Russian alcoholics were ‘rounded up’ from a rehab centre, robbed & sent to Ukraine, the Sun newspaper headlined. An unnamed serviceman said the men were rounded up by “black recruiters” – intermediaries who enlist men for military service through coercion,…
News Archives
Scottish drug deaths: £6billion/year
Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is costing up to £6billion a year after the SNP government “failed to turn the tide” despite repeated pledges to do so, a damning report warned. The Social Market Foundation found the NHS and other public sector…
Parliamentary questions and answers
Latest information from parliamentary responses includes Violence in healthcare settings of which the basis is substance misuse, Department of Education steps with schools to reduce the number of minors treated for drug use, Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling and potential public health impact,…
Serious Organised Crime Taskforce
The Scottish government released the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce Progress Report 2025, starting with an increase in cannabis couriers arriving at Scottish airports: “Cannabis is the biggest single drug in the UK” then its County Lines Intensification Week and drug seizures,…
Medical students and recovery communities
Medical students in the UK are taught little about addictions, and tragically less about recovery. In the past 4 years, something different has been happening: with funding from the Scottish Government, Humanising Healthcare has been bringing together undergraduate medical students with people…
Ex-justice minister ‘used chemsex parties to inform government drug policies’
Former Tory justice minister Crispin Blunt used chemsex parties to inform government drug policies, Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told. He admitted possessing drugs, including crystal meth – but told the court he should never have faced criminal charges. He was…
Scotland’s smoking ban turns 20
Scotland’s smoking ban turns 20 – it cut secondhand smoke exposure by 96%, but the job isn’t finished, Professor Sean Semple and assoc Professor Rachel O’Donnell of the University of Stirling urge in The Conversation. Their latest study revealed that…
Meta and Google found liable for social media addiction
In a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, Meta and Google were found liable for a woman’s social media addiction and have been ordered to pay her $3million in damages. After more than 40 hours of deliberation across nine days, California jurors decided the tech giants were negligent…
Genes, impulse control and addiction
Genes tied to impulse control, reward processing and risk‑taking play a larger role in addiction risk than genes linked to any drug, according to a Rutgers‑led study which analyzed genetic data from over 2.2million people. Most inherited vulnerability to substance…
