DrugWise Daily |
8th September 2026 |
Thank you to our Premium sponsors:
|
|
Could you sponsor DrugWise Daily? Please Email Harry Shapiro to discuss |
|
UK news
Half of ketamine samples tested contained other harmful substances posing health risk, new report reveals
Testing of ketamine samples from across Greater Manchester has found a large variation of purity with half of samples containing harmful substances posing health risks, according to the latest review of drug use across the region. Commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and led by researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University, GM TRENDS is an emergent drug trends monitoring system that identifies changing patterns of drug use across Greater Manchester local authorities | MMU, UK
Know Your Numbers: what your blood pressure can tell you about your health
Know Your Numbers! Week takes place from 7–13 September 2026. This year, Drinkaware is supporting Blood Pressure UK to encourage people of all ages to check their blood pressure, and to understand how alcohol can affect it | Drinkaware, UK
Westminster to ‘better explain’ vertical drinking policyOpens in new window
Westminster City Council has said it will clarify terms such as “vertical drinking” in its revised licensing policy following backlash from pubs, businesses and politicians | Morning Advertiser, UK
Psychological change processes in alcohol use disorder: A qualitative study of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) with cognitive behavioural therapy
[Open access] Patients and therapists in London describe how reflections prompted by taking a psychedelic drug helped provide fuel for and kickstart psychosocial therapy. The report is an offshoot of an evaluation which found drinking was greatly reduced | Addiction, UK
Is vaping being banned in the UK? 5 things people say about vaping and the truth behind the myths
According to a survey carried out for BBC Bitesize and BBC Radio 5 Live last year, nearly a third (32%) of teenagers aged 13-18 say they had vaped at least once. The survey also found that of those who said they had vaped at least once, 55% were worried it would be bad for their health | BBC Bitesize, UK
UK Drug Markets - 2026 so far
Tuesday 15 September • 6 PM - 9:30 PM GMT+1. Online. £34. This training will take a factual & evidence-based look at emerging trends and patterns in the drugs market as we reflect on 2026 so far! | The Loop, UK
The impact of extended alcohol trading hours in Glasgow and Aberdeen
Monday 5 October • 12:45 PM - 2 PM GMT+1. Online. The seminar, titled "Understanding the impact of recent extensions to late-night alcohol trading hours in Glasgow and Aberdeen: findings from the ELEPHANT study", will explore research which aimed to understand and evaluate the introduction, operation and impact of the later trading hours introduced in the two cities | SHAAP, UK
Report calls for tougher action on drugs in prison
The availability of illicit drugs in a Kent prison is continuing to pose a major threat to safety and security despite improvements at the facility, a report has said | BBC, UK
International news
Clinicians' and people who use drugs' perspectives on artificial intelligence in addiction medicine
[Open access] Artificial intelligence (AI) may improve addiction medicine workflows and health outcomes but raises questions about data privacy and unintended harms for people who use drugs (PWUD). This qualitative study aimed to understand the perspectives of clinicians and PWUD regarding perceived benefits and concerns about clinical AI in addiction medicine | Addiction, UK
Cork and Kerry 'dual diagnosis' drug and mental health hub supports 250 people
The centre at Heron House in Blackpool provides specialist multidisciplinary support for people experiencing both mental health difficulties and substance use disorders | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Garda and Colombian police sign anti-drug trafficking co-operation deal
Agreement will formalise how the forces officially share information and co-operate on organised crime clampdown | Irish Times, Ireland
EUDA webinar: Preventing opioid-related deaths in Europe — continuity of care, peer naloxone and rapid overdose alerts - recording
To mark International Overdose Awareness Day on 31 August, this webinar convenes policy, practice, research and community voices to discuss compassionate, evidence-informed and practical actions that can prevent opioid-related deaths across Europe | EUDA, Portugal
Methadone vs Buprenorphine-Naloxone in Opioid Overdose Survivors
[Open access] Especially with the addition of naloxone to prevent injecting, buprenorphine is considered a safer maintenance medication than methadone. But in Ontario in Canada, patients who had recently overdosed were significantly less likely to die over the following year if they had started treatment with methadone rather than buprenorphine, largely due to fewer fatal overdoses | JAMA Network Open, USA
Cannabis use alters how the human brain processes nicotine, new research suggests
Recent non-daily use of cannabis might make the effects of nicotine feel more unpleasant at higher doses, without necessarily changing how often a person chooses to consume it. These findings help unravel the complex biological relationship between two commonly used substances and suggest that cannabis alters how the human body processes nicotine | PsyPost, USA
LSD deconstruction reveals promising new drug candidates
University of California, Davis researchers have stripped down LSD to the base features responsible for its hallucinogenic and therapeutic effects. The researchers successfully developed several compounds with reduced hallucinogenic and cardiotoxic effects while also identifying one compound that produced antipsychotic-like effects | News Medical, USA
Ecuador: The New Synthetic Drug Frontier Raising Concerns Across The Americas – Analysis
Ecuador is no longer only a cocaine corridor. Police in May broke up a Los Tiguerones lab in Guayaquil making MDMA; OECO says the country is growing in processing and small, hard-to-spot shipments. Synthetics need less plant and cash than cocaine and can reuse the same ports and routes | Eurasia Review, USA
Targeting Addiction Treatment Engagement: A Canadian Randomized Effectiveness Trial of Remotely Administered
[Open access]Offering the chance to win prizes for attending treatment sessions doubled attendance, but with no significant impacts on substance use or well-being – an instance of the common finding that incentives prompt patients to do "just what it takes (and no more)" to get the rewards | Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, Canada
Blogs, comment and opinion
We Recover Loudly … Stomping Out Stigma One Sweaty Sock At A Time
Shell uses strong language in this new blog, and she makes no apology, so get ready for a blistering take on stigma and recovery | AntiStigma Network, UK