DrugWise Daily |
11th September 2026 |
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UK news
Response letter from Sarah Jones to the ACMD on Synthetic cathinones: an updated harms assessment
Dear Professor Wood and Professor Thomas, The Government’s response to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs updated harms assessment of synthetic cathinones. I would like to thank the ACMD, particularly the synthetic cathinones working group, for your work on considering the harms of synthetic cathinones. I apologise for the delay in replying to the report... | ACMD, UK
Exhibition celebrates people in addiction recovery
Artwork created by people recovering from addiction, mental health problems and homelessness is to go on display | BBC, UK
Derry to host exhibition focusing on addiction and recovery - audio
The Western Health and Social Care Trust is hosting hosting a number of powerful and inspiring exhibitions showcasing the creative expressions of Addiction, Mental Health and Recovery, with support and collaboration with numerous community and voluntary agencies | BBC, UK
Cannabis: Prescriptions
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use have been funded by the NHS in England in each year since November 2018 | They work for you, UK
Mental Health: Cannabis
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of regulations for the private prescription of medical cannabis at protecting patients with severe mental health conditions | They work for you, UK
Cannabis farmers use former BHS store for £1.3m crop
A pair of cannabis farmers who grew drugs with an estimated value of up to £1.3m in a town's former BHS store have been jailed | BBC, UK
Five men deny operating rural meth lab
It is alleged the men were part of a crime group manufacturing the class A drug methamphetamine near the hamlet of Furnace End | BBC, UK
International news
Harm Reduction International Annual Report 2025
Our 2025 Annual Report documents a pivotal year for the global harm reduction movement; one marked by an unprecedented funding crisis, a landmark international conference, and hard-won policy wins across the globe | HRI, UK
IDPC Progress Report 2025-2026
Welcome to IDPC’s Progress Report for 2025 to 2026 – a period in which we also celebrate our network’s 20th anniversary! Once again – in spite of a global backdrop of political regression, funding cuts and geo-political fracture – the IDPC network has continued to demonstrate its resilience and power | IDPC, UK
Drug use may have begun 25,000 years ago in Indonesia, research finds
Humans may have been using mind-altering substances far earlier than scientists had once thought, new research indicates. The evidence shows that betel nuts were used as drugs by some Indonesian communities up to 25,000 years ago | BBC, UK
Weight-loss drugs avoid Wada banned list for 2027
Athletes will not be banned from taking weight-loss drugs under the World Anti-Doping Agency's rules for 2027, but the substances will remain on its monitoring list | BBC, UK
Exposure to second-hand smoke doubles in sub-Saharan Africa
Exposure to second-hand smoke caused 1.7 million deaths globally in 2023, according to the latest statistics, but has fallen sharply in wealthier countries. Sub-Saharan Africa saw the largest increase in the world due to a rising population | Independent, UK
HSE warns of high-strength ecstasy and ‘copycat pills’ ahead of District X festival
Young people attending a dance music festival this weekend are being warned about the circulation of high-strength ecstasy and “copycat pills” containing more potent synthetic versions of the drug | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Effects of Kudzu Extract on alcohol consumption among men and women seeking treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder
[Open access] Kudzu has a history in Chinese herbal medicine to reduce drunkenness and has been seen in the UK as a promising drink-reducing treatment. In a rigorous US trial among people motivated to seek treatment, if anything it had the opposite effect | DADR, USA
Effects of a brief intervention on alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking among university students in Colombia. Results of a randomized controlled trial
[Open access] While the primary measure of drinking (drinks per month) was not significantly reduced, at different follow-up points there were some significant reductions in heavy drinking. These assessments were based on the approximately half or fewer of the students who could be re-assessed | DEPP, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Can science give up on defining recovery and maintain a recovery orientation?
Justin Bell’s recent post on the scientific dilemma of whether to drop or keep recovery sparked a lot of discussion. One takeaway from the discussion is the confirmation that people really struggle to hold space for one definition in scientific spaces while holding space for other definitions in personal, community, and professional service spaces. There is a strong sense, maybe instinctive rather than cognitive, that changing or establishing a definition in one space changes it in other spaces | Recovery Review blog, USA