DrugWise Daily |
4th September 2026 |
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UK news
The higher cost of a healthier option: SARG study lifts the lid on why no/lo alcohol beer drinkers feel out of pocket
People buying alcohol-free and low-alcohol (no/lo) beers pay more for choosing a healthier option, according to new research by the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) | SARG, UK
'Ketamine left me bedbound – now I help addicts'
A man who got to the point where he could "barely move" due to his ketamine addiction is helping others to get clean from the drug | BBC, UK
'Recovery TikTok’: How Can Drug Treatment Services Support Young People?
For many young people today, support for people who use drugs often begins not with intervention from a doctor or treatment service, but with a podcast, a TikTok creator, or an online recovery community. In England, 14,352 children and young people (aged 17 and younger) accessed substance use treatment in 2023/24, a 16% increase on the previous year, although still significantly below levels seen in the late 2000s, according to the latest young people’s treatment statistics | Talking Drugs, UK
Tree planted for the 25th Overdose Awareness Day, in memory of North Lincolnshire’s lives lost to drug overdose
On the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day, WithYou in North Lincolnshire has planted a tree in their allotment, to remember lives tragically lost to overdose | WithYou, UK
The dance group helping with addiction and mental health struggles
In a studio in Chester, dancers are finessing the choreography for their forthcoming sold-out performance at the Royal Opera House in London | BBC, UK
Addictions: Health Services
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to address unmet treatment needs for dependence on a) alcohol and b) other drugs, in the context of a recent report from the Forward Trust that estimates that 750,000 UK citizens are currently addicted to alcohol and 400,000 are addicted to other drugs | They work for you, UK
Legalisation: Has The War On Drugs Failed? (Neil Woods, ex-police officer) - audio
As an undercover police officer Neil Woods' job was to infiltrate drug gangs and put their leaders behind bars, but he says his work gradually convinced him that he was doing more harm than good. Since leaving the force he has become one of the UK's foremost campaigners for drug policy reform | BBC Sounds, UK
Drug Education Forum free webinar #4: Youth vaping and the Tobacco and Vapes Act - still time to book!
Thursday, Sept 24th, 10-11am will see the next DEF webinar, with Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) briefing on their most recent youth vaping survey, providing an overview and update on the Tobacco and Vapes Act, and describing the prevention work they have been doing with local authorities, including sharing a toolkit they have developed with the University of Bath. The speakers will be Hazel Cheeseman, ASH chief executive, John Waldron, ASH policy and public affairs manager at ASH, and Dr Jasmine Khouja, lecturer in psychology at the University of Bath | DEF, UK
International news
Nick Kyrgios accepts one-month tennis suspension for ‘social’ cocaine use
Kyrgios has agreed to attend a treatment programme after the ITIA found he had use cocaine ‘during a night out’, which was therefore considered to be outside of competition | Independent, UK
Systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent in the enforcement of drug laws and policies — Report of the UN EMLER
In the present report, the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement examines how racism is embedded in drug control systems and shapes their impacts on Africans and people of African descent | IDPC, UK
Eleven people sentenced to death in Vietnam drug trafficking case
Eleven people have been sentenced to death by a court in Vietnam in one of the country's largest drug trafficking cases, state media report | BBC, UK
Missouri state legislative candidate accused of trying to plant cocaine on opponent
Republican candidate Thomas Ross and former campaign manager allegedly devised plan to stash drugs in rival Louise Secker’s purse or vehicle | Guardian, UK
New Zealand drugs regulator approves use of MDMA to treat severe PTSD
New Zealand decision follows Australian approval in 2023 of psychedelics to treat PTSD and treatment-resistant depression | Guardian, UK
EUDA deepens partnership with Moldova on drug-related challenges
The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) and the Republic of Moldova today signed a Working Arrangement to strengthen cooperation in responding to current and emerging drug-related challenges | EUDA, Portugal
EUDA webinar: Understanding dual disorders
9 Sep 2026. Online. This webinar will provide an overview of dual disorders (DD), introduce the recently launched EUDA health and social responses miniguide, and offer practical insights from EU-based initiatives. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the challenges associated with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, as well as examples of how these are being addressed in different contexts | EUDA, Portugal
More frequent cannabis use linked to poorer mental health
More frequent cannabis use is associated with fewer days of good mental health among adults, particularly men, according to a study co-authored by a University of Miami Business School professor | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Cultural heritage or harmful substance? The new alcohol policy mix
“Three things you probably already know about me”, states a smiling Andy Burnham as he pulls himself a beer in a recent TikTok video. “I go to a lot of gigs, I do like a pint, and I have been known to give a DJ set from time to time.” | Transforming Society blog, UK
Unless Scottish Government takes action to reduce alcohol consumption and prevent population harm, it is undermining its own ambition on prevention
With an ageing population and a growing prevalence of long-term conditions, our increasing need for the NHS has become unsustainable. The calls for action outlined in the Christie Commission fifteen years ago have become even louder – without a pivot to preventative action and early intervention, our public services will struggle to keep up | AFS, UK