DrugWise Daily |
10th September 2026 |
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UK news
Majority back banning flavoured vapes, poll suggests
A poll done by ScotPulse for the anti-smoking charity Ash Scotland spoke to 1,061 people between July 24 and 28. Some 79% of respondents said they would want to see flavours in vapes and nicotine pouches banned | STV News, UK
No longer hidden: how illegal tobacco is taking over UK high streets
To mark the one-year anniversary of the It Costs More Than You Think campaign, JTI shares hard-hitting new data showcasing what the British public thinks about illegal tobacco | Convenience Store, UK
Curbs on vertical drinking in Soho pubs to go ahead as Khan criticises council’s ‘breathtaking arrogance’
Exclusive: London mayor accuses council of ‘ignoring’ responses to a consultation | Guardian, UK
Recovery Month in Liverpool: The Brink celebrates its 15th birthday with a full programme of recovery events this September
A month-long programme of workshops, creative activities, recovery shares and celebrations will take place at The Brink this September, bringing people together to connect, reflect and celebrate recovery during Recovery Month | Forward Trust, UK
Drugs and Alcohol Nicotine Education (DANE)
The DANE workbook is now freely available for all to download. It includes lesson plans, PowerPoints, bite size activities and fact sheets for key stages 3 and 4 covering choices, influences and social norms. There is detailed content on alcohol, vaping and nicotine, cannabis and cannabis products, county lines and supply | Talk About Trust
Lily Allen Supports The Forward Trust Through British Vogue and eBay Charity Fashion Auction
Award-winning singer-songwriter and actress, Lily Allen, joins an exciting partnership between British Vogue and eBay UK to auction to a unique collection of designer and statement fashion pieces from her personal wardrobe, with proceeds supporting The Forward Trust | Forward Trust, UK
Drugs: Health Education
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the support systems available to schools for educating students on the health risks associated with the use of recreational drugs | They work for you, UK
Irish Language Examinations and Irish-medium Education — Drugs: Executive Response
I highlight the continual failure of the Executive to deal with the scourge of drugs on our streets. Drugs are destroying lives, families and our communities daily. That fact is often unspoken in the House, but it needs to be called out because of the huge damage that it causes to people throughout our communities. In 2024 alone, the number of drug-related deaths recorded in Northern Ireland was 251... | They work for you, UK
'Prisons losing battle on drugs', inquest hears
A coroner has said prisons are fighting a losing battle with drugs after a prisoner died in jail. Wayne Miller, from Sunderland, was discovered in his cell after it is believed he swallowed drugs that were given to him by a visitor at HMP Frankland in Durham, in December 2024 | BBC, UK
Mexican men charged after meth lab discovered
Five men from Mexico have been charged after a meth lab was discovered on remote farmland in North Warwickshire | BBC, UK
International news
Second-hand smoke: 2.7 billion exposed, 767 million of them children, study finds
Second-hand smoke causes serious health harm, including heart disease, respiratory illness and cancer, and remains a leading cause of preventable death worldwide | Euronews, UK
Notorious Ecuadorian crime gang designated a terrorist group by US
Trump administration to seek extra funding from Congress to ‘dismantle’ Los Tiguerones over narcotics trafficking | Guardian, UK
The impact of drug decriminalization policy on mental health- and substance-related service utilization among people who use drugs with prior care in British Columbia
[Open access] In 2023 the Canadian province of British Columbia decriminalised possession of a small quantity of illegal drugs for personal use. Among people already seen by health services for substance use, the law change may have led to a slight increase in emergency department visits related to mental health or substance use, but overall impacts on healthcare contacts were minor | IJDP, USA
Psychedelics and anesthetics create mirror image patterns in the brain
A new Michigan Medicine-led study reveals that psychedelics and anesthetics create "mirror-image" patterns of large-scale brain organization, with opposite network features. The findings are published in the journal Cell Reports | Medical Xpress, USA
Safer supply deprescribing during a toxic drug poisoning crisis in Vancouver, Canada
[Open access] In a vicious circle, inadequate opioid effects from oral hydromorphone led some patients to replace or supplement the medication with illicit opioids, resulting in their being discharged from treatment, leading to more use of illicit opioids | DAD, USA
Changes in heroin-related ambulance attendances following the introduction of a medically supervised injecting room in Victoria, Australia
[Open access] In 2018 the state of Victoria opened a facility where illegal drugs could be injected under medical supervision, an attempt (PDF) to reduce the area's heroin-related deaths, the highest in the state. It seems to have worked: "The opening ... was associated with a significant and sustained reduction in the rate of heroin-related ambulance attendances within its catchment area" | IJDP, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Day 2026: Reflecting on Progress and Challenges for FASD in Scotland
International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Day takes place on the 9th day of the 9th month, reflecting the nine months of pregnancy during which babies can be at risk from alcohol exposure | SHAAP blog, UK
Celebrating Martin Jelsma’s contribution to the drug policy reform movement
From the coca fields of Colombia to the corridors of the Vienna International Centre at the UN, Martin Jelsma has spent more than three decades working tirelessly to make drug policy more just, more humane, and more grounded in the lives of the people most affected by prohibition. At the end of July 2026, Martin retired as Programme Director of the Drugs and Democracy Programme at the Transnational Institute (TNI) | IDPC blog, UK
Ancient teeth reveal the Ice Age origins of the world’s 4th most common addictive drug
Humans everywhere use mind-altering substances, from stimulants and narcotics to hallucinogens. Yet surprisingly little is known about how some psychoactive drugs were first discovered and incorporated into daily life. In a study published today, we uncover the prehistoric roots of betel nut chewing. This widespread habit has a long and deep history in the Asia-Pacific region | Conversation, Australia