LATEST NEWS

As advertisers embrace the festive season with bold and playful campaigns, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is reminding brands that drug-related humour is a regulatory minefield. Recent rulings show just how easily seemingly harmless wordplay can stray into a breach of the CAP Code. The ASA has reiterated that any reference to illegal drugs - however subtle, indirect, or humorous - is likely to be unacceptable . Even if a term is widely recognised by the target audi

ON 10th December 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England published the long-awaited Co-occurring mental health and substance use delivery framework: summary of actions . For the first time, England has a single, system-wide plan that treats drug and alcohol problems and mental ill-health as what they so often are: inseparable and interconnected . No more “you have to get clean/sober first before we can treat your depression”. No more bouncing between s

The Local Government Association (LGA) and the Ethical Marketing Campaign for Addiction Treatment (EMCAT) and Collective Voice have issued a strong and urgent call: end the practice of patient brokering in addiction services. Patient brokering involves paying referral fees or commissions to divert people into certain private rehab clinics - even when those clinics may not be the right clinical fit. It turns people in crisis into commodities, prioritising profit over their wel

For years, many commissioners, politicians and even some clinicians treated long-term residential rehab as an expensive luxury - something that belonged to the 1980s Minnesota Model era rather than a modern, “community-first” system. The new Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment, published on 28 November 2025, have just changed the conversation. Chapter 14 – Residential Treatment and Intensive Structured Day Programmes – is unequivocal: **long-term residential rehabilitat

In an era where recreational drug use is increasingly normalised through social media and pop culture, the quiet but resolute voice of public health policy reminds us of the hidden costs. Just last week, on November 21, 2025, DUP MP Jim Shannon raised a timely question in the House of Commons: "What steps is the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care taking to raise awareness of the health impacts of long-term marijuana use?" In her response, Parliamentary Under-Secret

In response to a parliamentary question, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care Ashley Dalton MP   reconfirmed  that “The Department set an ambition that 2% of the drug and alcohol treatment population should be accessing residential treatment” and listed a range of tactics aimed at improving outcomes for people with substance dependencies. While these statements signal intent, they fail to address the sector’s most urgent problem: there simply are not enoug

The Ethical Marketing Campaign for Addiction Treatment (EMCAT) is committed to ensuring that all advertising and online listings for addiction services are accurate, transparent, and ethical. In 2018, Google restricted advertising for addiction treatment services following widespread concerns about misleading marketing practices in the sector. Today, similar issues are re-emerging - this time through Google Maps listings. We’ve found that some operators are listing themselves

The Ethical Marketing Campaign for Addiction Treatment (EMCAT)  is proud to welcome Liz Martin MSc MBACP AP APM  to its Advisory Group....

Recent ASA Decision: Detox Today (July 2025) The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint against Detox Today regarding...

July 2025 In a significant step to protect vulnerable consumers, Yell has announced robust updates to its advertising policies following...

1. Although announced in June 2024 - enactment starts 1st June 2025 The Scottish Government amended the National Health Service...

The Ethical Marketing in the Care and Treatment (EMCAT) group has launched a groundbreaking Code of Ethics—raising the bar for integrity,...

As society begins to recognise addiction as a serious health issue, the demand for effective treatment options has significantly...

At EMCAT, we strongly advocate against engaging with patient brokers. However, we recognise that some rehabs may have worked with them in...

Moving Forward: A New Path to Recovery Rae House is situated in the picturesque rural Aberdeenshire countryside. It offers 27 large...

The Data (Use and Access) Bill (DUA), introduced to the UK Parliament on October 24, 2024, has completed its passage through the House of...

Cameron is a seasoned lawyer with over 30 years of experience, specialising in professional regulation and ethics. His extensive career...

"Exploiting Recovery: How Profit-Driven Models Undermine Authentic Healing Communities" The article "Recovery Capitalists and the...

Content analysis of substance use disorder recovery discourse on X (formally known as Twitter): From personal recovery narratives to...

They are beloved by A-listers and surging in popularity. But claims that NAD+ infusions are a fix for addiction are unproven, risky – and...