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 belong to a group of drugs known as depressants. 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.
- How Long Do Benzodiazepines Stay in Your System?
Benzodiazepines are only detectable within a short time-frame with some types of drug tests. Other types of drug tests can still pick up drug usage up to three months later. | Zoom Testing, UK
Cannabis
Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in the UK. 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:
- Plans outlined for £100m Isle of Man medicinal cannabis complex
Plans for a £100m complex on the Isle of Man to grow and export medicinal cannabis could be “game-changing”, the firm behind the scheme has said | BBC, UK
Cocaine
Powder cocaine continues to be the second most commonly used drug of abuse in the UK, after Cannabis. Zoom Testing supply a wide range of drug testing kits for cocaine. In the news this week:
- Operation Venetic: London drug supply ‘fixer’ jailed
An Albanian drug supplier who arranged cocaine deals within the UK worth almost £1.4 million has been jailed for 10 years | NCA, UK - Men jailed after £10m cocaine found in Belgian waffle lorry
Members of a serious organised crime group have been jailed after £10m of cocaine was found during a raid in Renfrewshire | BBC, UK - Two more £165m Derby cocaine gang members sentenced
The 21-strong gang was at one point making £400,000 a day, police said | BBC, UK - Two men arrested following discovery of €220k of cocaine and tablets in Dublin
Both are currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drugs Trafficking) Act, 1996 and can be held for up to 7 days | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Heroin
Heroin is a pain-killing drug, which is derived from the dried milk of the opium poppy. Heroin belongs to a group of drugs known as opiates, other opiates include morphine and methadone. Heroin is also known as smack, H, junk, brown, skag and gear. Zoom Testing is a leading supplier of drug testing kits for Heroin.
- Bristol driver who smuggled £800k heroin on Amsterdam trip jailed
A man who falsely claimed to be on a day trip to Dunkirk when he was picking up £800,000 worth of heroin in Amsterdam has been jailed | BBC, UK
Other Drug News in the UK
Also in the news this week:
- Darren Brown: Man died in police custody ‘due to drugs’
A man died in police custody because his heart stopped due to a combination of drugs, an inquest has heard | BBC, UK - Police Scotland officers to be issued with Naloxone overdose spray
All police officers in Scotland are to be issued with an emergency treatment for drug overdoses. The national roll-out of the Naloxone nasal spray follows pilots in Dundee, Falkirk, Glasgow, Stirling and Caithness | BBC, UK
Photo by Melany @ tuinfosalud.com on Unsplash
