OnDemand: The Drugs and Substance Misuse Conference 2026
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2026 Overview
The government’s 2022 10-Year Drugs Plan, designed to cut crime and save lives, represents a landmark approach to tackling the UK’s addiction crisis. As the need for effective support continues to grow, ensuring that individuals have access to high-quality care has become more vital than ever
2026 Agenda
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Dr James Morgan, Senior Lecturer of Psychology, London Metropolitan University
Case Study: Discussing the Health Risks of Synthetic Drugs
- Discussing the emergence and prevalence of synthetic opioids and cannabinoids
- Assessing the psychological and cardiovascular health risks associated with synthetic substances
- Developing harm reduction strategies, such as, take-home naloxone programs and guidance for local treatment services
- Outlining the impact on regulatory frameworks that new synthetic compounds cause
Dr Caroline Copeland, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology & Toxicology, Kings College London
Lived Experience: Long Term Impacts of Ketamine Usage
- Sharing first-hand stories of ketamine damage in schools and youth settings to highlight risks
- Guiding other users into support by drawing on personal experience of navigating those systems
- Building recovery networks led by former ketamine users to connect hard-to-reach people with support
- Highlighting ongoing health issues after quitting to push for long-term care and understanding
Finley Worthington, Lived Experience and Founder Ketamine Education Service
Questions and Answers
Lunch Break and Networking
Case Study: Co-Production: Lived Experience in Practice
Jamie Poole / Founder Director, Voices-Support CIC
Case Study: Making Drug and Alcohol Services Work for Women
- Exploring the particular challenges women face in accessing drug and alcohol services, such as stigma, childcare responsibilities, trauma histories, and fear of losing custody of children
- Examining how factors like race, socioeconomic status, disability, and mental health intersect with gender to shape women’s experiences with substance use and treatment services
- Strategies for developing services that are trauma-informed, culturally competent, and tailored to women’s lived experiences and recovery journeys
Nat Travis, National Head of Service – Public Health and Substance Use Services, Turning Point
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Case Study: Spike on a Bike: Mobile Harm Reduction in Action
- Rural Barriers and Structural Stigma: How geography and visibility limit access to support.
- A Mobile, Peer-Led Response: Delivering equipment, naloxone, and advice directly to people’s homes.
- Access-focused, data-informed: Reaching underserved groups, including higher-than-expected female engagement in rural outreach.
- Redefining Impact: Measuring trust, access, and relational engagement in rehabilitation-focused harm reduction.
Dr Joseph Janes, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Swansea University
Case Study: Chemsex: Context, Evidence and Support Pathways
- Overview of chemsex. Why and where it is happening, including a brief history and trends.
- Outlining the need for data
- Support: LGBT+ community, NHS, and mainstream services. The police response to chemsex as an “intractable” problem
- Addressing heteronormativity as a structural barrier; understanding the need for fast-track chemsex crisis pathways; understanding the lives, history and culture of GBMSM; and knowledge and utilising lived experience
Patriic Gayle, Project Lead, Gay Men’s Health Collective
Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Dr James Morgan, Senior Lecturer of Psychology, London Metropolitan University
Conference Close
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2026 Speakers
Dr James Morgan
Senior Lecturer of Psychology
London Metropolitan University
Finley Worthington
Lived Experience and Founder Ketamine Education Service
Natalie Travis
National Head of Service – Public Health and Substance Use Services
Turning Point
