Drug Science

New on the DS blog: An analysis of nearly 2,000 confiscated vapes reveals how social media is fuelling a drug crisis in UK schools — and why banning disposables won’t fix it.

drugscience.org.uk/s...

The Better Men List 2025: Celebrating the Certified Good Guys Defining Positive Masculinity A comprehensive roll call of leading figures – from politicians and pop stars to activists and actors – who are setting the standard

We're thrilled - though hardly surprised - to see Prof David Nutt listed among the likes of Sir Ian McKellen, Ebere Eze, and Prince William on Esquire's "Better Men List 2025," celebrating men who inspire others by "consistently aiming to be better in everything they do."

esquire.com/uk/cultu...

Get 10% Off Your Manta Sleep Mask. Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 and click this link - https://bit.ly/4ilzfBLGet Professional High Quality Talk Therapy at BetterHel... Psychedelics Expert: Who is Blocking Psychedelic Research? Cannabis Vs Alcohol, MDMA & Ayahuasca

We teamed up with YouTuber The Giant Shoulders & psychedelic researcher Dr Grace Blest-Hopley to dive into the neuroscience of cannabis & psychedelics.

From THC & psychosis to MDMA, ibogaine & trauma treatment- watch to learn what the science really says.
youtube.com/watch?v=...

International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) is a global network of over 192 NGOs that promote objective and open debate on drug policy at national, regional and international level.

We’re proud to join the IDPC — a global network of 190+ organisations promoting person-centred, rights-affirming drug policies grounded in evidence & social justice.

Together we'll keep advancing reform shaped by science, compassion, and human rights.

idpc.net/

Important new findings on harm reduction at music festivals 🎶

A pilot study of a video-based intervention for festival attendees found reduced substance-related harm, positive behaviour change, and improved perceptions of onsite services.

Read it now in DSPL⬇️
🔗 drugscience.org.uk/p...

An inside look at one of modern medicine’s most fascinating evolutions ⬇️

Professor David Nutt’s latest editorial explores how decades of research have reshaped our understanding of ketamine and its growing role in psychiatric treatment.

🔗 journals.sagepub.com...

Poppers have been “popping” up since the 1920s — in clinics, clubs & queer culture.

We caught up with Deep Sniff author Adam Zmith to learn what the history of poppers reveals about pleasure, politics & community resistance.

🎧drugscience.org.uk/p...
#DrugSciencePodcast

As psychedelics go mainstream, how can we build a psychedelic ecosystem rooted in inclusivity, care, safety & equity?

On 22/11, we'll spend the day at KCL reimagining psychedelic culture through inclusivity, accountability, & collective care.

Join us ⬇️ eventbrite.co.uk/e/t...

The latest ONS drug death stats confirm what frontline worker Plinio Ferreira sees firsthand: drugs are increasingly dangerous, & the gov is doing little to protect people who use them.

He shares what can be done today to stop people from dying tomorrow.
drugscience.org.uk/o...

Pathways to recovery: The role of psychedelics, plant medicine and ketamine in treatment of addiction and mental health On October 22nd, Eden Clinic is hosting a powerful evening exploring science behind the use of psychedelic medicine in the treatment of addiction, PTSD an…

TONIGHT: Professor David Nutt and other leading experts are in Plymouth discussing how psychedelic medicines are transforming addiction and PTSD treatment. Will we see you there?

All purchases/donations are split between Drug Science & Heroic Hearts UK 🙏

🔗givewheel.com/fundra...

What does it take to keep showing up for others when your own wellbeing is at risk?

@ProfDavidNutt speaks w/ the Scottish Ambulance Service about the emotional weight of emergency work, and how ayahuasca helped them heal its lasting impact.
👇

drugscience.org.uk/p...

Patient access, education, and real-world research can improve the future of medical cannabis in the UK.

We explain why in our new response to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ call for evidence on cannabis-based products ⬇️

drugscience.org.uk/d...

Street Drugs Discussions: Drug Death Statistics Tickets, Wed 26 Nov 2025 at 12:00 | Eventbrite Eventbrite - Drug Science presents Street Drugs Discussions: Drug Death Statistics - Wednesday, 26 November 2025 - Find event and ticket information.

UK drug overdose deaths are at a 30-year high — but what counts as a drug-related death? Street Drugs Discussions will look at how coroners make those calls, and why it matters for policy, research & public health.

Join the free webinar on 26/11. eventbrite.com/e/str...

Can medical cannabis help people sleep better — even when sleep isn’t the main reason for treatment?

New Project Twenty21 data suggests prescribed cannabinoids may improve not only primary conditions, but also quality of life through better sleep.

drugscience.org.uk/m...

Street Drugs Discussions: Women and Drugs Tickets, Fri 24 Oct 2025 at 14:00 | Eventbrite Eventbrite - Drug Science presents Street Drugs Discussions: Women and Drugs - Friday, 24 October 2025 - Find event and ticket information.

Drug research has been built on male-dominated samples, policies, and assumptions. This month’s Street Drugs Discussions will ask what happens when women’s bodies, lives, and voices are finally included.

🗓️ 24 Oct | 2–4PM BST | Online

Register for free: eventbrite.co.uk/e/s...

Strict drug abstinence rules in hostels can lead to unsafe public drug use. In Norway, Huset Bergen offers another way — a high-tolerance housing model open to those experiencing or recovering from substance use.

💲 Donate to help us document its lessons drugscience.org.uk/h...

The overdose crisis in the US demands urgent innovation in both policy & medical technology.

A new article explores how existing frameworks designed to mitigate substance use paradoxically restrict the research and development of reversal agents and drug-delivery devices.

drugscience.org.uk/o...

Psychedelic research has long grappled with the tension between science and the humanities. Dr. Andy Letcher, a religious scholar with expertise in both, joined Professor David Nutt on the DSP to trace this divide and its influence on the way we study psychedelics.

drugscience.org.uk/p...

🚨 New from the Drug Science Medical Psychedelics Working Group: a framework for standardised terminology in psychedelic medicine.

From pharmacological classes to micro- vs macrodoses, this paper sets the groundwork for clinical + regulatory clarity.

drugscience.org.uk/p...

Terminal diagnoses often bring profound emotional suffering.

Profs Joanna Neill & Muireann Quigley and Dr Laura Downey discuss the role of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in palliative care — and why the UK risks falling behind global progress 📑

drugscience.org.uk/e...

As Prof David Nutt notes, we "welcome the Royal College of Psychiatrists' landmark position statement on psychedelics & assisted psychotherapy, which marks a crucial step forward for the UK psychedelic medicine industry."

🔗 We give our full take on the RCPsych report

drugscience.org.uk/r...

In a new viewpoint, Prof David Nutt explains how stalled developments in psychiatric medicine can be revitalised by putting psychiatrists back at the heart of innovation - and how the Royal College of Psychiatrists can lead this change.

cambridge.org/core/j...

"And this is where the element of the chicken or the egg comes in..."

During the conversation, Stephen and Jenny highlight how drug scheduling denies psychedelics’ medical value yet prevents the studies needed to test it⬇️

@bsmsmedschool.bsky.social

Learn about POST’s role in providing objective, emerging scientific evidence to the UK Parliament, and why Stephen and Jenny selected psychedelics as the focus of their latest research brief.

@bsmsmedschool.bsky.social

The latest episode of the DSP welcomes Jenny Chapman and Dr. Stephen Naulls, researchers at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and authors of ‘Psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health: Policy considerations.’

drugscience.org.uk/p...

2️⃣ The High-PAT group — those with the widest involvement across substances — reported higher levels of depression and anxiety.

1️⃣ Latent class analysis revealed three patterns of PAT use: Medium-PAT, High-PAT, and Psilocybin-Ketamine.

🎙️ New on the DSP: renowned mycologist and educator Darren le Baron shares how he is spreading ethnomycology to the world — from connecting at-risk youth with horticulture to exposing the hidden history of psychedelic use in Africa 🌍

drugscience.org.uk/p...

These findings highlight the need for:

✅ Improved harm reduction education and outreach
✅ Greater use of informal and digital platforms to reach festival-goers
✅ Adaptive, targeted interventions addressing alcohol use, polysubstance use, and early help-seeking

Always happy to be the runner-up if it means we get to publish great content like this!

Thank you for all the hard work from yourself and the Loop team! 💪