DrugWise Daily |
7th July 2026 |
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UK news
New data shows 3.3 million ex-smokers used vapes to quit, but youth regulation still urgently needed, says charity
New data from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows daily vaping among adults has overtaken daily smoking in Britain for the first time, with 3.3 million vape users saying they are ex-smokers. At the same time over a million 11-17 year olds say they have tried vaping. The data highlights both the success of vaping as a quit aid and the urgent need to reduce youth uptake | ASH, UK
Ending smoking inequality
This action plan sets out key recommendations for government to ensure the harms of smoking are not borne by the communities least able to escape them. The Government must act now and ensure that these communities are not left behind. Increased investment in local authority stop smoking services and embedding greater treatment in the NHS is a strong start, but without a clear plan with tangible targets, this investment could miss those who need our support the most | ASH, UK [Press Release here]
Concern over drug users 'openly smoking crack'
Drug users are "openly smoking crack" in a west London suburb after a drug recovery service was relocated to the area, a resident has said | BBC, UK
“You’ve got to make that first step”: Man who was hospitalised because of alcohol shares his recovery story this Alcohol Awareness Week
This Alcohol Awareness Week (6 - 12 July), Craig (44) is sharing his story of going from drinking 12 litres of cider a day to working as a group lead and allotment volunteer for the charity that helped him. As the national campaign encourages open conversations about alcohol, Craig - who committed himself to recovery three years ago on 15 July - wants to make sure anyone who needs help knows it’s available at WithYou in North Lincolnshire | WithYou, UK
“We are not here to tell people what to do. We just want to help them get better”: Redcar and Cleveland charity tackles stigma for Alcohol Awareness Week
This Alcohol Awareness Week (6 - 12 July) WithYou in Redcar and Cleveland is issuing an urgent message to local residents: you do not have to suffer in silence. As lead partner in the local THRIVE partnership - with Harbour the specialist domestic abuse charity, and Intuitive Thinking Skills which provides recovery programmes - the service is highlighting the unique challenges in Redcar and Cleveland, emphasising that help is available, judgement-free, and closer than ever before | WithYou, UK
Alcohol and cancer: fighting back against misinformation - podcast
Cancer Prevention Action Week in June put a spotlight on one of public health’s most stubborn problems: the gap between what the science says about cancer and what the public actually knows, including on alcohol and cancer | IAS, UK
International news
Man, 30s, arrested in Cork after €1.6m cannabis seizure
Intelligence-led operation involved Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, Cork City Divisional Drugs Unit, and Revenue Customs Service | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Policy pathways and historical insights: Canada's evolving approach to psychedelic access for end-of-life distress
Canada’s evolving attitudes toward psychedelic interventions in palliative and end-of-life care reflect a departure from historically prohibitionist policies and an emerging recognition of their therapeutic potential for individuals facing end-of-life distress. This shift parallels international regulatory developments in jurisdictions such as the United States, Australia and parts of Europe, where cautious policy liberalization has signaled growing acceptance of psychedelics within clinical contexts | IJDP, USA
Paying stores to curb tobacco, alcohol and lottery ads shows early promise
An initiative focused on partnering with retailers to decrease the influence of tobacco, alcohol and lottery marketing is showing promise and could present a more effective way to protect public health throughout the country, according to researchers at The Ohio State University | Medical Xpress, USA
Pandemic onset stalled reduction of benzodiazepine use among older Americans, says study
Years of progress in reducing benzodiazepine prescribing among older Americans stalled after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a decade-long national study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Although benzodiazepine prescribing declined steadily before 2020 and remained below 2015 levels, those reductions leveled off after the pandemic began | Medical Xpress, USA
The 'healthier' drink that isn't: Popular alcoholic beverages found to be ultra-processed despite health claims
Canned cocktails and hard seltzers are being chosen by health-conscious young people as a safer way to consume alcohol, but new Australian research reveals these products are almost universally ultra-processed, potentially giving consumers a false sense of security and undermining recent declines in alcohol consumption among young people | Medical Xpress, USA
Who Will Profit Most When the Drug War Ends?
The day I finish reading The Next Fix: The Winners and Losers Inside the Future of Drugs, by Professor Kojo Koram, a London-based legal scholar, I also see that a British cannabis clinic has been named eighth in the Sunday Times’ list of 100 fastest-growing private companies | Filter Magazine, USA
The workers who 'just get it': How lived experience strengthens addiction recovery
People with lived experience of alcohol and drug use are helping others navigate recovery. New UNSW research shows their experience is a powerful form of expertise when workplaces recognise and support it | USNW, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Why do we drink?
In Why We Drink Too Much: The Hidden Science of Just One More, Dr Charles Knowles weaves memoir and science to investigate the reasons why alcohol has become the world’s most popular drug. He discusses the rise of ‘grey area’ drinking, the influence of the alcohol industry, and why drinking problems merit sympathy and understanding | SSA, UK
We still misunderstand addiction. Here’s what you should know
When most people hear the word addiction, they picture someone whose life has visibly unravelled. Yet addiction is often hidden in plain sight – affecting people in workplaces, schools, sporting clubs and family homes | Conversation, Australia