DrugWise Daily |
23rd June 2026 |
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UK news
Increase in teenage psychosis cases linked to vapes laced with 'zombie drug' spice
Dr Hilary Reed works in the north of England and usually treats one or two cases of psychosis a year but in 2025 that jumped to 10 cases. “It does appear that there’s an association between vapes containing spice and psychotic illness”, she said | ITV, UK
Drug-related death rates associated with prescribed and illicit benzodiazepine exposure among people receiving opioid-agonist treatment in Scotland, 2015 to 2020
[Open access] Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) reduces mortality among individuals with opioid dependence. Benzodiazepine co-prescribing with OAT has previously been associated with increased rates of drug-related death (DRD). In Scotland, rising DRD rates have coincided with increasing detection of illicit benzodiazepines at post-mortem. We quantified DRD rates associated with prescribed and baseline self-reported illicit benzodiazepine exposure among OAT recipients | IJDP, UK
Enjoying a drink in the heatwave? How to know when it’s a problem
Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive of Alcohol Change UK, warns that the warmer months and celebratory events like sports tournaments and holidays can act as a "trigger" for increased alcohol consumption, often leading individuals to unknowingly drink dangerous amounts | iPaper, UK
APCC Addictions Leads back government action to ban ‘orphine’ synthetic opioids
The government has announced that, with immediate effect, the supply, production, importation and possession of seven named orphines, a form of synthetic opioid, has been made a criminal offence. The change has come into effect under a temporary class drug order pending permanent control as Class A substances, subject to Parliamentary approval | APCCS, UK
WSL and WSL2 fans can drink alcohol in stands next season after successful trial
Women’s Super League and WSL2 clubs can permit supporters to drink alcohol in view of the pitch from next season, the Guardian can reveal, after a change to the leagues’ regulations on the back of a successful trial over the past 18 months | Guardian, UK
'Improved intelligence' boosts cocaine seizures [Jersey]
Jersey recorded its sharpest rise in cocaine seizures last year, marking the biggest increase in more than three years, new figures have revealed | BBC, UK
Drugs found in bag of five-year-old pupil at top private school
Drugs were found in the school bag of a five-year-old pupil at one of Scotland's most prestigious private schools, BBC News understands. The drug, which newspaper reports suggest was cocaine, was found in a bag belonging to a child at Glasgow Academy | BBC, UK
International news
Support. Don’t Punish Global Day of Action 2026
The Support. Don’t Punish 2026 Global Day of Action — commemorated around the 26th of June — is an opportunity to come together in transnational solidarity to show our strength, push back against harmful narratives, and connect with others to advance sustainable alternatives to the harmful ‘war on drugs’. Organisations, community networks and grassroots groups worldwide are welcome to submit an ‘expression of interest’ to take part in this day of hope and resistance | Support. Don't Punish, UK
Service utilization patterns in cocaine use disorder: A data-driven study
[Open access] Over the past decade, cocaine use disorders (CoUD) have become increasingly prevalent in Europe’s outpatient addiction care settings. This study examines clinically meaningful subgroups among individuals seeking outpatient care for CoUD in Berlin, a metropolitan area with particularly high prevalence rates to inform treatment strategies | DADR, USA
Boom in ketamine clinics and at-home delivery sparks safety concerns
The American Society of Anesthesiologists is calling on policymakers to address the fast-growing problem of home delivery of ketamine and the lack of physician oversight in ketamine clinics. In guidance updated this month, ASA emphasizes that ketamine used for non-anesthetic purposes should meet the same safety standards as other anesthetic drugs, including appropriate patient selection, monitoring and physician oversight | Medical Xpress, USA
Definium LSD therapy helped patients with major depression in late-stage trial
Data bring drug closer to possible approval as Trump administration prioritizes psychedelics | STAT News, USA
Alberta judge dismisses bid to stall closure of supervised drug sites
Lawyer applied for injunction in April to pause site closures in Calgary and Lethbridge | CBC News, Canada
Blogs, comment and opinion
Debug the System
Persistence and flexibility are key when supporting people facing multiple disadvantage, says Melanie Pellicci | Phoenix Futures, UK
The Emma Urquhart Cup: A Celebration of Recovery, Friendship and Community
In this personal blog, Chantel, Recovery Navigator at The Forward Trust, reflects on this year’s Emma Urquhart Cup and the power of friendship, remembrance and recovery | Forward Trust blog, UK
Book Review: “The Next Fix: The Winners and Losers in the Future of Drugs” by Kojo Koram
As a legal intern in 2012, Kojo Koram was sent to visit clients in Angola – not the country, but the largest maximum-security prison in the United States, located in Louisiana and named after the plantation previously on the site. One hundred and fifty years after the abolition of slavery, Koram found Black men – many there for drug-related offenses – working in fields, surveilled by guards on horseback | Talking Drugs, UK