“The latest data finds drinking alcohol is directly responsible for 62 disorders, including alcohol-related heart disease, psychotic disorder, gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis and fatty liver disease, as well as fetal alcohol syndrome and cirrhosis of the liver,” CNN started in this…
News Archives
3rd largest economy: $5.9trillion gambling
Unregulated online gambling reached $5.9trillion in global wagering value in 2025, larger than the gross domestic product of every country on Earth except the US and China, according to Gaming Compliance International. GCI split the online gaming marketplace into 3…
UNODC director is appointed
Monica Juma of Kenya assumed office this week as director-general of the United Nations Office at Vienna and executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. She previously held governmental security roles.
Higher-strength medicinal cannabis
Australia’s TGA is reviewing the regulation of 1,000+ unapproved ‘medicinal’ cannabis products. For higher-strength THC products, particularly in vulnerable populations – young people and people with mental health conditions – the increased risk of harms is a key concern, Myfanwy Graham…
Reducing re-admissions to rehab
“Completing detoxification appeared to reduce repeated residential treatment,” Canada’s University of Lethbridge concluded after finding that 42% of patients who left residential addiction treatment later had to return during the study period – but this was half as likely if…
UK alcohol-specific deaths 2024
2024 saw 9,809 deaths (13.9 deaths per 100,000 people) from alcohol-specific causes registered in the UK, the lowest number since 2021. “The 6.3% reduction in alcohol-specific deaths is welcome, however they remain… significantly above pre-pandemic levels,” Professor Sir Ian Gilmore…
ACMD and semi-synthetic cannabinoids
A further response from minister for policing & crime Sarah Jones MP to the ACMD has been added, confirming that the government has decided to proceed with the control of THCAs as Class B named substances under the 1971 Act,…
Hepatitis C in England 2025
This UK Health Security Agency report summarises England’s progress towards the World Health Organization elimination targets for hepatitis C virus infection with data to the end of 2024. See also Hepatitis C Trust reacts to new data on hepatitis C in England.…
The politics behind the smoking ban
“I felt some pride but also some regret when I saw the Tobacco and Vapes Act reach the statute book,” former government health adviser Bill Morgan wrote in Inside Number 10: the politics behind the smoking ban. The Royal College…
