Here’s a summary of some of the more interesting drug testing news stories and articles from around the UK this week. As always, if drugs are a concern for you, your family or your organisation, Zoom Testing is here to help. Contact us with all of your drug testing requirements.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that are used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. They work by enhancing the effects of a neurotransmitter called GABA. Benzodiazepines are often prescribed for short-term use only. They can be addictive and should not be taken for more than 4 weeks without consulting a doctor.
Unfortunately, benzodiazepines have an extremely high rate of abuse. In the UK, the most common benzodiazepine is Valium. Slang names for the drug include benzos, temazies, jellies, eggs, moggies and vallies. A benzodiazepines drug test will detect BZD in urine within hours of using the drug and possibly up to 2 – 14 days after use.
My Overdose on “Benzo Dope” Was Part of a Current Wave
It’s hard to write a story about events of which you have almost no recollection. But as the days pass, bits and pieces have started to come back to me, together with the accounts of people who interacted with me before and after I overdosed on “benzo dope.” | Filter Magazine, USA
Cannabis
Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in the UK. It is estimated that around 2.2 million people aged 16-59 have used cannabis in the last year, and around 1.6 million people aged 16-59 have used it in the last month. The use of cannabis has been linked to a number of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety and psychosis. Cannabis can also cause physical health problems such as lung cancer and bronchitis. At Zoom Testing we offer a very wide range of drug testing kits for cannabis. This week, there were a number of cannabis related news stories that caught the eye:
Regular cannabis use now more accepted by Australians than smoking tobacco, study finds
Support grows for stricter penalties for supplying cigarettes to minors and a crackdown on e-cigarettes, National Drug Strategy Household Survey reveals | Guardian, UK
Break-in report leads officers to cannabis grow
Five people have been arrested after a large cannabis grow was discovered in Nottingham | BBC, UK
Police issue rogue drugs warning after man dies in West Yorkshire
Police are warning of a possible “rogue” batch of illegal drugs after a man died and two others were left seriously ill | BBC, UK
Two arrested after £1m cannabis haul discovery near Hawick
Two men have been arrested and charged following the discovery of a £1m cannabis haul in the Borders | BBC, UK
Cocaine
Powder cocaine is a drug that is made from the leaves of the coca plant. It is usually snorted, but can also be injected or smoked. It is a mood-altering psychoactive drug, which can also cause psychological and physical dependence. The UK has seen a rise in the use of powder cocaine in recent years. In 2016, it was found to be the second most commonly used drug after cannabis. Zoom Testing supply a wide range of drug testing kits for cocaine. In the news this week:
Turkey Is Now A Major Hub for Cocaine Trafficking
Criminal gangs from Turkey have become major players in trafficking cocaine to emerging markets in Eastern Europe and the Gulf States | VICE, UK
Is Scotland the New Cocaine Capital? | High Society – video
Scotland has the highest level of cocaine consumption on the planet according to 2018 data. Scots take on average 1.2 grams of cocaine per session – double the global average. And this epidemic is adding to one of the world’s deadliest drug crises, with a new trend of cocaine injection on the rise | VICE, UK
Heroin
Heroin is a pain-killing drug, which is derived from the dried milk of the opium poppy. It is a highly addictive narcotic that can be injected, smoked or sniffed. Heroin was first synthesized in 1874 by C.R. Alder Wright and was used as an analgesic for people who were suffering from severe pain and other ailments such as tuberculosis and cancer.
Heroin belongs to a group of drugs known as opiates, other opiates include morphine and methadone. The use of heroin has been on the rise in recent years due to its low cost and high availability on the black market. Heroin is also known as smack, H, junk, brown, skag and gear. Zoom Testing is a leading supplier of drug testing kits for Heroin. In the news this week:
Heroin in 1940s America: ‘the work of this era only served to heighten the division between good and bad drugs’
In The Urge, Carl Erik Fisher narrates the social history of addiction in the US, mixed in with his experiences as an addiction psychiatrist and as someone in recovery | SSA, UK
MDMA
MDMA is a psychoactive drug that alters mood and perception. It is a stimulant and psychedelic, producing an energising effect, as well as distortions in time and perception. The common name for the drug MDMA is Ecstasy. Ecstasy Drug Test Kits are available from Zoom Testing. We can also supply party drugs test kits.
World’s first ecstasy shop; set to trial in the Netherlands
Opening this week in Utrecht, the ‘demo store’ is set to run until September | Mix Mag, UK
Dad of ecstasy death sons in fresh call for law changes
A bereaved father whose two sons died from ecstasy overdoses in 2014 has renewed calls for drugs legislation to change on the Isle of Man | BBC, UK
Other Drug News in the UK
Also in the news this week:
County lines drugs raids leads to dozens of arrests
More than 120 people have been arrested in a four-day crackdown on county lines drug dealing across south-west England | BBC, UK
Teenage vaping – a habit out of control? – audio
Rachel Burden investigates the impact of the illegal sale of vapes to under 18s. Trading standards say the market is being flooded by devices that don’t comply with regulations | BBC, UK
Drug dealer sentenced after man dies using Black Mamba
A man who dealt synthetic cannabinoids to a 61-year-old later found dead in his flat has been handed a two-year community order | BBC, UK
Drugs intercepted at Peterborough postal sorting office
Cambridgeshire Police said 46 packages were found at the Werrington sorting office in June including cannabis, crack cocaine, spice and a knife | BBC, UK
How to Change Your Mind – new series on Netflix
Author Michael Pollan leads the way in this docuseries exploring the history and uses of psychedelics, including LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and mescaline | Netflix, USA
Photo by Hans Reniers on Unsplash
