DrugWise Daily |
7th September 2026 |
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UK news
Man does a million steps for alcohol abuse charity
A man has raised £7,000 for a charity he credits with saving his life by walking more than one million steps in a month. David Kerr said his drinking had led him to a place he "couldn't see a way out of" but Surrey Drug and Alcohol Care "gave me my life back" | BBC, UK
What Should The Minimum Age For Drugs Be? (Your Radical Questions with Neil Woods) - audio
Neil Woods is a former undercover police officer who used to infiltrate drug gangs, but he now believes drugs should be legalised and the market regulated by government. In this special Q&A, Neil answers your questions on minimum ages for these drugs, the experiences of other countries, and the thorny moral question | BBC, UK
Cannabis: Smuggling
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many air passengers have been arrested for importing cannabis into the UK in each year since 2020 by (a) age, (b) sex, (c) nationality and (d) country of departure | They work for you, UK
Tobacco: Packaging
To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence from other countries, if any, they have considered when evaluating the effect of standardised packaging requirements for heated tobacco products on rates of youth uptake | They work for you, UK
Inside the crackdown on illegal vapes and illicit tobacco
Police forces and councils across north-west England have shut vape shops and seized thousands of illegal items in the last year, new figures show | BBC, UK
Postal worker who sent on cannabis parcels jailed
When Amjad Ali, 50, was arrested in December, Thames Valley Police (TVP) officers found £1.185m in cash in a storage locker he used, and another £42,290 at his Slough home | BBC, UK
'Millionaire' gang boss called police on drug phone
A cocaine dealer who was living an "extravagant" and "millionaire's" lifestyle was caught after he used his drug operation phone to report a burglary to police, a court has heard | BBC, UK
International news
The quaalude comeback: a once ‘extinct’ drug from the 70s makes a resurgence
Underground chemists are now producing the notorious party drug after a Scorsese film sparked renewed interest | Guardian, UK
Alcohol-related cancer deaths in US have more than doubled over three decades
Study finds just one drink per day could raise risk of disease with impacts extending far beyond liver cancer | Guardian, UK
Cannabis, cognition, and the role of nicotine with Emese Kroon - podcast
In this episode, Dr Tsen Vei Lim talks to Dr Emese Kroon, postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Substance Use and Addiction Research at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The interview covers Emese’s article on associations of cannabis use with cognitive functioning in individuals with a cannabis use disorder, looking at the moderating role of nicotine | SSA, UK
BAT reports 5,500 job cuts in cost-savings drive
British American Tobacco has revealed plans to cut 5,500 jobs as part of its Fit2Win transformation programme that aims to save £600m in costs each year | Europe Says, UK
'It's so strong' - Sabalenka halts play over cannabis smell
Aryna Sabalenka briefly halted her US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova because of a strong smell of cannabis before cruising into the fourth round in New York | BBC, UK
TV presenter among 12 sentenced to death in Egypt drugs case
Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other people have been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of drugs charges | BBC, UK
Experts weigh in on how to tackle illicit tobacco – and why an 80% excise cut is not on their list
Tougher enforcement and better monitoring products coming into Australia should be considered before lowering taxes, experts say | Guardian, UK
Big tobacco is back in town as cigarette tax fight lights up Australian politics
The industry has been pushing for cuts to excise for decades. With the explosion in illegal cigarette sales, those calls have grown louder | Guardian, UK
Addiction centre warns of rising demand
The Rutland Centre in Knocklyon has warned of growing pressure on addiction services as demand rises and people seek treatment for increasingly complex and multiple addictions | Dublin People, Ireland
Overdose deaths in Europe: EUDA highlights growing concerns over highly potent opioids and cocaine
What do the latest data tell us about overdose deaths in Europe? An updated version of the EUDA’s ‘Frequently asked questions (FAQ): drug-induced deaths in Europe’, published today, provides the most recent overview on the issue and responses underway across the region | EUDA, Portugal
Marketing features of derived intoxicating cannabinoid product brands on Instagram: A content analysis
[Open access] Use of derived intoxicating cannabinoid products (DICPs) has grown in the United States as have associated poisonings, emergency department visits and psychotic episodes. Brand marketing on social media, a largely underregulated marketing channel, may be contributing to this. To inform prevention efforts, this study characterized marketing features used by leading DICP brands on Instagram | Addiction, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Drunk online shopping is big business – but who is responsible?
One Sunday morning, Juliet* woke up to an eager delivery driver with a large package she had no recollection of ordering. She was quick to dismiss it as an e-commerce mistake before the card inside helped solve the mystery: “To Sober Juliet, from your friend, Drunk Juliet.” | Conversation, UK
Zero alcohol drinks are rising in popularity. What do young people think about them?
Over the past decade, zero-alcohol drinks have gone from a relatively niche product to a staple of our supermarket aisles, bottle stores and pubs. Their rising appeal in New Zealand and around the world isn’t difficult to understand. Patrons can enjoy the closest thing there is to beer or wine, but without the alcohol, they don’t need to worry about taxi fares or hangovers | Conversation, New Zealand