV patients? | AIDS Care, USA
Teens' attitudes toward smoking are shaped more by dad's habits than mom's
A new study from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln sheds light on how parental smoking shapes adolescents' attitudes and use of both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, finding that fathers' behaviors may play a more influential role than those of mothers | Medical Xpress, USA
Study strengthens alcohol's link to deadly pancreatic cancer
A new paper led by researchers at the University of Victoria's Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) contributes to mounting evidence that alcohol use can cause pancreatic cancer | Medical Xpress, USA
“It’s Authoritarian”—Harm Reduction Under San Francisco’s Backlash
Harm reduction is under attack in San Francisco. Mayor Daniel Lurie (D), the Board of Supervisors and even the San Francisco Department of Public Health have declared that tolerance, compassion and harm reduction-based services for people who use drugs have gone too far | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
“We Never Give Up on Anyone”: The Story of Building Alcohol Care Teams
In this blog and accompanying video, Dr Kieran Moriarty CBE reflects on more than 35 years of pioneering work to transform the way hospitals support people with alcohol-use disorders. From identifying gaps in care in Bolton in the early 1990s to helping establish Alcohol Care Teams as a recognised model across the UK, he shares the story of how a commitment to compassionate, integrated and person-centred care has improved outcomes for patients across the country | AHA blog, UK
In Focus: The AFS monthly CEO blog - June 2026
In the second of a new series of CEO blogs, Carolyn Lochhead, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, reflects on Scotland’s football fans abroad and our reputation as big drinkers | Alcohol Focus Scotland blog, UK