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.
- Drug Test Cut-off Levels for Benzodiazepines
Depending on the test type that is being used, benzodiazepines drug tests will have various cut-off levels. In the workplace at the present time, drug testing for benzodiazepines usually takes on one of two forms; the saliva drug test or a urine drug test | 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:
- One in five Norwegian students in upper secondary school has used cannabis, new survey shows
20% of upper secondary school students in Norway say that they had used cannabis, but only just over 6% have used it in the past month, according to a survey conducted by the National Institute of Public Health (FHI) | Norway Today, Norway - Medical cannabis on Isle of Man: Minister welcomes sector growth
Proposals for a medical cannabis facility on the Isle of Man have been welcomed by the enterprise minister | 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:
- Stansted: Man admits smuggling cocaine in duck ornament
A man who tried to smuggle cocaine inside a duck ornament flown in from South America has admitted the offence | BBC, 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.
- Norwich: From homelessness, drugs and sex work to motherhood – video
Five years ago, Jessy was homeless and working as a prostitute in Norwich to feed her heroin habit | BBC, UK - Record number of heroin users accessing help
The number of heroin users in drug treatment has reached record numbers, with almost 11,500 receiving substitute medication | Irish Examiner, Ireland
MDMA
The common name for the drug MDMA is Ecstasy which is a controlled substance. Ecstasy Drug Test Kits are available from Zoom Testing.
- The Dangers of Super Strength Ecstasy
In the UK, the number of people dying every year after using Ecstasy is increasing. One of the reason for this large rise in fatalities has been attributed to the increasing purity of the drug, meaning that the chances of overdosing on it are much higher than ever before | Zoom Testing, UK
Other Drug News in the UK
Also in the news this week:
- Police mistakes 99-year old-Liverpool great great grandmother’s house for drug den
Police targeted the home of a vulnerable 99-year-old great great grandmother after ‘intelligence’ led them to fear she was living in a cannabis den | ITV, UK - Belfast Harbour: Police find £1m more drugs hidden in seized lorry
Police have discovered an additional £1.2m worth of drugs hidden in a lorry stopped at Belfast Harbour earlier this month | BBC, UK - Brook House: Officers ‘smuggled drugs to detainees’, inquiry hears
Custody officers at an immigration removal centre smuggled in drugs for detainees to sell, an inquiry heard | BBC, UK
Photo by Shelby Ireland on Unsplash
