DrugWise Daily |
17th August 2026 |
Thank you to our Premium sponsors:
|
|
Could you sponsor DrugWise Daily? Please Email Harry Shapiro to discuss |
|
UK news
'Potent' spice-laced gummies sold on social media
Experts have found "incredibly high concentrations" of a drug known as spice in illegal cannabis gummies being sold online. The drug-laced gummies, which are made to look like familiar-looking sweet brands in colourful packaging but contain THC, have been seized by Wiltshire Police and are being tested by scientists at the University of Bath. Professor Chris Pudney, from the university, said he was concerned about the amount of spice which could vary widely - even between gummies in the same pack | BBC, UK
Boy who changed law on medicinal cannabis thriving as he turns 21
Turning 21 is a milestone for most. For Charlotte Caldwell, celebrating her son Billy's 21st birthday was something she feared would never happen. Billy Caldwell from Castlederg in County Tyrone has a severe form of epilepsy, which at one point had him suffering hundreds of "life-threatening" seizures a day. After a legal battle, Billy was prescribed a cannabis-based medicine which stopped his seizures | BBC, UK
About 70 needles found in city clean-up drive
Last year, the council installed five new needle bins to help tackle the visibility of discarded drug paraphernalia. There are now 15 needle bins across the city, which have had more than 2,600 needles deposited in them since 2019 | BBC, UK
Changing pubs into homes to be made harder under new rules
The updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will come into force on Monday and is expected to contain more protections for pubs at threat of closure for conversion to another use | BBC, UK
The Forward Trust Staff Awards 2026: Celebrating excellence across our teams
The Forward Trust were delighted to celebrate our incredible staff and volunteers last month (9 July 2026) at our annual staff awards | Forward Trust, UK
International news
Drug abuse in Israel surges after October 7, latest data shows
One in four Israelis are now engaging in problematic substance use | Independent, UK
Air India pilot's reported cannabis test: What it can and can't tell investigators
Reports that an Air India pilot tested positive for cannabis after a flight sound like the sort of finding that should make an aviation investigator sit up | BBC, UK
What we know about alcohol risk in 2026 with Sinclair Carr and Jürgen Rehm - podcast
In this episode, Dr Tsen Vei Lim talks to Sinclair Carr and Dr Jürgen Rehm. Sinclair is a PhD candidate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the US, and Jürgen is a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada. The interview covers Sinclair and Jürgen’s updated review of the relationship between dimensions of alcohol consumption and the burden of disease | SSA, UK
Will Poulter on challenging stereotypes in new opioid drama: ‘Shame on us for stigmatizing people’
The British actor delivers his strongest performance to date in indie film Union County as a person struggling with substance abuse trying to turn his life around | Guardian, UK
HSE warns of pink cocaine, triple-strength MDMA and new ketamine strain during festival season
Between 2021 and 2025, the HSE identified 57 new substances that had never been seen in Ireland before | Journal, Ireland
Engagement with Overdose Education and Naloxone Uptake at Jail Release: Evidence from a Vending Machine–Based Naloxone-on-Release Program in Los Angeles County
[Open access] Male prisoners in Los Angeles County jails are released via a single release room. Sited there was a vending machine dispensing naloxone and fentanyl test strips, and while they waited a video played on overdose education and naloxone distribution – a possible model for other prison systems | DAD, USA
Wearable smart patch could automatically deliver aid during a fentanyl overdose
A patch smaller than a penny could one day save the lives of people experiencing a fentanyl overdose—even when no one else is there to help. Researchers in Virginia Tech's Department of Biological Systems Engineering have developed a wearable microneedle patch that can detect fentanyl in the body and automatically release naloxone, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose | Medical Xpress, USA
New trend of injecting banned peptides to 'optimise' the body
Thomas's phone alarm buzzes at 9:30 p.m.—it's time for the aspiring bodybuilder to start injecting several banned peptides into his stomach | Medical Xpress, USA
States enact emergency orders on kratom while awaiting federal rules
States are moving faster and further than federal regulators to get kratom off store shelves, with some banning the herb outright while a pending federal rule targets only one of its chemicals | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Britain’s quarter century: experts in sex, mental health, nutrition and addiction assess the nation’s changing wellbeing
Drugs, like fashion, change over time. Since the millennium, for instance, we have seen a surge in cocaine use. Once regarded as an expensive drug used by the elite, it is now more affordable than ever and more potent, which explains its greater popularity | Conversation, UK
Why I think it’s time to ban alcohol on flights
As incidents of air rage soar, one common factor keeps cropping up: alcohol. Global Travel Editor Annabel Grossman explains why she thinks it’s time to ground the in-flight drinks trolley | Independent, UK
Every drunk thinks they can fix things and drink normally again. I know you can't - Euan McColm
There is a bond of understanding between fellow former addicts, explains Euan McColm, but that doesn’t mean he has the answer for those who are still suffering | Scotsman, UK
Quitting alcohol changes the brain and can increase the risk of compulsive drinking – new research in mice
For some, abstaining from alcohol can subsequently increase compulsive drinking. Our research team found that, in abstaining mice, this urge to drink is preceded by changes in the activity of a particular brain region, pointing to potential new screening opportunities to identify and help those most vulnerable to relapse | Conversation, USA