DrugWise Daily |
19th May 2026 |
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UK news
Press release: Government to transform mental health care with new strategy
New mental health strategy will transform care in England and drive shift from crisis intervention to preventative care | DHSC, UK
Open call for evidence: Informing the mental health strategy for England
This call for evidence seeks to inform a new strategic cross-government approach to mental health under the 10 Year Health Plan for England. Frontline workers, clinicians and mental health experts are being invited to share their views on how to transform mental health care for children and adults in England. We welcome examples of good practice, from across the UK and internationally, and from across sectors | DHSC, UK
Calls to Tighten Rules Around Alcohol Sales on Delivery Apps - video
Delivery firms say they verify people's ages and avoid handing alcohol to those who seem drunk, but campaigners want stricter rules | BBC, UK
Support for London’s rough sleepers to be revisited after closure of capital's only homeless drug and alcohol clinic
LBC previously highlighted warnings that the loss London's only homeless detox clinic in March would "undoubtedly" lead to a loss of lives and increased pressure on A&E departments | LBC, UK
Early insights from a national scheme providing vaping devices for smoking cessation: A preliminary evaluation to inform future return-on-investment modelling in England
[Open access] Swap to Stop is a government scheme to promote smoking cessation. Local authorities in England were given e-cigarette (vape) starter kits to provide alongside behavioural support in a wide range of settings. This study evaluated the scheme's success | Addiction, UK
More than 12,300 motorists caught drug-driving three or more times in the last 11 years
More than 12,300 drivers have been caught drug-driving on at least three separate occasions in the last 11 years – five times the number caught repeat drink-driving over the same period – new RAC analysis of DVLA data shows | RAC, UK
New High Street crime unit to target gangs fronting shops after BBC investigation
A new £30m High Street organised crime unit has been announced by the government after the BBC's year-long investigative reporting into illegal mini-marts, vape shops and barbers. Over 12 months BBC News exposed drug gangs, child sexual exploitation reports, money laundering, immigration crime and ghost directors linked to shop fronts selling illegal cigarettes and illegal vapes | BBC, UK
Why RTDs are getting stronger
Higher alcohol ready-to-drink beverages are gaining traction, despite opposing trends for no and low alcohol also running in tandem. Southern Glazer’s tells db why this is a trend to watch | The Drinks Business, UK
Jail with drug issues needs to do more, says report
During a visit to HMP Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in February, HM Inspectorate of Prisons noted multiple areas of concern for safeguarding and support of prisoners prior to release. The report, external criticised a lack of investment in security which it said "hindered" efforts to tackle drug supply | BBC, UK
HGV driver hid drugs in Kim Kardashian Skims load
A lorry driver who smuggled £7.2m of cocaine in a shipment of Kim Kardashian Skims clothing has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years | BBC, UK
Cocaine 'broker' jailed for pandemic deals
A drug dealer who arranged the wholesale supply of thousands of pounds worth of cocaine during the coronavirus pandemic has been jailed for seven years and two months | BBC, UK
Former cop jailed for creating cocaine supply chain
Exeter Crown Court heard on Monday that Gary Parkinson had a leading role in the conspiracy to increase distribution to Devon through his contacts in Manchester, where he had served in the Greater Manchester Police for 14 years | BBC, UK
International news
Why young people in France are swapping wine for beer in historic first
France has consumed more beer than wine for the first time, with wine consumption reaching its lowest level since 1957, attributed to rising living costs and changing drinking habits among younger generations | Independent, UK
Magic mushrooms could be effective treatment for cocaine addiction, study shows
Participants who got single dose of psilocybin were more likely to abstain from cocaine than those who got placebo | Guardian, UK
Police running out of room to store illegal cigarettes they’ve seized amid Australia’s booming illicit trade
Inquiry into black market hears cost of destroying vapes has also soared, with some requiring manual dismantling | Guardian, UK
European Testing Week 2026: Every Test Brings Us Closer to Eliminating Hepatitis C
From 18–25 May 2026, organisations across Europe will come together for European Testing Week, a campaign focused on raising awareness of HIV and hepatitis testing and encouraging more people to access life-saving support and treatment | Forward Trust, UK
Eradicating Hepatitis C in Europe. A frontline assessment of harm reduction and implementation gaps. Civil Society Monitoring Report 2025
This report is based on data collected in 2025 from C-EHRN Focal Points: civil society organizations delivering harm reduction services in 42 European cities | C-EHRN, The Netherlands
2025 C-EHRN Monitoring Dashboard
The C-EHRN Monitoring provides annual, city-level data on harm reduction services across Europe, based on input from a network of civil society organisations (Focal Points). It aims to identify gaps, barriers, and inequalities in service provision and to support evidence-based advocacy and policy development at local, national, and European levels. By capturing real-world service conditions and frontline perspectives, it complements existing national and European monitoring systems | C-EHRN, The Netherlands
Combining Cannabis and Tobacco Triples Psychosis Risk
A multi-site study reveals that combining cannabis and tobacco, a trend known as “co-use”, significantly increases the long-term risk of developing full psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. The study tracked over 1,000 participants from the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study, specifically focusing on adolescents and young adults already at “clinical high risk” for psychosis | Neuroscience News, USA
DHS Releases Questionable Synthetic Opioid Guidance for First Responders
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released new guidance on synthetic opioids, intended for first responders and government agents who might encounter them in the field. The Master Question List (MQL) for Synthetic Opioids, announced May 14 by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate, purports to have the latest “scientifically vetted” exposure and decontamination protocols | Filter Magazine, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
In Focus: The Monthly AFS CEO Blog - May 2026
In the first of a new series of monthly CEO blogs, Carolyn Lochhead, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, shares her thoughts post-election on hopes for the new Parliament | Alcohol Focus Scotland blog, UK
The World's Unexpected Coke Capitals
The annual release of drugs’ wastewater analysis is part of the drug content pusher’s calendar and this year produced some stop-the-scroll stats. These were largely around ketamine with its overall wastewater load increasing 41% since 2024, and England’s historically ketty Bristol named the highest-using city among 115 analysed by the European Union Drug Agency, which also covers a handful across other continents. But most intriguing were two seemingly arbitrary locations with the highest wastewater rates of benzoylecgonine – a metabolite present in the urine of cocaine users | What are you on, UK
Social Media Drug Groups Are Changing the Dealing Game
Stepping out of the station and straight into the city square, its immense double-towered Gothic cathedral looming, my man was waiting on his bike: a shadow sitting as straight as the spires above. I got his number from a Telegram channel. GBP £10 in exchange for three dial-a-dealers in the western German city where I was spending four days with friends. He had the best English, so he got the okay | Talking Drugs, UK
Flavored vapes led to a major shake‑up at the FDA – 3 health policy analysts explain the science behind the controversial products
The resignation of Marty Makary, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, on May 12, 2026, brought to the forefront a heated controversy over fruit-flavored nicotine vapes | Conversation, USA