A move to legalise cannabis by Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb has been blocked by MPs.Mr Lamb (North Norfolk) brought a 10 Minute Rule Bill on the issue because he said current laws are "cruel and inhuman" and "hand billions of pounds every year to organised crime".But his Cannabis (Legalisation…

The number of children needing treatment for addiction to tranquilisers has almost doubled, figures show.In 2016, 161 children under the age of 18 accessed public treatment services for benzodiazepine misuse.This almost doubled to 315 young people requiring help last year.The figures, released by Public Health England (PHE), show the number…

Ministers are pledging to take an “innovative” approach to tackling drug and alcohol addiction in Scotland, even if it makes some people “uncomfortable”.Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said the Scottish Government is committing an extra £20 million a year through its new strategy.He warned: “This money mustn’t just produce more…

Gangs operating so-called county lines drug networks are targeting private school children as they are "less likely to raise suspicion", the chief inspector of schools will say on Wednesday.The networks see urban dealers forcing children and other vulnerable people to courier illegal substances to customers in more rural areas and…

New data released by Public Health Wales shows that despite an overall decrease in hospital admissions for illicit drugs, the number of cocaine-related hospital admissions has increased by 114 per cent in the last five years to 2017-18. This increase has been observed in all age groups from young people…

The number of people being treated for crack cocaine problems has increased by 18% since last year and 44% since the year before that, official figures show. There was also a 3% increase in people entering treatment for both crack cocaine and opiate (mainly heroin) problems, which was seen primarily…

Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has called for an "urgent review" of the evidence around the legalisation of cannabis.Lord Hogan-Howe, who has always supported tough laws on cannabis, investigated the issue for Channel 4's Dispatches programme, to be shown on Monday.He said if he was home secretary he would…

More than 200 suspected members of county lines drugs gangs have been arrested in a national crackdown.There are thought to be around 1,500 of the networks in operation in the UK, which involve urban dealers forcing children to carry drugs to customers in more rural areas.They also "cuckoo" the homes…

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has been accused of putting "party political dogma ahead of people's lives" with his refusal to allow a safe injecting room to be set up in Scotland's largest city. Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewlis begged the Tory Government minister to come to the city and speak…

A drug dealer who trafficked three children including a teenage girl to use in a "county lines" crack and heroin selling ring has been jailed for 14 years after a landmark prosecution. Birmingham-based Zakaria Mohammed, 21, recruited the vulnerable youngsters to extend his drugs network to Lincoln, but was caught…

Children are increasingly being prosecuted for selling cannabis and should be treated like victims of exploitation and not criminals, a report has argued. Research released on Wednesday found prosecutions of young people for supplying cannabis increased 26% between 2012/13 and 2016/17. This is despite a 16% drop for adults, according…

Applications to study the highly regarded Foundation degree (FdSc) in Addictions Counselling in September 2019 are now open. The degree is a franchised programme of the University of Bath, delivered by Action on Addiction for Addictions Treatment Studies and accredited by the Federation of Drug and Alcohol Practitioners.The degree gives…