DrugWise Daily |
2nd April 2026 |
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Happy Easter holidays! See you again on Tuesday 7th April
UK news
Mothers 'terrified' to seek help for alcohol abuse
Women struggling with alcohol issues in Blackpool have avoided getting help because they feared they might lose their children. One mum said she was "terrified" she would lose her kids if she asked for help, according to the 2024/5 Healthwatch Blackpool report, delivered to Blackpool Council's Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee | BBC, UK
Public asked for views on Edinburgh drug consumption room
Edinburgh residents have been invited to share their views on the potential opening of a safer drug consumption facility in the city centre | BBC, UK
Drug alert: Etonitazene found in Heroin in Canterbury area
Kent County Council have identified a heroin supply found to be containing etonitazene as a significant factor in one death and over ten overdose incidents in Canterbury between 11 and 12 March 2026 | Forward Trust, UK
What We Learned About England’s State-Funded Residential Rehab
Over the last decade, England’s residential rehab sector has been quietly shrinking. Rehab placements have fallen by almost 50%. At the same time, service quality and regulatory expectations have never been higher. Yet despite this increased scrutiny, very little is known about the true size, shape, or functioning of England’s state-funded rehab system. To help fill that gap, Phoenix Futures submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every local authority in England, asking for details of their budgets and expenditure on residential rehab over the past three year. What we received back offers one of the clearest pictures in years of how rehab is funded in England | Phoenix Futures, UK
Veteran survivor walking to raise money for charities who helped him
Arron Henery is walking 15 miles from Staithes to WithYou in Redcar and Cleveland to mark one year of sobriety, raise money, and challenge stigma around mental health, substance use, and domestic abuse - particularly for men, who are too often overlooked or disbelieved. The 34 year old Royal Navy veteran is now an ambassador for the THRIVE recovery partnership, which combines drug and alcohol charity WithYou, domestic abuse charity Harbour - one of only two male refuges in the UK, and education and behavioural change provider, Intuitive Thinking Skills | WithYou, UK
'Now I'm sober I can do things I never imagined'
A young woman from the Borders has described how a specialist drug and alcohol support service in the region has helped her to "do things she never imagined" Chloe McGurk, 24, from Galashiels, walked into WithYou's Mutual Aid Partnership (MAP) in her hometown 28 months ago | BBC, UK
Launch of new service to help recovery in North Northamptonshire
James Parker, Head of Community Services Substance Misuse, has stated our involvement in new community drug and alcohol services in North Northamptonshire | Forward Trust, UK
Everyday discrimination in individuals seeking treatment/receiving support for substance use and caregivers
[Open access] Experiencing stigma/discrimination is common in individuals who use substances. However, those with caring responsibilities for individuals who use substances may also be stigmatised and discriminated against (known as affiliate, or courtesy stigma, or stigma-by-association). Comparatively little research has examined the experiences of those who may experience courtesy stigma | IJDP, UK
APPG chair urges evidence-based vape rules amid bill concerns
The new chair of the Responsible Vaping APPG, Euan Stainbank, has called for a more evidence-led approach to vape regulation, warning that aspects of proposed legislation could risk undermining smoking cessation efforts | Asian Trader, UK
Ketamine is 'not worth losing your bladder for'
Ketamine use among young people has risen sharply across the UK and addiction services say they are now treating more users than ever before. One of them is Hollee, 38, from Swindon, who became addicted to ketamine and experienced excruciating abdominal pain known as "k cramps", a symptom increasingly seen by drug workers | BBC, UK
Mother and daughter become the public face of an NHS smoking campaign after family health scares
A mother and daughter from Cleethorpes have become the very public face of an NHS campaign to persuade smokers to ditch cigarettes and aim for a healthier life | ITV, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help encourage the use of community-based rehabilitation in the treatment of alcohol and substance use and addiction | They work for you, UK
The RUFUS Trial
Tuesday, May 5 from 11 am to 12 pm GMT+1. Join us for our next webinar, "The RUFUS Trial: Could the Benzodiazepine Antidote Flumazenil be used Safely and Effectively Pre-hospital?" with Prof Michael Eddleston | DRNS, UK
International news
High times or low blows? Experts fail to clear air over German drug legalisation
Cannabis policy still divisive two years in, with SPD hailing it while CDU minister says it is risk to young people’s health | Guardian, UK
Secret tunnel used to smuggle drugs into Europe uncovered by police
Spanish police have uncovered a sophisticated drug-smuggling tunnel in the North African exclave of Ceuta, featuring a rail system and underground cranes designed to transport hashish from Morocco into Spain | Independent, UK
Common antidepressant offers fresh hope for people looking to reduce methamphetamine use
For the first time, people who want to stop using crystal methamphetamine may be able to treat their addiction with a cheap and readily available medication, say researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center (NDARC), UNSW Sydney | Medical Xpress, USA
A safer opioid? DFNZ discovery suggests pain relief with minimal addictive properties
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have identified a novel, highly potent opioid that shows potential as a therapy for both pain and opioid use disorder. In a study published in Nature, the team observed the new drug's effect in laboratory animals. They showed that it has high pain-relieving effects without causing respiratory depression, tolerance or other indicators of potential for addiction in humans | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Recovery Centered Research Requires Accepted Definitions of Recovery
In April of 2024, I had the distinct honor of being asked by author and thought leader of the new recovery advocacy movement, William White, to present his words publicly | Recovery Review blog, USA
This common antidepressant helps people cut back on methamphetamine – new study
Methamphetamine – more commonly known as meth, crystal or ice – is a highly addictive, stimulant drug. An estimated 7.4 million people in the world are dependent on it or “addicted” to it. They face multiple health risks including paranoia, feeling suicidal, heart problems, strokes, injuries from accidents, and a higher risk of early death. But there are no medications approved anywhere in the world to treat meth dependence | Conversation, Australia