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In date order, Monday to Friday
Tackling the drugs crisis in our prisons (PDF)
The trade and use of illicit drugs in our prisons has reached endemic levels. There is a prevailing culture of acceptance which tolerates drug use and makes it almost impossible for prisoners to escape the problem or for prisons to deal with it. This is reflected in the fact that 39 per cent of prisoners find it easy to acquire drugs. Our report finds that the endemic level of drugs in our prisons endangers lives and cripples the ability of His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) to maintain control and safety and to rehabilitate effectively | House of Commons Justice Committee, UK
Dangerous culture of accepting drugs crisis in prisons must be broken, MPs say
Strong synthetic opioids linked to deaths at HMP Parc last year have been highlighted as a “volatile threat” in the prison drugs market | ITV, UK
MDMA warnings issued in Manchester following deaths of two women
The Greater Manchester Drug Alert Panel put out an “urgent” warning about batches of both powder and pill-form MDMA | MixMag, UK
Characteristics of methamphetamine-related deaths in the United Kingdom, 1997–2024
People who use methamphetamine have a standardised mortality ratio 6.8 times greater than the general population, with several countries reporting concerning increases in methamphetamine-related mortality over the past decade. Methamphetamine use in the United Kingdom (UK) has been reported as largely confined to communities of men who have sex with men with no previous large-scale studies describing mortality associated with methamphetamine. We aimed to determine trends and case characteristics of methamphetamine-related deaths in the UK | Addiction, UK
Outcomes from a National Consensus Event Targeting Service Development Strategies for Alcohol Related Brain Damage
[Open access] Alcohol-Related Brain Damage (ARBD) remains underdiagnosed and inconsistently managed across services, despite its significant impact on individuals. Improving access to appropriate support and treatment requires the integration of stakeholder perspectives. This study aimed to co-produce a service development pathway for ARBD in Wales through a structured consensus methodology | Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, UK
City pilots new online HIV-prevention drug service
People in Liverpool are being offered easier access to a pioneering pill which can reduce the risk of contracting HIV by 99% | BBC, UK
Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2024
Cigarette smoking habits among adults in the UK, including how many people smoke, differences between population groups, changes over time and use of e-cigarettes. Around 5.3 million people aged 18 years and over (10.6%) smoked cigarettes in the UK in 2024; this is the lowest proportion of current smokers since records began in 2011, based on our estimates from the Annual Population Survey (APS) | ONS, UK
Vapers overtake smokers for first time in Britain
For the first time in Great Britain, there are more over-16s using vapes or e-cigarettes than smoking cigarettes, according to the Office for National Statistics | BBC, UK
Official Statistics - Smoking profile: November 2025 update
An overview of the extent of tobacco use, tobacco-related harm, vaping use and the measures being taken to reduce smoking-related harms at a local level in England | OHID, UK
Drink and Drugs News - November 2025 out now
In this month’s issue we consider how gambling can be a direct contributor to suicide but our system is unwilling or unable to recognise this. Meanwhile, we all know that our treatment system is under enormous pressure right now. Not only are we battling to right the ship from a ten-year tide of under investment, but budgets haven’t been confirmed and it’s really hard to plan for the vital continuity we all need. Prison and probation are bursting at the seams, drug-related deaths continue to rise – yet tried and tested treatment is being undervalued... | DDN, UK
New funding schemes from the SSA and Office for Life Sciences
In September 2025, the UK Government announced that the SSA would lead a programme to develop the next generation of leaders in addiction science – “providing funding for academic and career development programmes tailored to the specific demands of the addiction research field”. In line with the broader Addiction Healthcare Goals programme, all funding through the flagship research leadership programme will support people and projects that drive innovative responses to addiction to illicit drugs and alcohol | SSA, UK
An introduction to the UK Wide NIHR - Addiction Healthcare Goals (AHG) Career Development Awards
10 November 2025, 3:00pm to 3:45pm, Online. NIHR and the Office for Life Sciences are collaborating to support UK researchers to develop the skills to deliver innovative drug and alcohol addiction research, through UK wide NIHR-AHG career development awards. The NIHR and AHG partnership will enable health, public health and social care researchers from all professions, settings and sectors to bring valuable experience and insights into the addiction research landscape. This 45-minute webinar will give an overview of the NIHR and AHG partnership and process for applying | NIHR and Office for Life Sciences, UK
Addiction Healthcare Goals - Tackling addiction by catalysing innovation
27 November 2025. 09.30 - 16.30, London. Join us for a dynamic one-day sandpit event focused on tackling addiction through innovation and collaboration. This session will bring together experts from medtech, digital, and biochemical/pharma sectors to explore funding opportunities, share insights, and build impactful consortia to attract funding and develop enhanced drug and alcohol addiction healthcare interventions | Innovate UK and Office for Life Sciences, UK
Ketamine use is increasing, and so are its harms - Information and advice for educational settings (PDF) [Corrected]
Ketamine use has increased in recent years and so have the related health harms. People now use ketamine in many different contexts, from party settings to self-medication. There are eight times more people going into drug treatment for ketamine use than there were a decade ago. People aged 18-24 have the highest rates of use. Sustained ketamine use can cause painful bladder problems and damage to the urinary tract, leading to incontinence and other complications, some of which can be irreversible. This is an increasing cause for concern among urologists | OHID, UK
Introducing the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions: Research That Shapes Policy - video
Discover the work of the Policy Research Unit in Addictions as we explore how our research informs policy, advances understanding, and improves approaches to tackling addiction | NIHR, UK
Nicotine pouches: What are they and why are they a problem? - video
A few months ago, the government banned the sale of disposable vapes in the UK. One of the reasons this was done was to try and limit the number of children being able to access and use them. But lots of people are worried about another addictive product that kids are becoming more aware of – nicotine pouches, sometimes called snus | CBBC, UK
Unmasking Influence
Unmasking Influence brings the commercial influences that are shaping our world out of the shadows through the expertise and experiences of people who work to expose and counter these forces. It aims to show, using examples from the tobacco, food, alcohol, pesticides, and other industries, why addressing these harmful commercial determinants of health is the major public health issue of our time and why policymakers must act | LSHTM, UK
Carisoprodol: review of the evidence on its use and harms
This report considers the use, harms and control of carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant previously prescribed in the UK to treat muscle spasms. After reviewing the evidence, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommends: 1) making carisoprodol a Class C drug; 2) testing for carisoprodol and its metabolite in all overdose cases; 3) creating resources for health professionals about the dangers of carisoprodol and 4) providing clear information to the public about the risks of carisoprodol, including addiction and overdose | ACMD, UK
The health of people in prison, on probation and in the secure NHS estate in England
The Chief Medical Officer for England identifies areas of good practice and areas of risk, and recommends actions to improve health outcomes for this population | Department of Health and Social Care and Ministry of Justice, UK
Reluctant risk-takers: how law enforcement practices at festivals can obstruct safer drug use
[Open access] On-site observations at festivals in the UK and elsewhere plus interviews and surveys show how “punitive policing at festivals discourages and obstructs safer party drug use”, contributing to evidence that “police crackdowns in recreational settings exacerbate rather than reduce harm” | IJDP, UK
Comparison of Office for National Statistics (ONS) and National Programme on Substance Use Mortality (NPSUM) data suggests that opioid-related deaths in England & Wales have been systematically underestimated
[Open access] Comparing Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures with voluntary reports from coroners “demonstrates that opioid-related deaths have been underestimated by ONS for over a decade … deaths involving other substances may also be underreported.” | IJDP, UK
Young people’s views of nicotine pouches in the UK
This paper is the first qualitative study in the UK to explore the views of 14-16 year olds’ awareness of, access to and use of nicotine pouches | NatCen, UK
Afghan opium crop plummets after Taliban ban - UN report
Opium farming in Afghanistan has dropped significantly following a ban imposed by the Taliban government in 2022, the United Nations said. The total area of land for growing opium poppy shrank 20% since last year, while the amount of opium has fallen by 32% over the same period, the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime said in a survey | BBC, UK