cocaine - search results

[…] prevention, building and social enterprise and more. Click here for full details of the session. 4.00pm Conference close   Speaker Biographies Chris Robin As author of Crack Cocaine, The Open Door and co-founder of Janus Solutions where he has developed The Resonance Factor Chris Robin has never been afraid to ask difficult questions about the traditional […]

[…] are unemployed, and two thirds of employers surveyed for the report by the University of Manchester indicated they would be unwilling to employ a heroin or crack cocaine user even if they were otherwise suitable for the job. The document acknowledges that getting some problem drug users ‘fit for the job’ can present a […]

[…] whco are not quite reaby to seek the help of an establischment that rrritsh Co ttslum brmia,e (DDN, December/January, page 25). These are distinct heroin and crack cocaine markets, and indeed much street level gang violence may not even be related to drug turf wars at all, but rather pointless ‘beefs’ over postcode rivalries […]

[…] building as well. David Gilliverhears how Open in Sandwell hit the ground running Building blocks most still largely opioid-based. Sandwell has problems with both crack and powder cocaine – in common with similar communities across the country, falling prices and widespread availability have meant that cocaine use is no longer the preserve of upmarket […]

[…] drugs sentences • Scotland unveils new treatment framework • Government plans to extend welfare reform to alcohol • Retention ‘the wrong target’ for treatment • West African cocaine challenges can be overcome says UNODC • News in brief 6 LETTERS AND COMMENT : Food for thought.... and supplemental food for thought; back to school; […]

[…] drugs most likely to cause a problem for those aged 18-25 are alcohol and cannabis, according to Young people’s drug and alcohol treatment at the crossroads, alongside cocaine, ketamine, GBL and mephedrone. The majority of adult services, however, are geared towards treating heroin and crack dependency. The treatment system needs to be more flexible […]

[…] in the use of ‘legal highs’ – in particular mephedrone(DDN, 18 January, page 6) – far more drug users are still encountering illegal class A drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, according to a survey of delegates at the DDN/Alliance Right here, right now! service user conference in Birmingham recently. Sixty-three per cent of those […]

[…] producers, suppliers and users to look beyond the hype at the reality of methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is not primarily derived from a plant source so unlike heroin or cocaine, it doesn’t necessarily require long supply routes. This has in turn made it especially popular in less accessible markets, such as New Zealand, where homegrown methamphetamine […]

[…] were in treatment programmes, according to research carried out by the National Drug Evidence Centre at Manchester University. The research team studied around 1,500 opiate and crack cocaine users who had recently offended and were receiving drug treatment in the community rather than serving a jail sentence, meaning they were technically able to commit […]

[…] services. The helpline is being provided by substance misuse service provider Cais Ltd, in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government. The helpline number is 0800 633 5588. Cocaine drug deaths on rise Cocaine was present in more Scottish deaths than ever before, according to figures released by the General Register Office in Scotland. The […]

[…] East, at three times higher than London’s rate. Just under half of all deaths involved an opiate, while there was also a huge rise in deaths involving cocaine – more than 30 per cent up on the previous year, at 1,118. The number of cocaine-related deaths has now risen for 12 consecutive years, ONS states. […]

[…] the same period (DDN, September, page 4). Deaths involving heroin and morphine increased sharply between 2012 and 2014 – from 579 to 952 – while deaths involving cocaine also jumped dramatically, from 169 to 247 in the space of a year. Cocaine-related deaths have now increased for three years in a row, reaching an […]

[…] can ‘rapidly affect trends in drug-related deaths’, UNODC states, ‘with substances such as isotonitazene, protonitazene and metonitazene increasingly identified in drug deaths in Estonia and Latvia’. Global cocaine production reached a new record high in 2022 The Taliban’s opium ban has led to a 95 per cent fall in production in Afghanistan since 2022 […]

Cocaine cutting agents More than 50 different cutting agents have been identified in cocaine, including some that can cause ‘serious medical harm’, according to an ACMD evidence review. ACMD initiated the review because of concerns over ‘increased consumption and a perception that the drug is “safe”,’ it says. Evidence is best Evidence-based practices […]

The Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) has decriminalised the use of drugs including opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA. The national government’s health department, has granted British Columbia an exemption under the country’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act People found in possession of up to 2.5g of drugs will no longer be arrested or […]

Big spenders Drug users in the US spend an estimated $100bn annually on cocaine, marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine, according to a White House-commissioned report from the Rand Corporation. Total expenditure is driven by a ‘minority of heavy users who consume on 21 or more days each month’, says What America’s users spend on illegal […]

[…] global patterns of use and health consequences have largely remained stable, says the document, which estimates that problem drug users – primarily those dependent on heroin or cocaine – number around 27m worldwide, approximately 0.6 per cent of the world’s population. However, clear data for Africa and Asia – which jointly account for around […]

[…] new drugs, some people seem paralysed by abbreviations and slang names. But those same workers were skilled at working with people who had cravings, were bingeing on cocaine, or who were experiencing bad ecstasy-related comedowns. Reinforcing that their skills are transferable to newer compounds can leave workers empowered and more confident in engaging with […]

[…] has been grounded in public service agreements,’ said Vic Hogg, head of the Drug Strategy Directorate. The focus had been on the ‘most dangerous drugs, heroin and cocaine’, but the harm index – ‘a system that brings together all harms drugs cause to society into a basket and values them’ – had shown that […]

[…] COVID-19 and drub supplym, increasinb the risk that people may switch to fentanyl or its derivatives. Afbhanistan’s poppy harvest is beinb affected by the pandemicm, as is cocaine production in Colombia, which has bmeen hit by basoline shortabes. Disruption of air amnd land routes because of COVID-19 has also had a majorm impact on […]

[…] to become one of the most permissive countries in the world when it comes to narcotics, by lifting its ban on small amounts of marijuana, heroin and cocaine possession. The government said legislation would let authorities concentrate on violent drug gangs, but the move appalled their nor thern neighbours. The Mayor of San Diego, […]

[…] can do – even highly publicised killings by cannabis abusers. Peter Hitchens, Mail on Sunday, 26 October Colombians would dispute the claim that Fry repeated on Newsnight: that, with cocaine consumption, ‘I’m the only person I hurt’. For them, a long line, more of blood than of powder, links the smallholdings of Cauca or Antioquia to the toilets […]

[…] target the nature of the drug and the experiences of the user in the same way as we have different treatment programmes for heroin use and crack cocaine use, rather than more generalist counselling or diversionary interventions that they have recognised as having little long term effect. They have also come to the conclusion […]

[…] treatment for alcohol. The number of adults entering treatment was up from just under 138,000 to almost 159,000, with the  proportion of people starting treatment for powder cocaine reaching its highest ever level, at 19 per cent. A fifth of people starting treatment had no home of their own, rising to almost 40 per […]

[…] reducing the demand for drugs.’ The report also offers a regional breakdown across member state areas. West Africa is ‘rapidly developing into a major smuggling route for cocaine from Latin America through and into Europe’ it says, something that countries there are largely powerless to tackle. Italso calls on Afghanistan to do more to […]

[…] (DDN, December/January, page 5), with the figure now standing at more than 4,300.   18 per cent increase in the number of people seeking treatment for crack cocaine The numbers, taken from National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) data, show more people in treatment for crack problems across all age categories, including younger age […]

[…] and Yatunde Diya from Nor th London were arrested trying to board a plane in the capital Accra last July. They both denied tr ying to smuggle cocaine in two laptop bags but the prosecution claimed they had been involved from the star t. The London Metro, 23 Januar y One of Nor thern […]

[…] the injectors reported having shared needles in the same period. Nearly a quarter those reporting use of heroin, and almost half (44 per cent) reporting use of cocaine, lived in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS region. Scottish minister for community safety, Fergus Ewing, promised a renewed emphasis on both promoting recovery and prevention […]

[…] social media platforms and the dark web, says EMCDDA, with the result that ‘a long-term impact of the pandemic could be the further digitalisation of drug markets’. Cocaine remains the second most-used drug in the EU after cannabis, with purity remaining at high levels. A record 213 tonnes were seized in 2019 and preliminary […]

[…] 250,000 – an increase of 2,500% • Cannabis use has increased from around half a million people to over 2.5 million – an increase of 400% • Cocaine seizures have increased from around 6kg a year to over 4,000kg a year, a 666 fold increase, but the UK still has the highest rate of […]

[…] with the substance are ‘not commensurate with control under the Misuse of Drugs Act’ and a ban would put ‘disproportionate burdens’ on its legitimate use. Meanwhile, global cocaine production increases by 35 per cent in just two years following a COVID-related slowdown, says UNODC. ‘The surge in the global cocaine supply should put all […]

[…] than simply order young people that they should not use illegal substances, this means telling young people about the increased risk of hear t attacks associated with cocaine and the mental health effects of cannabis. This has been the approach of the ‘Frank’ campaign, which has benefited from over £23m of government funds in […]

[…] Portman Group’s independent complaints panel has upheld a complaint against a beer called Speedball, brought by Alcohol Focus Scotland. Named after the practice of combining heroin and cocaine, the beer is marketed as a ‘class A ale’ with a ‘vicious cocktail of active ingredients.’ The beer’s producer, BrewDog, was ‘seriously misguided in its claim […]

[…] know. Other drugs were showing a similar trend; we began to experience an ageing heroin population, and the use of other drugs such as MDMA, amphetamine and cocaine were not at the levels of the 1990s. Other drugs were apparently tailing off in popularity, but were causing real problems for those who carried on […]

[…] work. He drinks now and again, and is a non smoker who exercises regularly. He has admitted to me that sometimes on a night out he takes cocaine and other drugs. He doesn't see this as a problem and tells me that it is just par t and parcel of modern Britain. Should I […]

[…] and migraines, but is also used to treat other types of pain. In the substance use field acupuncture has been a popular alternative treatment for people with cocaine use problems – though this may have had more to do with the lack of an accepted conventional treatment than the particular merits of acupuncture, and […]

[…] in Scotland were a shocking 15 times more likely to die from a drugs death than those from the least deprived areas. Increases in deaths related to cocaine are also on a sharp trajectory upwards highlighting the complexity of the crisis.  Context Cranstoun work closely with Scottish Government and local councils to find solutions […]

[…] to become one of the most permissive countries in the world when it comes to narcotics, by lifting its ban on small amounts of marijuana, heroin and cocaine possession. The government said legislation would let authorities concentrate on violent drug gangs, but the move appalled their nor thern neighbours. The Mayor of San Diego, […]

[…] consumed unintentionally alongside other drugs such as heroin and/or benzodiazepines, with very small quantities capable of leading to overdose and death,’ the document says. Global production of cocaine is up Alongside the growing availability of synthetic opioids, global production of cocaine is also up, with UNODC highlighting a 35 per cent increase between 2020 […]

[…] patients presenting to the department did so on the night of the alleged incident, so even drugs with a short detection window should still have shown up. Cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamine and opiates, specifically codeine and morphine, were detected. Researchers did also note that some of the patients may have had their drinks spiked with […]

[…] probation, councils, the NTA and the London Drug Policy Forum. On the downside, of London residents who did drink, more were dependent on alcohol. Heroin and crack cocaine use also gave cause for concern: 1 per cent of London’s population were problematic users, representing more than 74,000 people. The 195 London treatment agencies offering […]

[…] in fact recovery was commonplace. In one of the reviewed studies, for example, Lopez-Quintero et al (‘Probability and predictors of remission from life-time nicotine, alcohol, cannabis or cocaine dependence’, Addiction, 2011) found that of those addicted to cocaine, 27 per cent had stopped using the drug after two years, 51 per cent had stopped […]

[…] for the same period (DDN, September, page 4). Deaths involving heroin and morphine increased sharply between 2012 and 2014 – from 579 to 952 – while deaths involving cocaine also jumped dramatically, from 169 to 247 in the space of a year. Cocaine-related deaths have now increased for three years in a row, reaching an […]

Junaid tells us how he became involved in making a film for the 2017 Recovery Street Film Festival. In 2015 I was using crack cocaine and daily endangering my own life. I was involved in car crime and mentally and physically not in a very good place. The first time I got arrested and […]

[…] hangover… be careful not to overdo the legally sanctioned fun. Slightly confusing then, to look at a substance through both lenses. We’re familiar with the devastating effect cocaine can have on lives. What’s interesting is the cultural normalisation that’s contributing to the statistics (p6). If drug use starts in a safe setting and escalates, […]

The government has reignited the controversy around punishments for ‘middle class cocaine users’ with the announcement that a forthcoming white paper will set out tough new sanctions for drugs offences. People who choose to take drugs on a “casual” basis will face meaningful consequences Writing in The Telegraph, crime and policing minister Kit Malthouse […]

A man in recovery from alcohol and cocaine addiction is preparing to launch a £7m rehab and behavioural health centre – the only purpose-built facility of its kind in the UK.

[…] discovered. They are thought to be part of the UK arm of a ‘well-established’ organised crime group that used Dutch and British front companies to import heroin, cocaine and cannabis hidden in lorries carrying vegetables and juice. The group is responsible for importing more than 50 tonnes of drugs, says the agency, with six […]

[…] establish a £3.6m National County Lines Coordination Centre as part of its new Serious Violence Strategy. The strategy identifies ‘the changing drugs market’ – in particular, around crack cocaine – as ‘a key driver harming our communities’. Last year saw a 23 per cent increase in the number of people seeking treatment for crack (DDN, […]

A4M0NW Smoking crack cocaine

[…] – a consequent reduction of the 80,000 annual tobacco-related deaths by 4,000. By comparison, around 1,000 deaths a year are estimated to be attributable to heroin or cocaine, and research published in The Lancetrated tobacco as the most harmful of all drugs for ‘chronic physical harm’ (DDN, 6 October, page 6).Smuggled tobacco products are […]

[…] The aim is to educate people to make their own choices, says the charity. ‘Substances that are taken in a predominantly recreational context, like novel psychoactive substances, cocaine, steroids and alcohol, place a heavy burden on the health system,’ said director of operations for substance misuse, Jay Stewart. ‘This new guide aims to provide […]

[…] World at One on BBC Radio 4 to promote the book and explained how writing kept him ‘connected’ to part of himself during his 20-year struggle with cocaine and heroin addiction. ‘Poetry helps me to be able to express myself with some of the things that I struggled with, some of the dark parts […]

[…] The loss of expertise is one of the many things that bothers him. Gone are the days of specialist services for different substances. Everything – including alcohol, cocaine and stimulants, which would have had specific services a short time ago – is combined into the same service, which ‘can be a problem if people […]

[…] few years, tackling the problem of synthetic drug manufacture and use will pose problems that are very different from those associated with plant based drugs like heroin, cocaine and cannabis, says the report. One is difficulty of measurement, as there are no cultivated fields visible from the air, another is the ease with which […]

[…] In particular, the HIV prevalence has been rising since 2002 among those who have been injecting for less than three years. Increasing evidence suggests that injecting crack cocaine is a major factor. The report also found that while levels of HIV remain high among current IDUs in London, with around one in 25 infected, […]

[…] their own cycle of addition. A campaign film and a series of posters can be viewed at www.whatdoyouknowcampaign.blog spot.com Decriminalisation plan Think tank Transform has suggested that cocaine could be sold in pharmacies and cannabis in coffee shops as part of a scheme to decriminalise drugs, while reducing crime and improving health. A new […]

[…] a 16 per cent increase in fatalities involving heroin and morphine and a 35 per cent increase in deaths involving methadone on the previous year. Deaths involving cocaine and amphetamines also rose, and the DAT areas of Blackpool, Brighton and Hove and Camden have consistently had the highest drug misuse mortality rates. According to […]

[…] people. ‘With the right support from local authorities, the NHS and other partners, specialist substance misuse services can continue to focus on what they do best: ensuring that young people who need  help get it quickly and that they receive appropriate, personalised support,’  said PHE.  News CQC CONSULTATION THE CARE QUALITY COMMISSION is consulting on its proposed changes to the way substance misuse services are regulated. The proposals aim to make sure that services are ‘safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led’ (DDN, October b014, page 4). The consultation is open until 19 March, with the new regime due to start from April. bonsultation link at www.cqc.org.uk  MOBILE DRUG TESTS THE FIRST MOBILE DRUb-TESTINb device has been granted type approval and is available for purchase by UK police forces. The Securetec DrugWipe 3S – known as ‘Drugwipe’ – can detect the presence of cocaine or cannabis within eight minutes by analysing saliva, after which those testing positive can be taken to the police station for a blood test. ‘Drug drivers are a deadly menace and must be stopped,’ said policing minister Mike Penning. ‘Those who get behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs not only put their own lives at risk, but also those of innocent pedestrians, motorists and their passengers.’ PLAIN TOBACCO PACKAGING THE bOVERNMENT has announced that it backs the case for standardised packaging for tobacco products, with MPs set to vote on the issue before the election. If passed, the regulations could be in place by May next year, bringing the ‘prospect of our first smoke-free generation one step closer’ according to public health minister Jane Ellison.  DRINKS INDUSTRY UNTRUSTWORTbY THE DRINKS INDUSTRY ‘can’t be trusted’ to promote safer drinking and is ‘undermining its own pledges’ to encourage it, according to […]

[…] also had a handy article a few days ago called ‘How to legalise every drug’. Here, Steve Rolles of Transform pops up to tell us that for cocaine, for example, a ‘licensed user pharmacy’ model would be the best option. Steve Rolles of Transform Drug Policy Foundation proposes a ‘licensed user pharmacy’ arrangement for […]