DrugWise Daily |
10th March 2026 |
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UK news
The Loop launches London's first drug checking service
The Loop Drug Checking Service, the charity which introduced drug checking in the UK, has launched London’s very first drug checking services. The Loop has brought its pioneering harm reduction service to Hackney and Camden, combining personalised health advice with rapid chemical analysis of substances of concern, and collecting information on current trends within local drug markets, to share with stakeholders and local communities | The Loop, UK
The costs of tackling drug harms in prisons (PDF)
In April 2025, approximately 40,000 people in prisons in England and Wales (50%) had an identified drug problem. Misuse of illicit drugs by people in prison creates or exacerbates risks to their health, well-being and personal safety. Between December 2022 and December 2024, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigated 833 deaths, of which 136 (16%) were drug-related. Conveyance, supply and use of illicit drugs also increase risks to the safety and stability of the prison regime. Availability of drugs inside prisons creates an illicit economy that can fuel debt, which can lead to assault, extortion or self-harm | NAO, UK
Cancer death rate in Britain down by almost a third since 1980s
Huge improvements in prevention, diagnosis and treatment have driven the fall, Cancer Research UK says | Guardian, UK
Lords to complete scrutiny of Tobacco and Vapes Bill
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has its third reading, a chance for members to make sure the eventual law is effective, workable and without loopholes, on Monday 9 March | UK Parliament, UK
Black people up to 48 times more likely to be stopped and searched in richest areas of London
Research found extreme disproportion in use of police power in districts such as Richmond-upon-Thames | Guardian, UK
Police crackdown disrupts drugs network on estate
A major policing operation to rid an estate of known criminals and tackle serious crime has made it a "difficult" place to buy drugs, police have said | BBC, UK
International news
Belgium at risk of becoming ‘narco-state’, judge warns
President of Antwerp court says international drug crime is posing danger to social stability in Belgium | Guardian, UK
Inside the world's fastest-growing HIV epidemic – video
More than 1,200 people in Fiji were diagnosed with HIV the first six months of 2025, making the island nation's HIV epidemic the fastest growing in the world. The UN says Fiji’s location as a drug-running hub and escalating local methamphetamine use has fuelled the rapid spread, coupled with unsafe injecting practices and a lack of access to clean needles | Guardian, UK
EUDA webinar: Did the illicit fentanyl trade experience a supply shock?
24 Mar 2026. Online. This webinar aims to discuss recent findings investigating the unexpected decline in fentanyl overdose deaths in North America in the period 2023–2024. It will explore 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
“Almost As If a Parent Is Passing Away” – Interview with Ancella Voets
After 36 years of pioneering work in the field of harm reduction, Mainline, a leading Dutch harm reduction organisation, has to close due to budget constraints. We interviewed its executive director, Ancella Voets, on this occasion | Drug Reporter, Hungary
A short communication of pain outcomes following a pharmacist-delivered alcohol and opioid use reduction intervention
[Open access] Co-use of alcohol and opioid medications increases risk for sedation, respiratory depression, and overdose, yet remains common among patients prescribed opioids. The Alcohol Brief Intervention–Medication Therapy Management (ABI-MTM) intervention was developed for delivery by community pharmacists and demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary reductions in co-use. Given possible pain-related motives for co-use, this exploratory secondary analysis assessed whether ABI-MTM affected pain symptomatology | DADR, USA
New Jersey's opioid gap persists as high-risk counties fall further behind
Opioids such as fentanyl are "indiscriminate killers" that can be misused by people from all walks of life. But where you live may be more influential than previously realized, according to researchers at Rutgers University | Medical Xpress, USA
CDC Identifies Specific Drugs Most Frequently Cited in Overdose Deaths
On March 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a National Vital Statistics Report on the drugs most frequently involved in overdose deaths between 2017 and 2023 | Filter Magazine, USA
Commission to Look at Methadone Regs, But Don’t Hold Your Breath
A new National Methadone Access and Quality Commission has been created by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE). It will be headquartered at Yale University and chaired by Dr. David Fiellin, director of the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine | Filter Magazine, USA
Chimps' taste for fermented fruit hints at origins of human love of alcohol
For 11 days in late summer 2025, Aleksey Maro found himself in the Ugandan rainforest, doing whatever he could to collect chimpanzee urine | npr, USA
What app? Demographic and drug use predictors of buying drugs via different social media and messaging apps
[Open access] Improving our understanding of how demographic and drug use factors shape social media drug market engagement is integral to targeting harm reduction and prevention responses to high-risk drug use and digital harm. An anonymous online survey of New Zealanders who use drugs (N = 10,781) was used to explore social media drug purchasing | IJDP, USA
HRA 2025 AOD Data Report
Following the successful inaugural report early last year, we are back with another comprehensive overview of the key national data sources on alcohol & other drugs (AOD) and harm reduction. This report brings together key data from the routine data monitoring systems and national surveys on AOD issues | HRA, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Womanifesto: A call to transform treatment for women
As momentum grows around women’s health, the Women’s Treatment Working Group calls for drug and alcohol treatment services to confront gendered inequalities and centre women’s voices in the design of care. Nic Adamson, Deputy Chief Executive of Change Grow Live, outlines three priorities for building services that break down barriers to access, address stigma and safeguarding, and ensure women receive holistic, compassionate support | SSA blog, UK
International Women’s Day 2026: Celebrating the Women of Forward’s Dependency & Recovery Team
On 8th March 2026, we were proud to celebrate International Women’s Day, recognising the strength, resilience and impact of women across our organisation and beyond | Forward Trust, UK
Not all alcohol policies are created equal
The evidence has long been clear that high levels of alcohol consumption increase the risk of cancers of the head, neck, and digestive system, as well as breast cancer in women. Studies have shown that even low levels of drinking can increase these risks. However, the long latency between changes in alcohol consumption and changes in cancer risk means that it is hard to assess the effect of alcohol policies on cancer outcomes, even when we know that these policies have been effective at reducing drinking | Lancet comment, UK