As usual, here’s our weekly summary of some of the biggest drug testing news stories and articles from around the UK and Europe 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.
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:
Even high doses of CBD don’t impact driving, study finds
Scientists caution that study only looked at CBD in isolation | Independent, UK
Man caught with £10,000 cannabis haul spared jail after cancer patients defend ‘life-saving treatment’
The medical cannabis supplier faced a 15-year sentence for providing the oils to suffering patients | Independent, UK
Suitcase abandoned in Belfast alleyway contained £75,000 of Cannabis, Court told
A suitcase abandoned in an east Belfast alleyway contained up to £75,000 worth of herbal cannabis, a court has been told | ITV, 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:
Woman jailed for importing over £30k worth of drugs into Jersey
Janice Catherine Mawdsley, 42, from Southport, admitted importing more than £30,000 worth of cocaine into Jersey on 16 April | BBC, UK
‘Staff are being attacked every day’: Surge in crime on city street linked to crack-cocaine use
Business owners and publicans along a busy city centre street in Dublin have spoken of staff being attacked, threatened and intimidated due to a surge in crack cocaine use and drug-related violence in the area | Journal, Ireland
Man jailed for yacht £160m cocaine haul
A smuggler who was intercepted on a luxury yacht with a £160m cargo of cocaine has been jailed for 18 years | 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.
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:
Warning over spike in Cumbria drugs deaths
A recovering addict has urged drug users to seek help, following a spike in fatal overdoses in Cumbria. Twelve deaths in the past month have been linked to the misuse of controlled or illegal pharmaceutical-type drugs | BBC, UK
1 billion meth pills seized as Asia sees record drug increase
More than one billion methamphetamine pills were seized in East and Southeast Asia last year, a record figure that the United Nations says highlights a “staggering” increase in the regional synthetic drug trade | CNN, USA
Universities told to crack down on spiking after ‘brazen’ attacks on students
Universities minister launches working group to spearhead plans for practical action to help keep students safe from drink and needle spiking | Guardian, UK
Almost £30m of Class A drugs seized in just 12 months by Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership
A specialist team of officers from the National Crime Agency and Merseyside Police have seized nearly £30m worth of Class A drugs in their first year of operating | NCA, UK
Photo by Raghav Bhasin on Unsplash
