DrugWise Daily |
9th October 2026 |
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UK news
Tesco predicts a low-alcohol ‘healthier’ Christmas
Tesco has raised its profit outlook as it expects households to splash out this Christmas – despite buying less alcohol – as they shrug off “uncertainty” over the Iran war | Guardian, UK
Government pledges earlier support to tackle mental health crises
Responding to the findings of the Independent Review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, the Government has committed to a major overhaul of mental health support in the forthcoming Mental Health Strategy. This will set out a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention, to make sure that people receive the right help, at the right time, in the right place, based on their needs | DHSC, UK
Sheffield smoking cessation research on the agenda at national ASH webinar
University of Sheffield research evaluating the use of financial incentives to help people quit smoking in Sheffield has featured at a national webinar hosted by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) | SARG, UK
Holistic Approaches in Substance Settings
October 28 • 10 AM - 12:30 PM GMT+0. Online. Holistic Approaches in Substance Use Settings: the ADVANCE-D model as an example of good practice and addressing ender based violence | DRNS, UK
Step inside. See the difference
In Autumn 2026, state-funded residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres across England are opening their doors. Plan your visit... | Open Houses, UK
Drugs found in baby's cot in raid as three arrested
Blister packs were found in a baby's cot following a raid of two properties in Wolverhampton, as part of a probe into the large-scale supply and distribution of illicit drugs | BBC, UK
International news
What are nicotine pouches?- video
Shops worldwide are now stocking small, round containers of nicotine pouches. But many people don’t know much about these new products. What’s in them? How are they used? Are they just as harmful as smoking? The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction’s new video explainer has got you covered | GSTHR, UK
Psychosocial health and hazardous alcohol use among 50- to 70-year-olds: A cross-sectional latent profile analysis in south-east Melbourne, Australia
[Open access] Latent profiles of psychosocial health appear to be statistically significantly associated with differences in alcohol consumption among adults aged 50–70 years in Victoria, Australia. The profile ‘socially connected, poor mental health’ has the highest probability of hazardous alcohol consumption, while ‘low social connection and good mental health’ has the lowest | Addiction, UK
HSE warns about unpredictable effects of 'sophisticated-looking party drug' spreading around Irish cities
The brightly coloured powder being sold as 'pink cocaine' is a synthetic drug fused with MDMA and ketamine | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Study shows how the toxic substances mixed into fentanyl vary across the US and change over time
Public health officials and law enforcement agents are facing a growing challenge in combating the fentanyl epidemic: They lack detailed and timely information on the harmful and potentially deadly substances, including anesthetics, industrial chemicals, veterinary sedatives and other adulterants, that drug suppliers increasingly mix into the illicit fentanyl supply | Medical Xpress, USA
Common herbal sleep aid shows signs of addictive potential
Cannabinol is a popular ingredient in over-the-counter sleep products, marketed as a gentle, plant-derived way to unwind at the end of the day. But new research conducted at the University of Connecticut suggests consumers should use it with caution | Medical Xpress, USA
Rapid extended-release buprenorphine induction without sublingual stabilization in a shelter-based harm reduction setting for high-risk fentanyl use: a retrospective case series
[Open access] Two sites in Canada where illegal drugs could be consumed under medical supervision also offered shelter to homeless clients, a caseload which might not complete stabilisation on sublingual buprenorphine before moving on to long-lasting injections. The sublingual requirement was waived without serious complications, and after injection overdose incidents were dramatically reduced among fentanyl users | Harm Reduction Journal, USA
Imminent opioid overdose risk prediction using classical and machine learning survival models following first recorded opioid-related diagnosis: a prospective cohort study from the All of Us research program
[Open access] Within 30 days of being recorded with a condition related to opioid misuse, nearly 4% of cases in the USA were known to have overdosed. The strongest predictors were a history of overdose or opioid misuse/abuse. A complex AI prediction system added little, suggesting routine clinical records can be used to prioritise overdose prevention | American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Alcohol in A&E: the impact our data can’t see
A new analysis of a year of emergency department attendances suggests that routine data captures only a fraction of alcohol’s real footprint in A&E, and points to how that might change | SHAAP blog, UK
Queensland is leading Australia’s fight against illicit tobacco. Should other states follow suit?
Not a week goes by without a news story about illicit tobacco in Australia, which is now a serious problem across the country. This week, the federal government announced an additional A$2.7 million in funding for Queensland to support ongoing illicit tobacco control efforts in the state | Conversation, Australia