Here’s this week’s summary of some of the more interesting drug testing news stories and articles from around the UK. 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.
Benzo Research Project
We are collecting stories from young people who have had experiences with non-prescription benzodiazepine use – either by taking them or being around those who are using them. If you are a young person between the ages of 18-25 years old (or were at the time of your experience with benzos) – we would love to hear your story | Drugs and Me, 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:
What is Cannabis Shatter?
Also called Butane Hash Oil (BHO) or Weed Shatter, Cannabis Shatter is manufactured in ovens and is produced using large volumes of highly flammable butane gas | Zoom Testing, UK
Legalising cannabis in Guernsey proposal submitted
Guernsey’s Health and Social Care Committee has submitted its plan to look at legalising cannabis | BBC, UK
Labour ‘Not Yet Convinced’ Of The Need To Decriminalise Cannabis, Says Ed Miliband
The former leader spoke out after Sadiq Khan was hit by a shadow cabinet backlash | Huffington Post, UK
Dispute with council over legal cannabis use following eviction from home
A legal cannabis user has expressed his frustration at struggling to find a new place to live in the city after being served an eviction notice | Norwich Evening News, UK
Weed legalisation linked to drop in alcohol, tobacco consumption, study says
Cannabis legalisation is linked to a reduction in alcohol and cigarette consumption, as well as pain medication misuse among young adults, a new study has suggested | Independent, 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:
Football fans taking cocaine at matches face five-year bans
Move comes in response to significant increase in disorder at games, much of which, police say, is driven by class A drugs | Guardian, UK
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.
Richard Mylan: Waterloo Road star reveals heroin addiction battle
“This could be a career-ending interview but I don’t care about that any more,” actor Richard Mylan says as he opens up on his 20-year battle with heroin addiction | BBC, UK
Birmingham Airport heroin smuggler jailed over £1m haul
A man who tried to smuggle heroin with an estimated street value of almost £1m through Birmingham Airport has been jailed for nine years | BBC, UK
MDMA
The common name for the drug MDMA is Ecstasy which is a controlled substance. Ecstasy Drug Test Kits are available from Zoom Testing. We can also supply party drugs test kits.
Other Drug News in the UK
Also in the news this week:
Football fans who take drugs at matches will face five-year ban in new crackdown
A crackdown will be unveiled this week amid growing evidence thugs high on cocaine are fuelling a surge in violence at stadiums | Sun, UK
The ‘village’ that got me off drink and drugs
At a time when deaths from drugs and alcohol are at an all-time high, a town in north-west England has caught the attention of the government’s senior drug advisor. Birkenhead is trying a new way to support addicts and save lives | BBC, UK
Matriarch accused of leading drug clan captured
Police in Honduras have captured a woman accused of leading a drug trafficking clan with four of her sons | BBC, UK
Drug smuggling tunnel with rail system uncovered on US-Mexico border
The ventilated underground passage runs the length of a football field and also contains reinforced walls and electricity supply | Guardian, UK
Darren McGarvey’s Addictions – Drugs – video
Darren uncovers why Scotland has the highest drug-related death rate in Europe. He begins his journey on the front line of the drug crisis by spending a shift with the ambulance service during a busy Friday evening in Glasgow. He then travels to Fife, where he is trained to use Naloxone, a life-saving treatment that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, and meets Reece, who has been saved by the treatment twice | BBC, UK
Mac Miller: Second drug supplier sentenced to 17 years in prison for giving rapper fentanyl-laced pills
A second person involved in supplying fentanyl-laced pills to late rapper Mac Miller has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison | Independent, UK
Michael K Williams wouldn’t ‘knowingly take fentanyl’, nephew says: ‘I know that like I know my first name’
‘The Wire’ star died in September of accidental drug overdose | Independent, UK
Photo by Fulvio Ciccolo on Unsplash
