Drug Channels

The European Union Drugs Agency has launched a new civil society platform on drugs, creating a formal channel for non-governmental organisations, community groups and experts to feed into EU drug policy discussions. The initiative is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the agency and civil society on drug prevention, treatment and harm reduction across Europe.

Vanderbilt Health has been chosen to lead a national consortium focused on life-threatening drug reactions affecting the skin. The consortium will coordinate research and clinical efforts around severe cutaneous adverse reactions, which can be fatal and are often caused by common medications. The announcement was made through Vanderbilt's own health news channels, with further details about funding and partner institutions not yet disclosed.

Iraq is co-hosting with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime a roundtable in Vienna on counter-terrorism cooperation, focused on strengthening regional and international partnerships going forward. The meeting brings Iraq's 2026 chairing or representation role together with UN expertise to coordinate responses to terrorism. Little detail on participants or outcomes has been released, with the announcement circulating mainly through UN channels.