DrugWise Daily |
1st September 2026 |
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UK news
How much do we drink? Analysing our data on alcohol
We’ve analysed data from almost 1.7 million participants – the largest survey of alcohol intake ever carried out in the UK. It reveals the age groups that are most likely to be teetotal, and the income levels where risk-associated drinking is at its highest | Our Future Health, UK
Pink cocaine, apple-flavoured ketamine and triple-strength ecstasy: How festival drugs went supersonic
As festivals get underway across the country this bank holiday weekend, Lydia Spencer-Elliott speaks to toxicology experts about the rise of polydrug use, what’s really in these illicit substances and how they are being made ‘Instagram-ready’ | Independent, UK
Leading health organisations demand urgent action on alcohol deaths
More than 20 organisations from across Scotland’s health and social care sectors have joined together to urge the Scottish Government to secure the future minimum unit pricing (MUP) by introducing automatic uprating of the measure. In a letter to Maree Todd MSP, the coalition warns that alcohol harm remains a public health emergency, with nearly 1,200 alcohol-specific deaths recorded in Scotland in 2024 | Alcohol Focus Scotland, UK
NHS Grampian hospital clinic opens to help those with ketamine-related bladder damage
The health board is also behind the "Use Ketamine? Stop And Think" campaign that aims to raise awareness about the risks of taking the so-called party drug | Sky News, UK
Waythrough steps up action to save lives after 25 years of Overdose Awareness Day
“No one should die from a preventable overdose,” said Waythrough CEO Paul Townsley. As International Overdose Awareness Day marks its 25th anniversary, the national charity is increasing its own work to prevent overdose deaths while calling on people across the country to take action, carry naloxone, and help save lives | Waythrough, UK
Drug treatment trialled by Caithness police used more than 1300 times across Scotland: Scottish Government minister Maree Todd commits to back life-saving Naloxone on 2026 International Overdose Awareness Day
A life-saving drug overdose treatment which was trialled by police in Caithness has been administered more than 1300 times since it was introduced five years ago | John O'Groat Journal and Caithness Courier, UK
Drug service highlights 'tragedy' of overdoses
Stoke-on-Trent Community Drug and Alcohol Service (CDAS) hosted a community event in the city to teach people how to recognise the signs of an overdose | BBC, UK
Recovery Month 2026: Meeting People Where They Are
This Recovery Month, Turning Point is celebrating the different pathways people take towards a healthier, more fulfilling life. Our 2026 theme,"Meeting People Where They Are," recognises a simple truth: recovery looks different for everyone | Turning Point, UK
Recoverist Month 2026
1 Sep 2026 - 30 Sep 2026. A September-long contemporary arts programme at venues across Greater Manchester and Liverpool. Back for its fourth instalment in September 2026, Recoverist Month is the UK’s only annual contemporary arts programme that centres people in recovery from substance use | Portraits of Recovery, UK
International Recovery Month in Haringey 2026
This September we're celebrating International Recovery Month with events across Haringey for anyone affected by substance use or alcohol – whether you're in recovery, supporting someone who is, or simply want to find out more. It's a chance to hear from our Lived Experience forums, learn about local services, and celebrate what Haringey residents in recovery have achieved this year | Hariney.Gov.UK, UK
Behind the bar: what publicans really think about alcohol policy
Alcohol harm reached record highs after the pandemic, but at the same time pubs across the country have been struggling. This paradox raises an important question: what is driving harm to both health and hospitality? | IAS, UK
Breathalysers on cars should be introduced for repeat drink-driving offenders, Burnham told
Campaigners have urged the prime minister to introduce a mandatory alcolock programme for ‘high-risk and repeat drink-driving offenders’ | Independent, UK
International news
Dutch health institute issues 'red alert' over Trump-shaped ecstasy pills
A Dutch drug addiction and mental health institute has issued a "red alert" to users about potentially lethal ecstasy pills which resemble US President Donald Trump. The Utrecht-based Trimbos Institute said several of the pills had been handed in at testing centres in August and were found to contain a "very high" amount of the chemical PMMA | BBC, UK
Italy and France announce international meeting on addiction prevention and recovery
Italy and France, co-founders of the European Coalition Against Drugs (ECAD), on Thursday announced an international meeting on prevention and addiction recovery. The summit will be held on 23 October 2026 in Italy | Euronews, UK
Cannabis smell at US Open is distracting - Boulter
British number one Katie Boulter has complained that the smell of cannabis is putting her off her game at the US Open. On Sunday, the final major of the season begins at Flushing Meadows in New York, where cannabis is legal for adults aged 21 and over | BBC, UK
Juul gets OK to sell updated vaping device with age-gating technology
Vaping company Juul Labs on Friday received federal permission to sell an updated version of its e-cigarette, which includes an optional age-verification system designed to prevent underage use | Mail Online, UK
Meal deal: meth found hidden inside McMuffin during a police car search in Western Australia
Police say the drugs were uncovered as part of ongoing investigations into illicit drugs in Broome | Guardian, UK
Cannabis Overtakes Cigarette Smoking In Gallup’s Latest U.S. Habits Poll
A recent Gallup poll reveals a significant shift in American substance use, with cannabis smoking now surpassing cigarette use. Seventeen percent of Americans report smoking cannabis, a record high, while only 11% smoke cigarettes, continuing a long-term decline. This trend reflects cannabis gaining favor over both tobacco and alcohol, with consumption of the latter also decreasing | Forbes, USA
How cannabis legalization affects substance use
The legalization of cannabis affects substance use, with the potential for both negative and positive effects on public health, a new McGill-led study found | Medical Xpress, USA
Breastmilk from cannabis users showed differences, but cannabis may not be the whole story
With just two human studies directly examining how cannabis use relates to breast milk nutrients and immune components, researchers are probing whether cannabinoids themselves, maternal diet, or wider social circumstances are driving the differences observed | News Medical, USA
Socioenvironmental Factors in Recovery of People with Substance Use Disorders: A Comprehensive Scoping Review
[Open access] Around people in treatment for problems with illegal drug use lies a world whose social, institutional and resource features affect the lasting success of that treatment. What influences has research identified, and should treatment address these as well as addiction? | Contemporary Drug Problems, USA
Prevention of postpartum methamphetamine use with micronized progesterone trial (PROMPT): A pilot randomized controlled trial
[Open access] US researchers reasoned that falling progesterone levels after giving birth might prompt craving for methamphetamine among women who had been using the drug, and that offering oral progesterone might prevent relapse by reducing craving. Instead the medication increased craving and made no difference to relapse rates | DAD, USA
Visit-level clinical correlates of next-visit heroin-positive urine in methadone maintenance treatment: A repeated-events analysis from Taiwan
An unusually fine-grained analysis revealed that higher dose was a consistent predictor of whether at the next clinic visit a patient would test positive for heroin – further evidence that getting the dose right is fundamental to the treatment meeting its objectives | JSAT, USA
Do opioid use disorder medications work differently for women and men?
Methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) are both known to reduce opioid use and overdose risk. However, women and men may benefit differently from these medications given physiological sex differences including metabolism and sociocultural sex differences including childcare responsibilities. This study examined whether treatment outcomes for opioid use disorder differ between women and men prescribed methadone versus buprenorphine/naloxone | Recovery Research Institute, USA
Magic mushrooms in palliative care: Clinicians are keen but ill-equipped
Once relegated to the counterculture, psilocybin—the psychoactive compound in "magic mushrooms"—has been receiving renewed scientific attention. A growing body of research points to its potential for treating depression, addiction and end-of-life distress, prompting several countries to loosen regulations and greenlight clinical use | Medical Xpress, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Have we kicked the habit? The rise of youth vaping and the next phase of tobacco control
Smoking among young adults has fallen dramatically over the last decade and that success deserves recognition. In 2000 around a third of 16–24 year olds were active smokers in England. By 2024 that figure had fallen to just 8.6%, the largest decline of any adult age group | Kings Fund, UK
Many people who use crack cocaine are presenting in shocking conditions
Four decades ago, heroin exposed inequalities within Irish society. Today, crack cocaine is exposing them once again | Irish Times opinion, Ireland
Irish Examiner view: Drug diversion scheme is overdue and flawed but still welcome
Gardaí can now give someone caught in possession of drugs for personal use the option of a health intervention instead of being charged and brought before the courts | Irish Examiner opinion, Ireland
Alcohol Marketing and Youth—Causal and Likely Getting More So
The meta-analysis by Cukier et al has comprehensively and convincingly synthesized and augmented the evidence of an association between youth exposure to alcohol marketing and subsequent youth drinking behavior and consequences... However, despite extraordinarily thorough searches of the research literature, the studies they found were overwhelmingly of youth exposure to alcohol marketing in the traditional media of broadcast, print, outdoor, and films | JAMA Network editorial, USA