Posted on: 16 June, 2026
In its first year, Drugbot has supported more than 6,000 people to access accurate, non-judgemental information about drugs – and the team behind it has big plans for future growth and improvements.
Developed by Substancy and delivered by Cranstoun, Drugbot has grown into a trusted digital harm reduction service as part of a wider shift towards using technology to complement, not replace, human-led support.
Drugbot is free, anonymous, and is available 24/7 online to anyone aged 18+ in the UK looking for information about substance use, with an embedded “Find a Service” tool to connect individuals to support local to them.
The chatbot was created in response to a clear challenge: people are already using AI tools to ask questions about drugs, but many of those tools rely on unverified information resulting in inconsistent or unsafe advice.
Paige Hoe, Innovation Programme Lead at Cranstoun, said:
“General-purpose AI can possess a lot of information but can struggle to understand the nuances of substance use, many of them important for the safety and wellbeing of the end user.
“Drugbot takes a different approach. It is built on a curated and continually evolving knowledge base, combining trusted external sources with Cranstoun’s own expertise. Rather than simply reproducing content, it interprets and translates it into clear, relevant and user-friendly responses.
“Guided by harm reduction principles, Drugbot communicates in an open, honest and non-judgemental way – ensuring individuals receive consistent and evidence-based information they can trust.”
Since launching a year ago, Drugbot has proven popular by both people who use drugs and the professionals who support them:
- 23,765 messages received
- 10,759 conversations
- 6,040 unique users
- 4,087 returning users
Figures are as of 1st June 2026.
People using Drugbot are spread widely across the UK, and while the largest proportion of users are aged 18-25 (44%), engagement spans a broad age range, with 26% of users aged 41-60.
MDMA, ketamine and cocaine have been the most discussed substances, reflecting current trends, with people most commonly asking about effects and experiences, physical health risks, dosage and safety, drug interactions and mental health impacts.
Drugbot is supported by a panel of harm reduction experts who review conversations, assessing accuracy, safety and the appropriateness of advice. Results show consistently high performance, with notable improvements following recent upgrades.
A major update this year means Drugbot can now provide more complete, clearer answers and ask proactive follow-up questions, with improved handling of complex topics like adulterants alongside stronger safeguards.
The chatbot now more reliably directs individuals to human support when needed – for example in cases involving withdrawal, mental health crises, or high-risk drug use.
This reflects a core principle: Drugbot is not here to replace services, but to enhance access to them.
We are already seeing organisations embedding Drugbot into their digital offer – including partners such as Forward Trust, Drink and Drugs News and Cardiff Metropolitan University, who host Drugbot links directly on their websites. This approach extends reach, meets people where they are and integrates harm reduction into wider systems.
Drugbot’s first year has shown what is possible when innovation, expertise and partnership are combined. The team’s focus moving forward is on:
- Developing new features – including a drug alert system providing timely, location-relevant alerts based on real testing data to inform safer decision-making
- Strengthening content quality – continuing to refine accuracy, clarity and relevance
- Adding to Drugbot’s areas of knowledge – including emerging market trends and compounds of concern
- Enhancing user experience – acting on feedback to improve how people interact with and navigate the service
- Increasing reach – ensuring more people and professionals across the UK benefit from Drugbot
- International expansion – responding to growing global interest
For more information or for a copy of our full report, please contact: Paige Hoe, Innovation Programme Lead at Cranstoun on phoe@cranstoun.org.uk