DrugWise Daily |
27th March 2026 |
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UK news
London's only homeless detox clinic to close
London's only dedicated drug and alcohol detox unit for homeless people is to close, St Thomas' Hospital has confirmed. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the decision had been taken due to "rising costs", adding that the service was "no longer affordable within existing funding". The clinic which is based at the hospital ran with a £1m shortfall over the past year, and "there were also times when beds were underused", the government added | BBC, UK
Coroner fears more drug deaths at prison
Milton Keynes coroner Sean Cummings investigated the death of Ronald Meikle in his cell at HMP Woodhill on 30 April 2024. He died from the effects of synthetic cannabinoids, often known as Spice, and the coroner found "illicit drugs were readily available" at the prison. Following Meikle's death, HMP Woodhill recruited a permanent drug strategy lead to brief staff on tackling the issue | BBC, UK
More than 6m vapes and pods discarded weekly in UK despite single-use ban, study finds
Number fell 23% year on year in 2025 but waste companies say recycling systems still under strain from sheer volume | Guardian, UK
Snus linked to gum damage
Although illegal to sell in the UK, snus, a form of nicotine usually delivered in a small pouch placed under the top lip, has grown in popularity as it is cheaper and more discreet than vaping or smoking. But a systematic review found ‘consistent evidence’ that snus and similar can cause gum recession, particularly where the pouch is placed | Dentistry, UK
The Forward Trust are delighted to secured Connect to Work in East and North Kent
The Forward Trust has secured the new Connect to Workprogramme in East and North Kent. From 1 April 2026, The Forward Trust, in partnership with Social Enterprise Kent, will launch the next phase of this initiative | Forward Trust, UK
New report explores our gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps
Our 2025 pay gap report marks an important milestone for Change Grow Live: for the first time, we are including our disability pay gap | Change Grow Live, UK
Bromsgrove: Take Drugs Seriously
Burcot Village Hall, Burcot, England, Thursday, Apr 16 from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. Come along to our free event to learn about the impact of drugs in Bromsgrove and how we can better protect our community | J Slater, UK
Two pharmacy workers charged with stealing drugs
Two pharmacy workers are among three people who have been charged in connection with the theft and supply of prescription-only drugs, following a two year investigation | BBC, UK
International news
'A game-changing moment for social media' - what next for big tech after landmark addiction verdict?
A jury in LA has delivered a damning verdict for two of the world's most popular digital platforms, Instagram and YouTube. It ruled those apps are addictive, and deliberately engineered that way – and that its owners have been negligent in their safeguarding of the children who have used them | BBC, UK
Harm Reduction International Appoints Catherine Cook as Executive Director
Harm Reduction International (HRI) announced the appointment of Catherine Cook as its Executive Director. She has been acting in the role since April 2025. HRI’s Board of Trustees led an extensive due diligence process, before formally appointing Catherine permanently into the Executive Director role | HRI, UK
Sharks testing positive for cocaine and painkillers are prowling in the Caribbean
Researchers found changes in metabolic markers in some sharks showing signs of having contaminated blood | Independent, UK
EUDA webinar: Did the illicit fentanyl trade experience a supply shock? - video
This webinar aimed to discuss recent findings investigating the unexpected decline in fentanyl overdose deaths in North America in the period 2023–2024. It explored the potential role of a major disruption in the illicit fentanyl trade (possibly linked to Chinese government actions) and the implications for drug policy and public health strategies | EUDA, Portugal
Comparison of the treatments in crack use disorder : A Systematic Review
Based on studies over the decade from 2014, reviewers favour contingency management (systematic rewards or punishments) and/or long-acting stimulants to help resolve problem crack use, but the evidence is far from convincing | European Addiction Research, Switzerland
Heated Tobacco Products Shouldn’t Be a Harm Reduction Afterthought
Gary Sweeney may be in a minority among people who quit smoking in his community in County Donegal, Ireland, but the method he used worked, so that doesn’t bother him one bit | Filter Magazine, USA
Nicotine e-cigarettes outperform other methods for quitting smoking
A new analysis of existing studies co-led by a University of Massachusetts Amherst public health researcher finds that nicotine e-cigarettes consistently help adults quit smoking, a conclusion that emerges with striking agreement across nearly a decade of studies | News Medical, USA
Kratom calls skyrocket to nation's poison centers
Calls to poison centers about kratom, a drug widely available in vape shops and gas stations, increased more than 1,200% between 2015 and 2025, with a corresponding rise in hospitalizations, an alarming new UVA Health analysis reveals | Medical Xpress, USA
Intoxication in Children From Opioids Prescribed to Family Members
This study suggests that opioids prescribed to household family members are associated with a markedly increased risk of fatal and nonfatal opioid intoxication in children; mitigation strategies may include improved prescribing stewardship and caregiver education to reduce pediatric intoxication | JAMA Network Open, USA
Methadone Dose and Patient-Directed Discharge in Hospitalized Patients With Opioid Use Disorder
In this cohort study of 554 adults with opioid use disorder who were admitted to the hospital and received methadone during the first 72 hours, there was a decreased risk of patient-directed discharge with increased methadone dose given during the first 24 hours of care in an adjusted analysis | JAMA Network Open, USA
How often we see alcohol in movies: A Systematic review and Meta-analysis
Exposure to alcohol portrayals in movies has been associated with increased alcohol use. Several studies have examined the prevalence and frequency of alcohol portrayals in movies, but systematic synthesis of this evidence is lacking. This review aimed to estimate the pooled proportion of movies that portrayed alcohol and the average frequency of such portrayals per movie | IJDP, USA
Is more time in recovery associated with greater willingness to accept later rewards and more immediate costs?
The tendency to prefer immediate to delayed rewards, known as delayed discounting, is a well-documented human trait that varies across people and is also known to predict substance use disorder. However, less is known about delayed discounting rates among people in recovery from substance use disorder. This study investigated differences in delayed reward discounting and delayed loss discounting among individuals at different points in recovery | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Which is better at linking people to care? Syringe service or criminal justice programs
Strategies are needed to increase engagement with substance use disorder treatment. This study compared the relative utility of two common points of contact, syringe service programs or interactions with the criminal legal system, at linking people to care | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
What Three Recent Cases Taught Me About Integrated Care at Phoenix Futures
As the Senior Nurse for Phoenix based at our Wirral Residential Service, I’ve worked closely with residents whose physical health needs were complex, urgent, and often frightening for them to navigate alone. I see first-hand how deeply medical issues can affect someone’s confidence, dignity, and ability to stay focused on their recovery journey | Phoenix Futures blog, UK
How the five dimensions of access can shape effective youth vaping policy
In our latest study, we conducted a systematic review of European research to look at vaping among 11-17 year olds through the lens of the five dimensions of access. This framework, originally designed for healthcare, allowed us to break down the factors influencing youth use into five areas | SARG blog, UK
A New Take on the Antidepressants vs Psychedelics Efficacy Debate
Over the past decade, psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has been increasingly framed as a breakthrough in mental health care. In clinical trials, particularly for treatment-resistant depression, it is often described as faster, deeper, and more transformative than traditional antidepressants. But what if we haven’t actually been comparing these treatments fairly? | Drug Science, UK
Drug recovery is now US national policy. Campuses need to step up
Without big improvements, universities will fail to play their part in a long overdue effort to embed support in everyday institutions, says Noel Vest | THE opinion, UK