Will Haydock

NISRA have just released new data on alcohol-specific deaths in Northern Ireland in 2024. This confirms the sad fact that Northern Ireland now has the highest rates of alcohol-specific deaths of any UK nation.

Definitely. Drinking behaviour is so dependent on culture and context. I'm particularly interested in this because it makes it hard to determine what's a fair, consistent, proportionate approach in regulation etc. Let's see what happens...

WSL alcohol trials: No disruption to safety at games, say fans Trials providing supporters with the option to drink alcohol in the stands at Women's Super League games receives positive feedback on fan safety.

Interesting trial for those, like me, interested in #alcohol, #football and #gender
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

BBC Sounds - The Food Programme - Available Episodes Listen to the latest episodes of The Food Programme on BBC Sounds.

Great coincidence to turn on the radio while making a cup of coffee and come across an episode of the food programme specifically on desi pubs. Great stuff! #alcohol #history #sociology
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand...

Palmerstown House on Instagram: "Try our new '60/40' in the Palmerstown House. All of the Guinness character, just a little lighter! Great for when you're in the mood for a pint but with a little le... 2,531 likes, 201 comments - palmerstown_house on November 15, 2025: "Try our new '60/40' in the Palmerstown House. All of the Guinness character, just a little lighter! Great for when you're in the ...

Interesting option for a low (but not no) alcohol beer. Reminds me of 'light and bitter'. Just the fact someone's thought of it makes me think it's something for the academics to note.

www.instagram.com/reel/DRFxUCg...

Collective Voice calls on Government to accept and implement the recommendations of the Justice Committee inquiry on drugs in prisons - Collective Voice We call on the Government to accept the key recommendations of the inquiry and work with stakeholders – including our members – to implement them effectively. We are ready and waiting to provide our s...

2/2 We welcome the call for 'urgent reform and investment', and the acceptance of our advice that substance use treatment in prison should be commissioned as a separate specialist service. Do read our response and the full report: www.collectivevoice.org.uk/cv-response/...

The findings of this inquiry are worrying, but sadly unsurprising. We need urgent action to address the crisis in prisons and across our criminal justice system, and substance use treatment has to be a part of that. 1/2

I'm pleased we're setting up this network to share challenges and opportunities to improve support for people who use #ketamine. Please do check out the blog and think about signing up for the event - 14 October 2pm-3.30pm.

In this instance, deaths linked to fentanyl seems to be due to contamination with bacteria, not the drug itself.

Inside Health - Can we reverse rising drug deaths? - BBC Sounds We try to figure out why drug deaths are at an all-time high - and what can be done.

"Inside Health" on drug deaths: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
"Understand" discussing psychedelics: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...

Inside Health - Can we reverse rising drug deaths? - BBC Sounds We try to figure out why drug deaths are at an all-time high - and what can be done.

Two interesting pieces related to #drugs / #addiction on BBC Radio 4 this week. I thought we'd included them in last week's newsletter, but apparently not! A discussion of drug-related deaths on Inside Health, and a whole series running this week on #psychedelics and their therapeutic potential.

Work as recovery: Supporting employment during Alcohol Awareness Week - Collective Voice This Alcohol Awareness Week, WithYou is calling on employers and policymakers to recognise work as a recovery tool, which can change the lives of people across the UK. Kayleigh Gamblin, National Emplo...

This year #AlcoholAwarenessWeek is focusing on #alcohol and the workplace. Kayleigh Gamblin, National Employment Lead at WithYou, provides a perspective on the role of work in recovery from alcohol issues. www.collectivevoice.org.uk/news/work-as...

Black text on a white background reading: Improving conditions and career pathways: To raise the status of the profession we will work in partnership with the sector to co-design and introduce a new professional register designed to raise the value of the profession, promote continuing professional development and give early educators the recognition they deserve. We will work closely with the sector to establish an evidence-informed career framework to support career progression at all levels, linked to a simpler qualification offer. We are continuing to invest in funding rates to enable providers to recruit and retain great staff, and through the Employment Rights Bill, the Government is delivering the biggest upgrade in employment rights in a generation. We are also exploring how steps to increase flexible working and reduce workloads in schools could be applied in early years settings.

One of the solutions proposed is to create a professional register - because, as Bridget Phillipson put it, these staff are professionals. Should we be saying the same of specialist drug / alcohol / recovery workers? Is the government's workforce strategy sufficient? 3/3

Black text on a white background reading: Supporting and growing a skilled early years workforce A strong early years workforce is the foundation of high-quality care and education. But too often, early years staff feel overworked, overlooked and undervalued. Men are especially underrepresented in the workforce. We want early years to be a career people are proud to start and rewarding to pursue. We will work with the sector to understand and address specific barriers to recruitment and retention and take action to create more opportunities to enter the profession, gain relevant qualifications and build fulfilling careers. We are also improving working conditions and investing in leadership to ensure staff feel valued and supported throughout their career journey.

You could apply much of this diagnosis to our field. 2/3

Interesting to see this strategy for early years education today and think of parallels with the #drugs & #alcohol world, particularly the commitments on workforce, notably creating a professional register. 1/3
www.gov.uk/government/p...

Collective Voice responds to the 10-year health plan - Collective Voice When the plan trumpets ‘a devolved and diverse NHS’, I wonder if it should really be saying ‘ a devolved and diverse health system’ Read the Government’s plan Positive principles, but health is about ...

Collective Voice has responded to the Government's 10-year #health plan. The ideas & principles are welcome, but if they're going to deliver on their ambitions they will need to work closely with #charities & have more of a focus on #alcohol & other #drugs
www.collectivevoice.org.uk/comment/coll...

Ketamine ‘overwhelming’ authorities as teens dealing and taking Class B drug | ITV News ITV News has spoken to frontline services across Cheshire who are calling for more awareness with warnings over the long-term damage of ketamine use. | ITV National News

We should be raising awareness of the risks in using ketamine & thinking about how to reduce harm. But "Children as young as 12 are becoming addicted to ketamine, opting to buy the horse tranquilliser over a packet of crisps"?! Does that language support a serious debate? www.itv.com/news/2025-06...

This new report from @ias.org.uk and @shaapalcohol.bsky.social is worth a look. I'm not anti-alcohol or opposed to the industry, but we need an open, honest debate about policy. Some of these moves by the #alcohol industry look at best disingenuous, which is really disappointing.

Rylan: How to Be... - How to Be in Love - Richard Coles: On losing the love of his life and casual roadside encounters - BBC Sounds Rylan speaks to Richard Coles about how he healed from grief to find love once again.

This is definitely worth a listen for those with an interest in substance use issues. Richard Coles talks about loving someone who's struggling with their drinking & going to Al-Anon, as well as his own substance use. #alcohol #drugs www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Re-sharing this as I hope it's useful to raise awareness of the treatment that's out there for people facing issues with #alcohol. I know it's not the perfect intro, but I think we don't do enough of this for wider audiences. Do listen, share & comment - how can we communicate better & more widely?

Katie Boulter: British tennis player reveals social media abuse she has received Britain's Katie Boulter speaks exclusively to BBC Sport about the levels of social media abuse she receives.

The online abuse that Katie Boulter has received, as described in this piece, is outrageous.

I was surprised, though, by the clear link made to #gambling / #betting, with the BBC paraphrasing the research: "angry gamblers sent 40% of all detected abuse".

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis...

How Britain fell into the K-hole Silicon Valley’s favourite drug is also the UK’s.

This is a surprisingly good piece on substance use, specifically ketamine. Lots of detail, and quite thoughtful. (Via @drugwise.bsky.social)

www.newstatesman.com/politics/hea...

My only real concern was the language, with people being referred to as addicts when it wasn't clear they'd describe themselves that way. 3/3

It describes the emergence of a synthetic cathinone known as Bloom, and there's interesting points about the particular context of Madeira as an island affecting the availability of different drugs. Definitely good for thought as we try to plan for an uncertain future in the UK. 2/3

Currently - Madeira's Drugs Crisis - BBC Sounds Madeira has a chronic drug problem the authorities are struggling to cope with.

I caught this programme yesterday on Radio 4. It's unusual to have such a detailed and extensive discussion of problems related to #drugs on a major radio network. 1/3

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Just to clarify on one point, I support the introduction of an #alcohol strategy; it's one of Collective Voice's key asks of Government. The discussion here was about (a) how we get substance use taken seriously in Government & (b) making sure treatment isn't lost in wider alcohol policy discussions

It was fun to record this discussion of what #alcohol treatment is & how it's organised & funded. Inevitably there were loads of things we didn't get time to cover properly. It'd be good to cover topics including quality & accessibility of treatment, diversity & inclusion, sustainability of funding.

De-siloing substance misuse and self-harm research through integrated public health and emergency medicine Acute and chronic problems related to alcohol, drugs, and self-harm are important public health challenges and are compounded by socioeconomic inequalities. People with substance use disorders or ment...

De-siloing substance misuse and self-harm research through integrated public health and emergency medicine - The Lancet Public Health www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... via @lisaangelica.bsky.social

Photo of a coin with the inscription "Band of Hope Pledge: I do agree that I will not use intoxicating liquors as a beverage" and piece of paper reading: "Band of Hope Medallion, given to children who signed the pledge not to drink alcohol. Early 20th century, given by Felicity Cox 2018/39"

I'm still on holiday visiting Lyme Regis museum, but there's no escaping #alcohol & #temperance history!

Gauke's sentencing review report is finally out! Full assessment will come after gov announces its response, but some initial thoughts here. Overall: lot of sensible proposals, likely to be some big implementation challenges, and a few risks 🧵