DrugWise Daily |
24th September 2026 |
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UK news
Drug-related deaths in Scotland, 2025
The number of deaths from drug use rose by 11% in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to new figures from National Records of Scotland (NRS). NRS recorded 1,133 deaths, 116 more than in 2024. The rate of 21.4 deaths per 100,000 people is four times as high as the rate in the year 2000 when current records began. There was a 19% increase in drug use deaths in males and a 5% decrease in females compared to 2024. The average age at death was 46 | NRS, UK
Drug deaths rise sharply in Scotland as figures remain worst in Europe
Deaths related to illicit drugs rose by 11% in Scotland last year to 1,133 as the country struggles to tackle the worst fatality rate in Europe. National Records of Scotland (NRS) said the figure for 2025 was 116 higher than the previous year, bringing the total deaths in a decade to more than 11,000. After adjusting for age, there were 214 drug-related deaths per million people | BBC, UK
Phoenix Futures Statement on Scotland’s Drug-Related Deaths
[Yesterday's] figures from National Records of Scotland released today show an 11% increase in drug-related deaths. This is a heartbreaking reminder of the scale of loss Scotland continues to face | Phoenix Futures, UK
Behavioural problems in trauma-exposed youth linked to later smoking, substance use and poor diet
Study co-led by Bath suggests tackling problem behaviours in adolescence could help reduce some of the long-term health impacts of childhood trauma | University of Bath, UK
Andy Burnham signals he may lift ban on alcohol in football stands
Prime minister says measure is discriminatory when fans of other sports are not similarly restricted | Guardian, UK
Tories would prevent long-term jobless spending benefits on alcohol and cigarettes
The Conservatives have promised to prevent long-term jobless benefit claimants from spending their welfare payments on alcohol, cigarettes and gambling | BBC, UK
Call for delivery app alcohol limits after man's death
The family of a man who died of alcohol abuse aged 33 is calling for restrictions on the amount of booze that can be bought on food delivery apps | BBC, UK
Effects of ‘no safe level’ and ‘cutting down’ alcohol messages on problem recognition, defensive processing, and self-efficacy in heavy drinkers: a randomized experimental study
[Open access] UK study testing the effects on drinkers of a ‘no safe level’ (“Alcohol is a toxin”) versus a ‘cutting down’ message (“Even small reductions … can lead to noticeable improvements in … wellbeing).” Worryingly, both weakened belief in one’s ability to control drinking, “a crucial predictor of success for behaviour change interventions” | Psychology & Health, UK
Lung cancer screening sees 10,000 people take part
Almost 10,000 people across Shropshire have had a free lung health check as part of a programme to detect lung cancer earlier | BBC, UK
'Smoking took years away from my dad and me'
When Katie Freeman recalls memories of her late father, he is rarely without a cigarette in hand. Nigel Freeman smoked for most of his life and died at the age of 74 from smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which impacted his lungs | BBC, UK
People face fines for smoking or vaping near schools
The new rules brought in by Knowsley Council will also apply to other public spaces, such as playgrounds and outside libraries | BBC, UK
Five men jailed over £1.4m cannabis factory in West Lothian
Hung Nguyen, 31, Ho Cuong, 24, Nguyen Phong, 22, Wei Nguyen, 28, and Bui Nam, 38 were caught following an increase in electricity usage at a former clothing factory in West Calder | BBC,UK
A Co-produced Research Partnership to Transform the UK Gambling Harm Support and Recovery System
This 12-month project will bring together researchers, clinicians, third-sector organisations and people with lived experience to identify research priorities and develop a proposal for a four-year programme focused on improving gambling harm support, treatment and recovery across the UK | SARG, UK
International news
Fianna Fáil TD to table bill to ban sale of vapes and cigarettes to anyone born after 2009
The bill would provide for a ‘smokefree generation’ in which the sale and supply of tobacco or nicotine products are banned to anyone born on or after 2009 | Journal, Ireland
Feasibility, acceptability, and impacts of a drug checking service within a supervised consumption site in Sydney, Australia
[Open access] Research on drug checking services co-located within supervised consumption sites is limited. This multi-method study investigated the feasibility, acceptability and impacts of operating drug checking within the Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC), Sydney, Australia | IJDP, USA
Substance use disorder is linked to an increased risk of suicide, study finds
People with substance use disorder are at a significantly higher risk of both attempting suicide and dying by suicide, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry | Medical Xpress, USA
Think cannabis reduces stress? New study finds it's complicated
Cannabis is often used as a stress reliever, but a new study suggests that some of the body's stress response systems don't get the message | Medical Xpress, USA
'Frustration brake failure' hypothesis proposes new way to understand addiction
Why does a person continue seeking drugs when doing so becomes increasingly difficult, frustrating or harmful? Researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) propose that part of the answer may involve a breakdown in a natural behavioral "brake" that normally signals when it is time to stop pursuing a goal | Medical Xpress, USA
Number of older adults living with opioid use disorder in Ontario more than doubles over eight years, new report finds
The number of Ontarians aged 55 and older with health care interactions related to opioid use disorder (OUD) more than doubled between 2017 and 2025, according to a new report published by the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN), based at St. Michael's Hospital | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Drug deaths are rising again, and Scotland can't afford to wait any longer
Gareth Balmer, National Harm Reduction Lead at WithYou, explains why Scotland's drug deaths continue to rise | WithYou blog, UK
Drug deaths: How many more funerals before the system changes?
Another year. Another set of drug death statistics. Another 1,133 human beings gone. | Think Scotland, UK
Why Scotland’s drug death rate is so high
New figures show Scotland’s drug deaths rose by 11% in 2025, as the country once again recorded the worst mortality rate in Europe. Andrew Misra examines why | Channel 4, UK
Psilocybin may help the brain recover from concussion, new study shows
A concussion is often described as a “mild” traumatic brain injury. Yet repeated blows to the head rarely feel mild and the impacts — including changes in movement, memory, mood and brain function — may last for months or years | Conversation, Canada