I wrote a piece about the rise of “pink cocaine”, a drug for the modern age, in Colombia, Spain and now in the UK. unherd.com/2025/10/why-...

Opportunity to join our team as a drug related deaths admin and research support officer (closing date 09/10/25). jobs.ljmu.ac.uk/vacancy/drug...

@profhrs.bsky.social & I sopke to @marthagill.bsky.social for this piece observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

🚨 Think you can stay one step ahead of emerging drug threats? We’re hiring a Scientific analyst (AD 6) to help operate and develop the EU Early Warning System on new psychoactive substances. 📅 Apply by 17 October: euda.europa.eu/calls/2025/ad202506_en #EUCareers

New CPD-accredited training from the Anti-Stigma Network & Adfam: tackling stigma around substance use. For frontline staff working with individuals and families. 📅 Wed 19 Nov 2025, 9.30–3.30 (online via Zoom) 🎟️ £95 members / £110 non-members 🔗 Book here: zurl.co/jAXsO Questions: [email protected]

The ACMD has just published its call for evidence on cannabis-based products for medicinal use in the United Kingdom, as part of its ongoing review. www.gov.uk/government/c...

I seem to have been discussing pilot and feasibility studies a lot this week. One question often asked is how big should my pilot/feasibility study be? 1/6 #MethodologyMonday #124

Pleased to see that the 30th Royal College of General Practitioners & Addiction Professionals 'Managing Addictions in Primary Care Conference' will be held in Liverpool 26-27 February 2026 rcgp.my.site.com/s/lt-event?i...

This is a great summary of how the tobacco industry weaponises the illicit market to serve their own agenda.

🔊Register now for our upcoming seminar on Scotland's first Managed Alcohol Programme. 12.45 - 2pm, Mon 1 Sep 2025 @sarnalcohol.bsky.social www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/alcohol-oc...

New paper published by Dr Victoria Marland and colleagues, an evaluation of nitazene test strips. Their conclusions recommend caution when used in front-line testing, and highlight false positive results associated with the presence of caffeine harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Want to contribute to the ACMD review of ketamine related harms? Then why not participate in the call for evidence. Closes 19th August. www.gov.uk/government/c...

@adfam.bsky.social and Collective Voice are excited to announce the launch of a brand-new group, bringing together organisations supporting #families affected by #substance use and individuals with lived experience, to work together to improve support. www.collectivevoice.org.uk/news/introdu...

Offering financial incentives (including contingency management models) is an effective way to reduce substance use, particularly nicotine and alcohol. There's some emerging evidence around use of incentives for other drugs such as opioids and stimulants academic.oup.com/ntr/article/...

It seems I will feature in a few of the forthcoming episodes of the new 12-part BBC Radio 4 documentary about #psychedelics called "The Trip", which runs across two weeks starting next Monday, at 13:45 daily, Mon-Fri. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

I've written a piece for @addiction-ssa.org on Alcoholics Anonymous, exploring it's current role - and tensions - within the current recovery landscape 90 years after its first meetings were held. Please share 🙏 www.addiction-ssa.org/features/ess... #alcoholicsanonymous #recovery #addiction

*PARTICIPANTS* Have you been out /worked in bars, pubs, and clubs in Liverpool City Centre in the past 12 months? We want to hear about your perceptions of safety for LGBTQIA+ people in straight nightlife in Liverpool. You will be compensated for your valuable time. PM or email [email protected]

Drum roll please... Today I’m so excited to launch a new global network – Tackling Stigma in Healthcare. Check out the website: tacklingstigmainhealthcare.com

Psychedelics in mental health: still a field full of hype, hope… & huge gaps in evidence buff.ly/nBGYa3B New blog by leading experts sets out 5 priorities to move the field forward — from better trial design to preparing health systems. Let’s unpack them 👇 🧵 THREAD #Psychedelics #MentalHealth

Our latest [open access] paper evaluated what happened to drug-related mortality risk among people with opioid dependence in Scotland during the Covid-19 pandemic. In short, they stabilised (at a very high level), and OAT remained highly protective. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

“At this stage, no clinical evidence of injection nor symptoms suggesting the administration of a psychoactive substance have been found."

New publication! ‘Exposure to #alcohol content in the media is a factor in experimenting with alcohol and continued use. This review extends this view to consider #SocialNorms and #SocialIdentity as a potential pathway through which alcohol marketing exerts its effect’ www.mdpi.com/3391466

We have published our new review 'Recent Innovations to Detect and Intervene to Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths' led by Basak Tas and John Strang. kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/pu...

Why is youth drinking in decline? Listen to our latest podcast to hear why it's more than any one cause, and needs to be understood from a broader sociological position of generational change. Ft. @jholmessheff.bsky.social and @amypennay.bsky.social Listen here: www.ias.org.uk/podcast/why-...

Delighted to see our editorial on the medicinal and non-medicinal use of ketamine published today. @ssa-addiction.bsky.social @addictionjournal.bsky.social @rcpsych.bsky.social

Great to see @bbcnewslive.bsky.social covering this vital research from LJMU and @womensaid.bsky.social which highlights that domestic abuse services in Merseyside are overstretched, with 117,000 affected annually. Read more ➡️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

new chapter from me on the folk legend around Ecstasy and football-related violence (or "hooliganism", if you prefer) rdcu.be/esUdJ

Tony Seddon provides a whistle stop tour of key points in UK cannabis policy history, including the little known fact that the development of the MDA1971 was intended as a more progressive and consistent approach to drug control.

China has announced it is scheduling the entire class of nitazene-related substances. It will be interesting to see how this, if at all, impacts #nitazene supply. www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202506/19/...

Very sad to read the news about Peter Krykant. I only met him once, but his passion and commitment shone through. www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/peter-k...

In a sea of misleading articles and headlines today it falls to the Daily Record to provide some much needed perspective: www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottis...

JUST ADVERTISED: interested in the interface between science and drug policy? Then why not apply to be the next Chair of the ACMD. Closes July 14th. apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/8838

Good points from Gavin. Courts might be clogged, but not through cannabis possession offences

Great piece. Reminded me to dig out Karl Jansen texts

"When I joined a peer support group and mentioned being gay and HIV-positive, other members threatened to walk out, claiming they were afraid of ‘catching something’ from him. The staff did nothing, and their silence in this situation spoke volumes." 💬 📖 Read the full Q&A here: zurl.co/z8fyK

Might regret this: I've written about heated tobacco products and why they aren't e-cigarettes. suzigage.substack.com/p/no-smoke-w...

JUST PUBLISHED: Government’s three year work programme for the ACMD @rcpsych.bsky.social www.gov.uk/government/p...

The link didn't work for me. Here's the full link: www.antistigmanetwork.org.uk/blog/is-ther...

🧵NEW: The 2025 Spending Review is a crucial moment for the government to signal the scale of its ambition to tackle the health challenges facing the nation. In this analysis, we set out the investment needed across several areas...

I’ve enjoyed following these insightful academic discussions on ‘positive stigma’ or legitimate disapproval vs stigma. However, proponents of ‘positive stigma’ don’t seem to be able to elucidate how the stigmatising label can be separated from the individual/group. /

📢 Our NEW report reveals overwhelming public support for a bold smokefree future – with voters urging the Government to go further and faster. ash.org.uk/uploads/8703...

More on drugs here from the ACMD inc @profhrs.bsky.social on prevention approaches for drug use noting that efforts to reduce smoking will likely also reduce use of other drugs: www.gov.uk/government/p...

Looks like an interesting new book, although just to correct a point in the article - Rosemary Leary's (unfinished, but edited) memoir 'Psychedelic Refugee' was published by Park Street Press in 2021 www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...

Have you been out in bars, pubs, and clubs in Liverpool City Centre in the past 12 months? We want to hear about your experiences or if you witnessed incidents of discrimination or violence towards LGBTQIA+ people in straight bars and clubs in Liverpool. Email [email protected] for info

Pleased to see the first report published by the ACMD’s standing committee on prevention. We make several recommendations to government on the importance of a whole system approach to drug prevention / www.gov.uk/government/p...

New ACMD report on semi-synthetic cannabinoids related to tetrahydro-cannabinol and cannabidiol, including recommendation for classification of HHC www.gov.uk/government/p...

Pleased to see the publication of the OLS/James Lind Alliance Addiction Healthcare Goals, which will contribute to research priorities over the next few years www.jla.nihr.ac.uk/priority-set...

OUT NOW!! New @rcpsych.bsky.social report on co-occurring substance use and mental health problems. Includes clinical cases and resources, plus recommendations for clinicians, commissioners and policy makers. rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-s…

PQ from @charlotte2153.bsky.social about adding traceable labels to N2O cannisters. www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=20... It's an interesting suggestion, but would require co-operation, as the predominant source of non-legitimate supply to UK is from international manuf. and wholesal.