DrugWise Daily |
13th July 2026 |
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UK news
Open consultation - tobacco and vapes: packaging, appearance and display
We are seeking views on proposals to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products under the Tobacco and Vapes Act. The proposals cover: 1) packaging for products 2) the appearance of heated tobacco devices and vapes and 3) where shops can display these products, This consultation closes at 11:59pm on 2 October 2026 | DHSC, UK
The Cost of Smoking in Wales
This report provides a comprehensive assessment of the costs of smoking across health and social care, productivity and environmental domains, offering robust evidence to support tobacco control policies, target action where the burden is greatest, and accelerate progress towards a smoke-free Wales | PHW, UK
Cornish woman who survived domestic abuse and alcohol shares her recovery story for Alcohol Awareness Week
This Alcohol Awareness Week (6 - 12 July), a woman from Cornwall is sharing her journey to recovery to encourage others to seek support, as local drug, alcohol and mental health charity WithYou highlights the importance of reaching out | WithYou, UK
Addiction in the United Kingdom: Report launch event at the House of Lords
On July 7th, I was delighted to chair an event in the House of Lords to launch the first edition of what we hope will become a regular report on ‘Addiction in the United Kingdom’. This publication aims to bring together in one place all the available data and evidence on this subject, and an analysis of government and community efforts to respond | Forward Trust, UK
RCPsych urges anyone worried about their drinking and mental health during the World Cup to seek support
For many people, sharing a drink with friends and family is part of enjoying football tournaments and celebrating important moments. However, because alcohol is so deeply woven into social occasions, it can sometimes be harder to recognise when drinking habits are becoming dangerous. Major sporting events may be particularly challenging for people living with alcohol dependence, those in recovery, or anyone already feeling concerned about their drinking | RCPsych, UK
England advised to avoid alcohol around matches
England men's players have been advised to avoid drinking alcohol on the day before and the day after matches, under new behaviour guidelines | BBC, UK
Ketamine: Drug Seizures
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what quantity of ketamine has been seized at the UK border in each of the last ten years | They work for you, UK
Drugs: Crime
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress the Joint Combating Drugs Unit has made; and what policy work relating to combating drugs she is currently undertaking with other departments | They work for you, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Delivery Services
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of food delivery services on levels of alcohol consumption and any resultant impact on public health | They work for you, UK
Ten men jailed for parts in vast drugs network
Ten men have been jailed for their parts in a vast drugs network that imported cocaine and distributed it across Derbyshire. A sentencing hearing at Derby Crown Court heard the network, which imported drugs from South America, had "prosperous, well-established operations" | BBC, UK
Pair convicted of running £1.5m drugs supply hub from Moray warehouse
Two men have been convicted of large-scale drug supply after police recovered more than £1.5m worth of drugs from a warehouse in Moray | BBC, UK
Drug trafficker imported a tonne of cocaine into UK
Stephane Hassiakos, 55, was identified as playing a "leading role" in the importation of the Class A drug, particularly across the East Midlands, Leicestershire Police said | BBC, UK
Dog rescued from Ben Nevis suspected to have eaten discarded cannabis
Bluhme said Tokyo had made a full recovery after the incident during a trip to Scotland last weekend. She said vets believe she ingested cannabis left on the trail. The dog trainer said "I genuinely thought I was going to lose her", after Tokyo lost the use of her legs and began drifting in and out of consciousness | BBC, UK
International news
Fitness influencers linked to wellness brand helping run illegal steroid market on Telegram
Ambassadors for Gencore Global directed followers to Telegram channels promoting steroids, prescription medicines and experimental peptides | Guardian, UK
Beyond the Prison Gate: Why Harm Reduction Belongs in Prison
Drug use does not stop at the prison gate. In fact, around 4 in 10 people entering prison have a drug dependence, and many continue using drugs during incarceration. On top of this, an estimated 3% to 10% of people report starting to use drugs while in prison. Together, this makes drug use disorders one of the most common health conditions among people in prison, where they are estimated to be around ten times more prevalent than in the general population | Talking Drugs, UK
‘Not in the Room’: Nigeria’s New Harm Reduction Masterplan Excludes Reformers
Nigeria is currently finalising the document that will shape its drug policy for the next five years. The fifth National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP), covering 2026 to 2030, is expected to be published imminently. It will determine how the country’s 14.3 million people who use drugs live, face law enforcement, and possibly receive meaningful harm reduction services | Talking Drugs, UK
The Chinese graduate accused of being Mexico's 'fentanyl king'
"Brother Wang was very important. He was number one," says Enrique, chuckling knowingly. Enrique – not his real name – describes himself as a high-level co-ordinator in Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, one of the world's most powerful criminal organisations | BBC, UK
A judge has imposed a full care order for newborn baby which tested positive for cocaine at birth
At the Children’s Court in Dublin, Judge Conor Fottrell, outlined the devastating case of the newborn baby suffering from drug withdrawals when he was born | Journal, Ireland
First Cannabis-Based Medication for Chronic Pain to Launch in Europe
The world’s first cannabis-based medication for chronic pain is expected to launch in Germany and Austria next month after getting marketing authorization from regulators | Pain News Network, USA
Adolescents with cannabis use disorder have higher risks for later development of psychiatric disorders
In a recent study, Johns Hopkins University researchers looked into how often the diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder follows heavy cannabis use versus the use of substances such as alcohol or other drugs. The results were surprising | Medical Xpress, USA
Many chronic pain patients can reduce opioid use with slow, voluntary taper
More than 50 million Americans live with chronic pain; among them, approximately 1 in 10 take prescription opioids regularly. A new large-scale study led by Stanford Medicine suggests that—with the right approach—many people may be able to reduce their opioid use long term without increasing their pain | Medical Xpress, USA
Effectiveness of brief motivational interviewing for alcohol misuse: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
[Open access] Focuses on the overlap between one of the great hopes for prevention (brief interventions), defined as up to four sessions) and a mainstay of treatment (motivational interviewing). Key findings include a relative lack of impact among samples of "greater clinical and psychosocial complexity" and a rapid waning of effects, attenuated by repeated contacts | Addictive Behaviors Reports, USA
A meta-analysis of cognitive behavioral therapy for substance use disorder: Treatment effects by comparator type and consumption and psychosocial outcomes
[Open access] Updates previous analyses (1;2) of a mainstay of psychosocial therapy for addiction, finding (again) that it reduces substance use more than "usual care or minimal treatment", but could not be shown to outperform other evidence-based therapies | Behaviour Research and Therapy, USA
Sustained Availability of Dedicated High School Health Courses and Adolescent Substance Use
In this statewide cohort study of 1 942 640 student survey responses from 915 California public high schools, sustained availability of a dedicated health course was associated with lower prevalence of past 30-day alcohol use, binge drinking, marijuana use, and vaping. Estimates remained statistically significant after adjustment for false discovery rate | JAMA Network Open, USA
Xylazine-Fentanyl Positivity and Concentration in Urine Drug Tests
This cross-sectional study analyzed 42 307 fentanyl-positive urine drug testing (UDT) samples collected between March 2023 and September 2025 that were also tested for xylazine. In the East and West US, xylazine detection increased while concentration in UDT samples sharply decreased | JAMA Network Open, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
The US murder rate fell to historic lows in 2025 – here’s why
In the years leading up to the 2015 homicide spike, the prescription opioid crisis gave way to the illicit opioid crisis. As opioid use shifted toward heroin and fentanyl, it became deadlier. People were more likely to overdose, and the drug market moved from pharmacists into the hands of street dealers. It wasn’t just the pharmacological effect of drugs but the systemic nature of drug markets – disputes between dealers, buyers and users – that contributed to the spike in homicides | Conversation, USA