DrugWise Daily |
12th May 2026 |
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UK news
Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK: registered in 2024
In 2024 there were 9,809 deaths from alcohol-specific causes were registered in the UK, the lowest number since 2021 (9,641 deaths), and the rate of alcohol-specific deaths (14.8 per 100,000 people) decreased to its lowest recorded number since 2020 (13.9 deaths per 100,000 people) | ONS, UK
UK alcohol deaths fall for first time since Covid pandemic
According to data released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), 9,809 deaths from alcohol-specific causes were registered in the UK in 2024. In what one expert calls a "modest reduction", it marks the lowest number since 2021 and the lowest rate since 2020 at 14.8 deaths per 100,000 people | BBC, UK
Further response to the ACMD advice on Semi-synthetic Cannabinoids: Cannabinoids related to tetrahydro-cannabinol and cannabidiol (PDF)
A further response from Sarah Jones MP to the ACMD has been added | ACMD, UK
'Ketamine took our loving and caring Archie'
The mother of a 20-year-old "loving and caring" man who died of pneumonia due to prolonged ketamine misuse has warned other families to "know the signs" of the drug taking hold | BBC, UK
Shop's booze bid 'will put addicts at risk'
Allowing a convenience store to sell alcohol into the early hours of the morning would put those battling addictions at risk, a charity, police and councillors have warned | BBC, UK
IAS Strategy 2026-2029
This strategy sets out how IAS will focus its work between 2026 and 2029 to help deliver that long-term vision. It aligns our core activities, new projects and partnerships around a single strategic aim: ensuring that evidence is translated into action and that policymakers are supported – and challenged – to act in the public interest | IAS, UK
Branding the Game: Alcohol Sponsorship, Sport, and Young People
Monday 18 May • 12:45 PM - 2 PM GMT+1. Online. Drawing on an extensive programme of research, Dr Purves will explore how alcohol companies strategically embed their brands within sport to normalise and glamorise drinking - particularly among younger audiences | SHAAP, UK
International news
Trump is backing psychedelic research: here’s why – podcast
Last month President Trump signed an executive order designed to fast track both research and access to psychedelic drugs as treatments for mental health illnesses. The most prominent in the order was ibogaine, a drug derived from the root bark of a West African shrub, that has shown some promise in relieving the long term effects of traumatic brain injury | Guardian, UK
Ex-Philippine leader Duterte's drug war enforcer escapes ICC arrest
A Filipino senator who oversaw former president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly war on drugs has taken refuge inside the country's Senate, hours before the International Criminal Court unsealed a warrant for his arrest | BBC, UK
New report highlights impact of drug-related intimidation in Ireland
Findings from the first national publication on drug-related intimidation (DRI) show 1,027 cases of DRI among people engaged with addiction and/or family support services in Ireland during the 2025 data collection period*. The data was collected using the Health Research Board’s (HRB) National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) on behalf of the DRIVE project, which aims to respond to DRI and associated violence in Ireland. Cocaine is the main drug linked to DRI (59%) | HRB, Ireland
New Director-General of UN Office at Vienna and Executive Director of UN Office on Drugs and Crime takes office
Monica Juma of Kenya assumed office today as the new Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), following her appointment by UN Secretary-General António Guterres | UNODC, Austria
Hazardous Alcohol Consumption Depicted in YouTube Videos: A Content Analysis
Social media platforms such as YouTube allow adolescents and young adults to document substance use and share related beliefs with large audiences. This study primarily aimed to identify and describe hazardous alcohol consumption methods depicted in highly viewed YouTube videos | Cureus, USA
Attention to sex differences, relapse needed in early-stage studies of medication to treat alcohol use disorder
Early-stage studies of medications to treat high-risk alcohol use may be missing opportunities to identify potential therapeutic effects in certain populations, including women and people at risk for relapse, according to a systematic review published in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
WithYou responds to the ONS statistics on alcohol-specific deaths in 2024
Simon Phillips, CEO of drug and alcohol treatment provider, WithYou, said: “The latest statistics show a reduction in alcohol-related deaths in the UK. This represents a step in the right direction, but we must meet it with caution, not celebration. Even a single preventable death is one too many. Behind every number is a person with a family and a community. Their loss is a tragedy... | WithYou, UK
AHA response to alcohol-specific deaths statistics in the UK in 2024
Responding to news, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair at the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “The 6.3% reduction in alcohol-specific deaths in 2024 is welcome, however they remain far too high and are still significantly above pre-pandemic levels. It is a stark reminder that alcohol harm continues to devastate thousands of families and communities every year | AHA, UK
From scepticism to support: What The Thistle taught me about harm reduction
In 2025, Thomas Delaney was invited to visit The Thistle – the UK’s first official drug consumption room. In this essay, Thomas reflects on his changing views of recovery, and the ongoing need to challenge stigma and misinformation in the media | SSA, UK
Securitisation, narcoterrorism and a drug-free America: The US drug strategy takes a hard turn
The Trump Administration’s new National Drug Control Strategyreleased last week, marks a sharp ideological and operational departure from the more health-oriented approach that had been promoted in recent years, in particular under the Biden Administration | IDPC blog, UK
Ketamine, TMS, a fecal analysis: my year trying San Francisco’s most experimental depression treatments
On a threadbare carpet in the living room of a Bernal Heights bungalow, I lay blindfolded on my back. Two middle-aged rescue terriers, one missing an eye, sniffed my feet and climbed up and down my legs. F**kin’ Perfect by Pink blared in the background, but the music sounded muffled and distant, like I was listening from underwater | Guardian, UK
Delta-8, delta-9, THCA? What sets the different THC forms available in regulated cannabis products apart
Hemp products have exploded across the United States, even in the majority of states where recreational marijuana remains illegal. This surge came after the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act and made cannabis products derived from hemp, defined as those containing less than 0.3% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol – commonly known as THC – legal. But the types of THC products available and the regulations around them, which vary by state, can be confusing | Conversation, USA
No more ‘just say no’ — Canadian schools will soon have a roadmap to address student substance use
The message to students used to be simple: “Just say no.” But in today’s schools, that message is not only outdated, it may be part of the problem. Across Canada, student substance use is a growing concern. According to the most recent national student survey, 15 per cent of students in Grades 7-12 reported vaping in the past month, and 18 per cent identified using multiple substances at the same time. Many Grade 7 students could not identify the health risks of substances they can easily access | Conversation, Canada