DrugWise Daily |
23rd September 2026 |
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UK news
Child ketamine users getting bladder damage describe 'peeing a jellyfish'
Children as young as 13 are getting ketamine bladder damage, doctors running a dedicated NHS clinic for it have told the BBC in an exclusive interview. Medics at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool say some patients - they have had over 100 referrals since opening last May - describe "peeing a jellyfish", which is some of the bladder's protective lining being shed | BBC, UK
World Cup viewers exposed to junk food, alcohol and gambling branding every seven seconds, study finds
More than 93,000 visible appearances of brands promoting unhealthy food and drink, alcohol, gambling and speculative products were recorded during coverage of the largest FIFA World Cup in history, new research has found. Unhealthy food and drink brands accounted for more than seven in ten, with 65,722 appearances | University of Bristol, UK
6 in 10 young people who have ever smoked regret it, as 100-day countdown to a smokefree generation begins
New data shows 62% of 11 to 17-year-olds who have ever smoked regret starting, while two-thirds of young people support the landmark Smokefree Generation law that will protect future generations from ever starting | ASH, UK
Vaping rates for schoolchildren appear to drop - is it falling out of favour?
For the first time in several years, the rates of vaping among schoolchildren in Wales appear to be falling. The most recent data from a survey of more than 130,000 young people in secondary schools showed that across all age groups, habits are changing for both vaping and smoking | BBC, UK
Summit on drug-related harm hosted by PHS on 19 June 2026 findings and recommendations
Findings and recommendations from the summit on reducing drug harms hosted by PHS on 19th June 2026. and glossary: Explanation of terms and abbreviations used in Summit on drug-related harm | Public Health Scotland, UK
Scotland's first drug-checking service to open in Glasgow
Scotland's first local drug-checking service is set to open in Glasgow next month in a landmark move aimed at reducing drug-related harm. The facility, opening on October 5, will allow individuals to submit drugs for testing to find out exactly what substances they contain | Glasgow Times, UK
Injecting equipment provision in Scotland
This annual release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents information on injecting equipment provision (IEP) services in Scotland. This includes the number of outlets; attendances and the types of injecting equipment distributed to people who used controlled drugs (including Novel Psychoactive Substances and Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs) in Scotland in 2025/26 | Public Health Scotland, UK
Baseline Implementation of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards in Scottish Prison
This release presents the first national baseline assessment of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards implementation across all 17 Scotland’s prison establishments in 2025-26. The MAT standards aim to improve access to, and quality of, treatment and support for people who use drugs | Public Health Scotland, UK
Police warn of rise in vape and medicine spiking
Predators are increasingly using prescription drugs, over-the-counter medication and drug-laced vapes to spike victims, the Metropolitan Police has said | BBC, UK
Scotcast - Drug deaths - video
Martin Geissler speaks to the BBC's James Cook about the gangs producing synthetic opioids 500 times more potent than heroin - where a single grain can kill | BBC, UK
Alcohol licence refused for child's first birthday party celebration
The applicant claimed that families had been requesting licensed events as an alternative to christening celebrations where a paid-for bar has been permitted in the past | BBC, UK
Campaign to help more people quit smoking launched in Dorset
The "What Will You Miss?" campaign aims to encourage smokers to consider the moments and experiences they might miss out on due to smoking-related illness or early death | Dorset Echo, UK
MPs, trade unions and police call for a Royal Commission on the Justice System
Parliamentarians, trade union leaders and rank-and-file police officers have joined forces to call on the Government to order a Royal Commission on Prisons and the Justice System | Inside Time, UK
'All-day' alcohol plan at new market provokes row
A row has broken out over plans to sell alcohol at a market between 08:00 and 23:00 daily | BBC, UK
Drugs: Smuggling
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total weight of Class A, B and C drugs that were seized from British airports in each year since 2024, broken down by drug type and airport | They work for you, UK
International news
Autopsy shows Hayden Panettiere died from a drug overdose
Child star Hayden Panettiere died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, Xanax and several other drugs in her system, according to an autopsy completed by the Greenville County Coroner's Office in South Carolina | BBC, UK
Study Finds Psychedelic Decriminalisation Linked to Improved Wellbeing and Reduced Harm
A newly published community survey of individuals who use psychedelics suggests that local decriminalisation efforts are overwhelmingly associated with perceived improvements in safety, therapeutic access, and psychosocial wellbeing, directly countering historical fears that such policies might destabilise communities | Talking Drugs, UK
Community Dialogue Space: Not another red herring! Full decriminalisation of all drugs is non-negotiable
Sep 30, 2026 02:00 PM in London. Launch of INPUD’s Community Brief on Decriminalisation of drug use in the context of HIV | INPUD, UK
FactFind: Are vapes 'nearly worse' than cigarettes?
The Taoiseach claimed they were earlier this month – but is he right? | Journal, Ireland
Harm Reduction Vending Machines in Supportive Housing for Veterans
Harm reduction vending machines (HRVMs) are an evidence-based strategy to provide low-barrier access to harm reduction and health supplies; however, little is known about their perceived impacts in permanent supportive housing for US veterans | JAMA Network Open, USA
Kratom cases climb sharply across the US
Addiction treatment centers across the United States are seeing more patients who have become dependent on kratom and a stronger compound made from it, known as 7-OH | Medical Xpress, USA
STASH, Vol. 22(10) – How substance use stigma impacts health behaviors
This week, STASH reviews a study by Mathias Luderer and colleagues that explored how substance use stigma influences care-limiting behaviors in populations who use substances | CHA, USA
Are consumers warned of the risks? An audit of voluntary health-related information on alcohol labels in Australia
[Open access] In Australia, while alcohol products must display a pregnancy warning label, companies do not appear to be using product labels to inform consumers about the other serious health harms of alcohol use. Rather, many products display messages promoting responsible consumption that may act to confuse individuals about alcohol-related harm | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Alcohol-related liver disease deaths remain high. Many die without recent inpatient care
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, England has seen a worrying rise in deaths caused by alcohol. Much of this increase has been driven by Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD), the leading cause of alcohol-specific deaths in the country. Our study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, shows that this crisis is far from over: deaths from ARLD remain high. More concerning still, many of those dying had not been in hospital care in the year before their death | IAS blog, UK
Alex Wodak: ‘The safer nicotine option should be the easier option’
In this instalment of our Harm Reduction Heroes series, Snusforumet talks to Dr. Alex Wodak, the Australian physician who helped pioneer needle and syringe programmes during the HIV crisis and has spent decades arguing for a pragmatic approach to drugs, tobacco and nicotine | Snusforumet, Sweden